How to Declutter and Determine What Not to Bring On Your Move

Before your household relocation, it’s a good idea to declutter and determine which belongings you shouldn’t bring. Doing a purge makes sense because there isn’t any sense in spending money to move items to your new home that you’re likely never to use again.

Make a Spot for Three Piles

The first thing to do when planning to downsize belongings is to make four piles. This will help you keep track of everything.

• Keep
• Donate (or give away – if there are specifics to give to people you know, make a fifth pile for this)
• Sell
• Discard

Once you set up your piles, it’ll be easier to organize. If you have extra containers or bins you’re not actively using for packing, label these bins and place items in them.

Return Items You’ve Borrowed

You want to avoid taking items you’ve borrowed from others accidentally.  When decluttering each room, put aside things you’ve gotten on loan from family, friends, neighbors, the library, or others. Remember to check your garage or tool shed as well.

Heavy and Bulky Items

Since heavy and bulky items are the hardest to carry, require special handling, and are most expensive to move — reducing what you can makes sense. This way, you cut costs and can put the savings toward buying things for your new place. Items to consider not bringing include old or worn furniture, mattresses, bulky blankets or mattress toppers, kitchen appliances, outdated TVs and computers, and other electronics.

Clothing and Shoes

Are you moving to a cooler or warmer area? If so, you only want to keep the basics. For instance, do you need three winter coats and multiple pairs of boots if you’re moving to Florida? Consider the climate where you’re going and determine what you need regarding clothing and shoes.

Declutter Media

Over the years, you’ve probably grown a collection of books, CDs, DVDs, and video games. Now is a great time to go through these and donate or sell what you don’t use. You can now find many forms of media on streaming platforms, and you can likely reduce your load by several boxes. Only plan to keep those that are rare or have special meaning to you.

Shred Documents

If you’re like most people, you probably have a filing cabinet, drawer, or closet full of documents containing personally identifiable information (PII). Plan to shred any paperwork you don’t need that includes sensitive PII. You can do this yourself or go to a facility that offers this service. Additionally, if there are documents you need but don’t need hard copies, you can scan these into digital form.

Miscellaneous Items

During decluttering, you’ll likely find numerous expired, outdated, or unused belongings in your home. Plan to eliminate things like old cosmetics, hair products, cleaners, expired medications, outgrown clothing or toys, board games, and puzzles, to name a few. Some you should discard, but you can give others a new life by donating them.

Ready to Plan Your Move?

Downsizing can be complicated for people due to being overwhelmed or having emotional attachments to items they don’t need. To make the rest of your move easier, working with a professional mover can relieve some stress or give you more time to focus on other essential tasks. If you’d like a free quote, contact us today!