Downsizing? Moving house? My top tips for decluttering your home fast when moving and downsizing
No matter how you think about it, decluttering a home can be a very daunting job. It often requires reviewing many decades worth of household possessions in a short space of time.
Maybe you are downsizing to a retirement home or are empty-nesters looking for a smaller, lower maintenance property. With my home decluttering service I’ve worked with many families downsizing to a smaller home. These are the best tips I can give you to streamline the process.
Preparing to get started
The first step is to get all the things you will need ready to help you declutter. I suggest allocating an area of your home to store all of the items that you have sorted through. This could be a garage, a spare room, or even part of a hallway if it can be used safely. Remember, this is only a temporary holding space until you move to your new home.
Helpful items:
Rubbish bags
As many cardboard boxes as you can find
A sharpie pen
Blank labels or cellotape and paper
Scissors and packing tape
3 tubs (or boxes) labelled “Keep”, “Donate”, “Rubbish”
Where to start
I always suggest starting with an easy space such as the kitchen. You can often make great progress decluttering unused kitchen utensils and appliances. Another good place to start is the bathroom where you can often easily remove expired products. When starting I suggest setting a timer for 15 or 30 minutes or whatever fits into your schedule. Use the tubs to sort donations and rubbish as you go. Don’t feel disheartened if it takes you a few attempts at a room. Just take your time, it does not need to be perfect.
Different categories for items
During the process of decluttering you should sort items into one of the four categories below:
Rubbish - Goes straight into the rubbish bag
Out of place - An item that you still wish to keep but belongs somewhere else in the home
Keep - Simple, this item can stay where it is
Donate/Sell - Items you want to give away, either to a charity or to a friend. You might wish to sell the item on Trademe or Facebook marketplace. Clearly sort these items into separate boxes so you know what is to sell and what is to donate.
How will you know what to keep?
Deciding which items to let go of can be a very challenging task. If you are struggling you may wish to consider the following questions:
Would I buy this item again?
Can I easily replace this if I need it again?
Is this a daily use item that I can’t live without, or would someone else love this more?
Has this been used in the past year?
It is not uncommon to have a box of ‘Undecided” items. This is completely normal. If you are taking too long to decide I suggest placing it in the undecided box and moving on.
What about sentimental items?
When decluttering sentimental items remember the goal is not to get rid of everything. You need to find the right balance for your new lifestyle and be kind to yourself in the process.
Having too many sentimental items can mean they get lost amongst one another and lose their significance. I always suggest leaving sentimental items as one of the last areas to tackle. Remember that memories are in your heart and not the item itself. The item is just a prompt for your memory. If you do decide to let a sentimental item go, you may choose to:
Take a photo to remember it by
Gift it to a family member
Repurpose it e.g. make a quilt out of old t-shirts
Lastly, it can be helpful to ask yourself why you are saving each item. Is it because you love it and it holds a lot of meaning to you? Are you keeping the item to pass on to your kids one day? Or is it because you feel obliged to hold onto it, despite it taking up space in your life.
Should you pack and declutter at the same time?
If you are moving soon and need to declutter in a hurry, I suggest packing the “keep” items as you go through. Always label the box with something that will indicate that it has been sorted and does not need to be checked until you get to the new home. These boxes can then be moved to your short-term storage space.
Step by step you will get there
Things may move slowly at first but the more you declutter the faster you will become. By using my decluttering tips, I guarantee you will slowly but surely reach a point where you are happy and ready to move.
If you need a hand to get started, you may wish to contact me for a free 30 minute in-home consultation.
