Whether you are moving or not, it’s always nice to declutter. Decluttering frees up space that can be filled with new stuff that is nicer and better. If you don’t declutter and just buy new things, your home will soon become a big storage space. And we’re sure you don’t want that. You definitely need to consider using some decluttering hacks in order to do the job faster and better. It’s really important to have in mind just one thing. It’s just stuff. It can be replaced with something much better. It isn’t good to have too many things as it makes a room feel crowded and small. It’s especially bad to keep a lot of things if the room is already small.
When’s the right time to declutter?
It’s always a good time to declutter. But make sure you have the whole day to do it. Decluttering can last long if you don’t do it very often. Star in the morning after breakfast and go room by room. Start with the room you have the most stuff in as it will take you the longest. Decluttering is easy if you’re motivated and if you have patience. But it’s much easier if you have someone to help you do it. Working in pairs will not only make the job faster but it will be more fun. Plus you will have someone to keep track of how many things you are keeping that you don’t actually need at all. If you’re moving, the less stuff you keep the better. By decluttering you will make moving easier. Even if you’re hiring a moving company such as Ample Moving NJ, having a lot of stuff to keep safe and later to unpack is very stressful.
Decluttering will make moving easier
Prepping for decluttering
This work will drain you physically so be prepared to break a sweat. Make sure you’re rested and more importantly, prepared. In order to make decluttering easier you will need:
- big boxes– for storage and donating
- plastic bags– for trash
- paper– to wrap fragile thing you want to store away
- checklist– to keep track of what you are doing
- markers– for labeling the boxes.
Donate!
You need boxes to store the stuff you either want to throw away or keep out of sight. Don’t forget that some things can be donated. It’s always nice to help someone by donating. You can donate clothes that aren’t worn out too much, but make sure you wash them beforehand. You can also donate books almost anywhere. Schools, kindergartens, local libraries, orphanages etc. Books are something everyone can enjoy no matter what the condition of the book is. You can also donate towels; people usually tend to have a lot of towels and not use them. Toys can’t be donated everywhere so make sure you ask in advance.
Donating is a great way of helping others and yourself
The things you can’t donate are the things you can put up for sale on a yard sale. But remember to clean out your yard too and maybe after you’ve done that you get inspired to design your yard. And if you don’t live somewhere where you can have a yard sale, you can sell those things in your local thrift shops. But don’t expect to get a lot of money for your stuff. After all, you don’t want them so maybe nobody else wants them either.
How to declutter properly?
It’s important not to hold onto stuff. So anything that is useless, ugly, broken and outdated must go. If something is worth a lot or is sentimental, you can keep it. That’s the only exception. Everything else must go! Have in mind that this is for your good and for the good of the space you live in or you’re going to live in. If you end up having a lot of stuff that has sentimental value but you don’t want to have them in sight, we suggest that you consider renting a self-storage unit for your needs. That’s something that will come in handy for all occasions. But remember that one day you will need to declutter that storage too, so try not to keep too much.
Remember that the more stuff you throw away, the more space you have for new, better and more modern stuff. Everyone likes buying new things but if you hoard them, nobody will notice what’s new and what’s old.
Decluttering hacks
Using decluttering hacks might make this whole process much easier. Being organized is key. Keeping track of what you’re donating and what you’re throwing away is important. But it’s more important to keep track of what you’re keeping and storing away out of sight. Don’t forget to label the boxes so that if you need anything you can easily access it at any time. It’s good to have a lot of boxes so you can make groups out of your stuff.
Be organized and label the boxes
Making it fun is one of the more important decluttering hacks. Playing some upbeat music will make you work harder and not notice how much time has passed. Also, see if any of your friends and family want to help you. Maybe in the decluttering process, they find something they like and need and you can gift that to them. Doing this with someone is a good bonding method. You can talk while doing it plus you’re being productive and burning some calories.
A good way to declutter is to go from one room to another. Starting with the living room and moving slowly from one room to another. Maybe after you clean certain rooms you will want to remodel some things like tile your kitchen differently, color the walls for a fresh look etc.
Cleaning
Have in mind that there will probably be a lot of dust everywhere so wearing a face mask is definitely recommended. Having wet rags for cleaning the dust is also suggested. Have a window or two open just to let fresh air in. It’s not good to inhale too much dust. Decluttering is good if you’re planning to do some renovation such as replacing your windows.
Decluttering can make a lot of mess
When you finish decluttering
After you’re done, make sure you get some rest before you start organizing the yard sale or calling local thrift stores. Sleep on it and think about what you decided to do with what. If there’s anything you regret doing, you can’t go back. But always have in mind that material things can be replaced.