Moving For Fun

De-cluttering Before a Big Move: Four Helpful Tips

4 January 2017

Lillie Moreno

Packing your home for a big move can take a considerable amount of work, but taking the time to de-clutter before packing and moving can help to make the moving process go smoothly and keep your new home free from clutter. Here are a few ideas you can use to get rid of some excess belongings before you move.

Clear Out the Pantry

Moving all those cans of soup, beans, and vegetables can take up a lot of space in your moving boxes. Check the expiration dates for your items, and throw out any that have already expired. Set aside a box for food donations, and place some of your pantry products in the box for your local food bank. This is a particularly good idea if your new home has limited cabinet space, as you can ensure you have space for the items you frequently use. Remember, you can always make a trip to the grocery store in your new neighborhood after you move.

Digitize Your Media

If you have a collection of DVDs or CDs, consider going digital with your collection. You can save the content to an external hard drive and sell or donate the hard copies. For large collections, you may want to invest in several hard drives and organize your items by genre on each device. Be sure to label the hard drives so you know what is on each one. You might be surprised at how much space you save when you get rid of the DVDs and CDs. If you own VHS or cassette tapes, you may be able to use a professional service to digitize these items for you.  

Say Goodbye to Hand-Me-Downs

You may be saving baby and children's clothes for future members of your extended family, but if you aren't planning on having more children of your own, you may want to consider getting rid of those boxes of hand-me-downs. Talk to your family to see if anyone wants to take them off your hands, and if not, consider taking the items to a local charity. You may also be able to sell gently used items at a local consignment shop to earn a bit of extra cash for the items.

Downsize Your Children's Toy Collection

You've probably noticed that your children don't play with all of their toys. Take this opportunity to downsize their toy collection. This will make it easier to pack up their items, and it will help them to keep their bedrooms more organized. You may want to save one or two baby toys to pass on to future generations, but consider getting rid of the toys your children have grown out of. You can have them help you sort the toys that will be donated, and be sure to listen if each child has a particular toy that has special meaning. You can allow them to keep one or two sentimental items. Take a walk through each room in your house to identify other opportunities for getting rid of old or unwanted items before your big move. Be sure to ask movers like those at Caccamise Moving & Storage Co about any other tips they may have to help you de-clutter before your big move.

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