Here are 7 reasons why you should declutter before you move:
1. The less stuff you have the cheaper your move is.
You will need fewer boxes and less packing material overall. Your move will be easier and faster so whether you are charged hourly or given a fixed quote, it will save you money.
2. Make some extra cash!
Moving is expensive. Why don’t you offset the cost by selling your things? There are so many things you probably no longer use or need that could serve a purpose for someone else. Your trash is someone else’s treasure. Why not make a quick buck from it? With Gumtree, Ebay and a heap of other online markets, there has never been an easier time to sell your preloved foods.
3. Make moving day less stressful
There is a lot to think about on moving day: the expense, how long it will take, cleaning afterwards, claiming your bond, unpacking at the new place. By decluttering before you move, your furniture will be easier to move with fewer small items in the way, cleaning will be a lot faster and settling in will too.
4. Find yourself (and your stuff!)
Before you move, you may think about all the things you want to buy for your new home and really look forward to it! But in the clutter of your old place, you may discover things that you already had that you’d thought you’d lost or forgotten about.
That gorgeous wallpaper you never had time to put up so you stashed it at the back of the shed, old photos that are fading and are better off digitalised, a few gold albums hidden in boxes in the attic.
Before you move and start buying new things, declutter, find your precious valuables, assess what needs to be chucked and what will stay with you. Give yourself a sense of the old you and the new you!
5. Clear your mind and your schedule!
Decluttering before your move will help you organise, not only your future home but your mind and your time. Knowing all that you have, where it will go will bring you calm and order. Without that long list of chores, storage, outdated to-do tasks related to things that you don’t really care for anymore you’ll see you will have time for what really matters in your new home. Your relationships, your hobbies, YOU.
6. Less clutter, less storage
With clutter comes the nightmare of storage! Whether you’re actually paying for extra storage, buying extra shelves, containers and stuffing your things into the garage and the pantry, this is costing you not only time and money but space! Storing too many things, can make your space feel smaller, more restrictive.
Also, it can’t feel good knowing there are boxes full of stuff you haven’t needed in a year just gathering dust and attracting moths.
7. A new lease (on life!)
You’re getting a new lease, why not make it a new lease on life? It’s time to get rid of the old you, or more likely, the parts of you you want to leave behind. Get rid of photos of exes you no longer want to think about, bad habits you’ve ended and things that are no longer your taste. You have a new nest so redefine your new space the way you have redefined yourself!