How to Declutter Before a Move? Take Cues from a Sydney Removalist

Moving home is a strenuous process and there is nothing new about that. But did you know it is confusing too? For those who have moved home before, how many times have you held various items and wondered, “Should I simply chuck it out or sell it to a second-hand store?” And just when you decided to throw the unnecessary things away, a little voice whispers into your ears, “Wait. What if you need these?” It is very difficult to get rid of things that we have become familiar with for so many years. But when you’re moving home, you need to bring your rationality to the fore and not your sentimentality. In other words, you should know that the more number of items you possess, the lesser in peace will be your mind. Of course, you’ll be engaging the best Sydney removalists for packing and moving all your belongings but don’t forget, even before packing, there is decluttering, which is exclusively your responsibility.

More than packing, it is decluttering that takes up most of your time. You may be greatly tempted to throw the dispensable items into your packing boxes whereas you will hardly ever use it again. To make decluttering straightforward and simple, here is the decluttering guide that you must follow. Read on!

Steps to Declutter for a Move

1. Understand the reasons for decluttering

There is always a reason behind everything that we do. When you don’t have the right reason to do a task, you lack the motivation and in the end, either it’s cancelled or abandoned. Understanding the purpose of doing something adds more meaning and you’ll be incited to accomplish the task in a better and faster way. In the event of a house move, decluttering is often regarded as unnecessary, a task that wastes your precious time. Well, that’s a deceptive thought! Decluttering is an all-round saver – it saves your energy, time and money. Some of the best reasons why you should be motivated towards decluttering your home are:

• It reduces your packing time – lesser the items (after decluttering), lesser is the time taken to pack and move
• It brings down your transportation & removalist costs – More the things to move, more will be the total weight of the shipment. The result? A high removalist charge you’ll have to pay. Simple calculation!
• Chance to earn some cash – By selling the unwanted items, which are in good condition of course, you can earn some money. Ultimately, it will benefit your move from the financial viewpoint.
• Bye bye to moving stress – The stress factor of a move boils down to the excessive clutter. If the volume of unnecessary things is more, you’ll be spending more money and time for packing and transporting things that you won’t need. You see where the stress is coming from?

2. Decide which items to get rid of

Now, it’s time to consider which things certainly don’t deserve a place in your new home. Let’s make it simple.

• Clothes and shoes that you’ll never use again: The wardrobe is from where all the confusion begins. Look carefully. So many clothes that don’t fit you anymore or those pair of shoes that you bought five years ago, look so old-fashioned. Isn’t moving such items really useless?
• Broken or worn-out items: Broken kitchen appliances, children’s toys, worn-out shoes, clothes, showpieces, small furniture pieces…why should you pay to move items that you’ll replace after a few days? Get rid of all broken and worn-out items simply because they don’t serve you well anymore.
• Expired items: Using expired medicines, cosmetics or groceries are particularly dangerous for your health. Throw these away immediately.
• Forgotten items: Decluttering your entire home is bound to expose the ‘out of sight, out of mind’ items. Usually, things that are unnecessary or heavily disliked are pushed away. As a result, the garage, basement or attic becomes overpopulated. Did you remember these items even for once in all these years? If it’s a no, you’ll never remember them again in the upcoming days as well.
• Replicate items – Honestly, do you really need 6 hair dryers that have the same features? If you have 10 bath towels, 7 table cloths, 5 palette knives and 3 mixer grinders, be ready to experience the most strenuous house move ever. In other words, donate or sell the duplicate items that serve the same purpose.

P.S. Even your Sydney removalists will also thank you for this! With lesser items to pack and move, relocation is already a smooth affair both for you and your removalists.

3. Exercise the 3-box decluttering trick

Following the 3-box decluttering trick will not only help you to sort out your belongings but also reduce the number of items you’re moving effortlessly. Eager to make this arduous task simple and fast? So, have three boxes the purposes of which are mentioned below:

Box 1 – Things to Keep: As you’re decluttering one room after another, go through the cabinets, drawers, closets, shelves, etc carefully. Found all the items that are going with you? Now put them in this box.

Box 2 – Things for selling/donating: Have things that you don’t need but are still usable? Don’t throw; rather sell or donate! It may no longer serve a purpose to you but can be extremely valuable to someone else.

Box 3 – Things to be thrown away: There’s no point in moving the broken, worn-out and expired items. Dispose of such things properly or visit a recycling centre.

4. Sell unwanted items

Did we tell you moving home is also a chance to earn some cash? If you’re unable to take out time to arrange a garage sale or find a suitable buyer of your usable items, hit the world of internet!

Before searching for buyers, get the items ready for the online sale. Clean them well if required. Fix a reasonable price for each of the items; remember, your aim is to sell fast so overpricing your things will not work here.

Now, take high-quality photos of the to-be-sold items; pictures will be the deciding factor for buyers, whether the product is worth purchasing. Also, click close-up pictures of the troubled areas and mention them in the product description.

Write an attractive product description containing all the relevant details of the item that a buyer would want to know.

Mention the acceptable payment methods and how you’ll ship the product.

Finally, you’re just a website away to host your first online sale! Choose only reputable online selling sites like Amazon.au, MyDeal, eBay.au and Trade Me.

5. Use the 12-month decluttering rule

No matter how motivated you are to save money, time or energy, at some point, you’re going to have ‘to pack or not to pack this item’ dilemma. For all those who expect themselves to be a victim of this mental, ask yourself – ‘what purpose will it serve if I carry it with me?’ If you’re following the ‘I’ll take this thing since I might need it going forward’ principle, moving home on a limited budget will only become more difficult. Making such choices is tough and that is why your professional removalists in Sydney will advocate the best way to do it – exercise the 12-month rule. If an item hasn’t been used for the last 12 months, then you really don’t need it now or later. Instead, selling, donating or recycling is the best way to dispose of the needless things and reduce your moving cost effectively. The 12-month decluttering rule is a simple practicality test to help you decide the fate of the items in question.

Conclusion: Decluttering is the prequel to packing for a house move. The reason why most home owners consider packing as a dreaded process is because they skip decluttering and pack anything and everything. Consequently, the moving cost escalates as well as the entire move becomes complex and time-consuming. Contrary to the popular belief that decluttering is daunting, it doesn’t have to be that way. If you keep in mind the above-mentioned decluttering tips, your move will invariably become more organized, systematic and aligned. Sydney Domain Furniture Removals is a highly reputable team of professional removalists in Sydney. With our specialized packing, moving and unpacking services, we simplify your move and make it stress-free. To know more about our services, get in touch with us today.