Decluttering Before A Move: What Should You Keep, Donate, Or Throw Away?

What is the most exciting thing about moving to a new house? Even though moving is a stressful experience, it brings joy to your mind. It’s a chance for a fresh start to your new life.

But when it comes to moving, a question arises in your mind: how do I pack a lot of luggage? What should I keep for the new place, or what should I donate or throw away?

For this purpose, a simple but effective way is to declutter your things. This will not only save you time but also provide you peace of mind that your luggage will be clutter-free in your place while moving.

In this guide, we’ll guide you thoroughly on how to declutter your things before a move and what things you should keep, donate, or throw away for your ease.

What is Decluttering?

Decluttering is a process of removing unwanted items from your living space. It can be a sort of sorting thing that you want to keep with yourself for a new home, donate, or throw away. Make a checklist for items or label a box with names to keep, throw, or donate to make it easier for you to keep things in the relevant boxes and eliminate unwanted junk.

For instance, you may have a heap of shoes, you only wore some of them, and some of them just need to be repaired. Now, remove unwanted items or things that don’t have any value for you and need to be decluttered.

Why Should You Declutter Before A Move?

It would help if you did decluttering before you move to a new place for several reasons:

• It streamlines the process of moving by reducing the number of items to pack and transport.
• You can even save money by packing only relevant items and selling old laptops for cash or donating unneeded items.
• By decluttering, you can also save transporting costs and need fewer boxes to use.
• It provides you with ease and a fresh start by moving behind clutter and embracing a more minimalist lifestyle.
• By decluttering, you feel more comfortable and organized in your moving process.
• It makes your home declutter-free and feels more spacious by bringing only the essential items you love and need.

What Should You Keep?

When it’s the time to keep things before moving, ask these questions to yourself:

• Is it something you use on a regular basis? Or is it something you want to keep for valid reasons?
• Does it hold some value or sentiment in your life?
• Is it easy to replace?
• Do you have enough space for it in your new place?
• Does it easily fit in your new lifestyle and aesthetic design?

After getting answers to all the above questions, here are some things you must keep and bring with you:

• Essential kitchen appliances such as refrigerator, microwave, or stove.
• Basic furniture such as beds, sofas, tables, etc.
• Personal belongings such as decluttering clothes, toiletries, and sentimental items.
• Personal and housing documents such as ID cards, passports, insurance documents, etc.
• Regular items such as dishes, cleaning supplies, and utensils.
• Electronic items such as laptops, mobile phones, tablets and chargers.
• Important medical supplies or medications.

What Should You Donate?

Before donating, it’s necessary to ask yourself a few questions:

• Is this item still in good condition and can be usable?
• Will some others benefit while using this item?
• Do I have several items of it that I can donate?
• Am I emotionally attracted to that item, or is it easy for me to live without it?
• Is there any item that I need in the future?

After getting the answer to all your queries ticking in your head, these are the things that you should donate:

• Clothing or shoes that you no longer wear and don’t match with your new lifestyle aesthetics.
• Refrain from removing irrelevant or unused furniture items that you don’t need in your new home.
• Only use kitchen appliances or gadgets that you use frequently.
• Books, DVDs, or other media items you don’t need any longer or can easily access in the future when needed.
• Outdated technologies such as phones, tablets, or laptops don’t have value.
• Additional tools or equipment that you don’t use or need in your new home.

What Should You Throw Away?

If you’re struggling to part ways, some items can be easy for you to move. Here are some questions to ask yourself when throwing them:

• When was the last time I used this item?
• Does it hold any sentimental value for me, and can throwing be easy?
• Will I realistically use this item in the future?
• Is the item broken or expired?
• Is it possible to use and keep it in a new home?

Make sure to be honest with yourself; after that, you’ll get answers to all your questions with loyalty. Here are some items that you need to throw quickly.

• Clothes or shoes that got damaged before repair.
• Broken or outdated furniture pieces that are no longer in use.
• Missing or broken kitchen appliance parts.
• Expired or unused skincare or beauty products
• Old electronic appliances that are not functional.
• Duplicate items that you already keep.
• Souvenirs or knick-knacks that don’t have any real purpose for you.

How To Declutter Before A Move?

Here are some decluttering tips for effective moves so that you can start your journey to a clutter-free home.

• Take your time at the last moment to declutter items; start at least a few weeks ago for your ease.
• Try to sort things for decluttering in categories, not room by room; it will take more time as compared to categorizing them.
• Consider the 6-month rule: if you haven’t used any item from the past six months, it’s time to keep it aside.
• If you have an item that you want to keep but often use, make sure to store it in your place’s storage area.
• If the items are in good condition, or you use them one time, you can sell them online and get money.
• Once you make a checklist of decluttering items, make sure to develop new habits for a clutter-free and peaceful environment.
• If you don’t have much time for DIY decluttering, you can take professional residential junk removal services. But it’s advisable to do it yourself.

Final Thoughts

Moving to a new home can be an exhausting and stressful process, but with the help of decluttering items, you can save a lot of time and pack your luggage in a peaceful environment.

Read all the questions mentioned above for keeping, donating, or throwing your items, and be loyal to yourself and get peace of mind for moving to a new place.