Moving is one of the most stressful events for families of any size. Even before packing, there’s the planning, the numerous phone calls for services of all types at the new location, selecting schools, and finding a new place to live. It’s an undertaking made all the more daunting as people begin to consider what they need to move and what should be left behind or given away.
Moving is hard enough. Don’t add more to your plate than is necessary. Begin de-cluttering now and that’ll be one less hassle you have to consider as the actual moves draws near.
Here’s 5 tips for decluttering before moving:
- Gather the entire family for a talk about what moving day will look like. There will be lots of moving parts—boxes being packed, items being moved, etc. The last they anyone needs to be concerned with is worrying whether items should be packed or left behind. Now, well in advance of the move, is the optimal time to make those decisions. Encourage family members to look closely at everything in their possession, and do so with an eye for what should move to the new location, what should be donated to charity and what can be discarded.
- Make a plan for official declutter day. Once you’ve had the talk, mark a date on the calendar for when all items not making the move must be donated or discarded. For items that’ll be discarded, you can arrange a special pick-up from the waste management company. Or you can move such items to the curb for pick-up. In the case of donations, make everyone aware that at a certain time on the aforementioned date, all items must be loaded up and ready for the trek to Goodwill, or wherever the donations will be taken.
- It’s inevitable that there’ll be items some family members will not want to part with, even after they’ve agreed to leave it behind. In those cases, appeal to their sense of community by reminding them that a friend or family member would love to have the item as a going-away gift from them.
- Make it about the replacement. Let’s face it: Some items, no matter how old or worn, will never be easy to part with, especially for kids. Instead of focusing on the need to give the item away in advance of the move, highlight the experience of buying a replacement item in the new city.
- Give until it hurts. No matter how much you encourage your family to part with, it’s still very likely that moving day arrives, and you wish you’d gotten rid of even more of your possessions. After all, few things are worse than realizing you’re about to pack items you really don’t need or will never use again. To prevent this, apply logic of the adage “give until it hurts”: that is, giving away more items than you are entirely comfortable with.
Moving will always be a stressful occurrence, but by applying the decluttering techniques above, you can at least ensure your moving experience is as stress-free as possible.
If you’re ready to schedule your next move, we’d love for you to give National Van Lines a chance to earn your business.
