Reducing Clutter Before A Move: Tips and Tricks that Actually Work from Moving Companies

If you’re preparing for a move, you might be looking around your home and wondering—how did I accumulate all this stuff? The good news is, you’re not alone! Moving is stressful for everyone because it makes you account for every single item in your home. But there are lots of ways to make this easier.

Experienced moving companies like Hall Lane know that one of the best ways to reduce stress and labor before a move is to get rid of items you no longer need, use, or want. While reducing what’s in your home can also feel like a huge job, staying organized as you achieve this goal will make it easier! Moving companies often tell you to reduce the clutter in your home before you move, and Hall Lane knows that this can be a complex process. 

Maybe you’ve heard of sell/donate/discard before as a system that helps reduce clutter in a home. Essentially, you’re going to go through your home and decide what can be sold, what can be donated, and what should be discarded. Note that this system assumes you’ll be having a yard sale, garage sale, or some other opportunity to sell items. While a yard sale can make you some cash and also help you get rid of unneeded items, it can be a lot of work to put together. If you’re moving on a quick timeline or the logistics are overwhelming, don’t get bogged down in organizing a sale. Feel free to donate lots of items, rehome items with friends and neighbors, and keep working on preparing for your move!

If you’re ready to go through your home and complete the sell/donate/discard work, consider these tips to help it go smoother.

1. Go one room at a time. Pick one room to start in, and don’t leave that room till you’re finished! Tackling each space as an individual project gives you a clear goal, and makes the whole house go faster.
2. Find an organization system you like. Some folks do good work with three trash bags or three big plastic bins; some folks like to go through and find the sell items, then the donate items, then discard the rest. Whatever system will work for you, go for it!
3. Create your own rules to help you determine each choice. For instance, if you haven’t used an item in more than a year and it’s in good shape, it should go to the sell pile. Or, if it’s a children’s item and hasn’t been used in two months, it should go to the donate pile. Setting up some guidelines like this for yourself can help you make faster decisions as you go through your items.
4. Finding a good place to donate your items to in advance can help motivate you to put items in the donate pile. Popular choices include a local branch of Salvation Army or Goodwill, but local homeless shelters, foster homes, veterans’ homes, and charities that assist families after a house fire or other tragedy can also be great places to donate. Research what’s in your area, including which charities will take household items, children’s items, etc.

As you get ready to move, rely on the expertise of your moving partner. Moving companies like Hall Lane offer comprehensive packing, moving, storage, and other logistical support. If you get overwhelmed in your planning and packing, know that you have a great resource that can help you in the team at Hall Lane!

For more information on moving services from Hall Lane, contact us today.