Starting fresh in a new home can’t be complete and enjoyable if you have a ton of clutter from the previous home to sort out. Not only do these unnecessary items eat up the space in your new home, but they also make the relocation more expensive, tiresome, and complicated. Even though you may do some regular decluttering sessions occasionally, moving house is a perfect opportunity to do it thoroughly.
Tips For Downsizing and Decluttering Before the Move
Excess belongings can take up valuable space in your new home and make the moving process more costly, exhausting, and complex. While occasional decluttering is beneficial, moving presents an ideal chance to thoroughly purge. We’ve compiled practical tips for downsizing and decluttering before your move, along with effective methods for handling unwanted items.
We’ve developed several practical tips for downsizing and decluttering before the move and, more importantly, ways to deal with all the unwanted stuff.
Start Early - Plan on time
It is very important to plan everything in advance. Starting as early as possible is usually the right choice. It sounds cliché, but it’s an absolute must in the relocation process – give yourself enough time to deal with your household. There’s plenty of cleaning, decluttering, and packing, so if you planned your move on time, start early with all these preparations. Even though it doesn’t seem that way, decluttering can last for days. This depends on your working schedule, days off, the size of your household, and the amount of clutter you’ve got in your home. Take your time to do this properly and start fresh in the new house.
Planning your decluttering process well in advance of your move is crucial for several reasons. First, it allows you ample time to thoughtfully sort through your belongings, making it easier to decide what to keep, donate, or discard. This prevents last-minute stress and hasty decisions that might lead to keeping unnecessary items.
Second, starting early helps to spread out the workload, making the entire process more manageable and less overwhelming. It also provides the opportunity to properly dispose of or donate items, ensuring they don’t end up as clutter in your new home.
Lastly, a well-organized and decluttered move can significantly reduce moving costs and effort, as you’ll have fewer items to pack, transport, and unpack. Overall, early planning and decluttering ensure a smoother, more efficient relocation experience.
Have a System
No matter the size of your home, it’s easy to get lost in all the rooms and belongings, making the decluttering process even longer. That’s why you should take this seriously and have a system that will guide you until you reach the goal – downsize and refresh your household, ready to move. There are a couple of guidelines you can follow here:
- Go room by room – Focus on one area or room only. This will ensure you are thorough and finish what you’ve started. Sort items room by room so you don’t fan out too much and lose focus.
- Stay practical – Keep items you use in your daily life. It’s okay to be sentimental, but things you haven’t used in a while should go.
- Deal with duplicates – If there’s more than one of the same item, make sure you get rid of one. This golden rule of downsizing and decluttering before the move will create a ton of additional space.
- New item in, old item out – Make sure every time you buy a new item for your home, you also throw away the old item of the same type. This will help you downsize before the move and keep a tidy home afterward.
- Ask for help if you need some – Moving out, packing, decluttering – it all demands a lot of energy and time, so it’s okay to ask family or friends to help you. To best manage your time during a move, contact packing professionals to assist you with all the boxes and skillfully prepare them for transport.
Where to Start?
Hit the areas that collect the most clutter in most homes. These could be a pantry, wardrobe, garage, junk drawers or cupboards, kids’ rooms with old toys and overgrown clothes, the medicine cabinet in your bathroom, etc. These areas commonly hold the most clutter, so deal with them first.
Decluttering Categories
Only some things you get rid of belong to the same category. Certain items must go to recycling or garbage centers, while others may get another chance through donations, selling, etc. That’s why you should divide items you no longer need into categories. These could include:
- Donate – Local charity centers will happily accept items such as old clothes, sheets, shoes, and canned foods. It’s a great way to give back to the community and help but also clear out your home.
- Giveaway – If an item is in good condition, you can make some friends and family happy by giving it away. Parents love hand-me-downs when it comes to kids’ clothes, books, and toys, so make sure you remember that when decluttering the rooms of your little ones.
- Sell – If you don’t need an item and there’s no one to give it away to, consider selling it online or even in a garage sale. This is a great way to downsize while making money – perfect to help your moving budget!
How to Properly Recycle and Dispose of Items
When clearing out your home, you will probably find several items that can’t be saved—things ready for disposal. However, there will probably be more than you can fit in your garbage bin, so you’ll need to find a way to deal with the waste properly.
Identify Waste First
While decluttering, identify items that will go to the waste. These usually range from smaller items such as old, torn clothes, broken kitchen items, and toys to larger pieces such as car parts and broken kitchen appliances. Remember that food and kitchen waste are not accepted at common trash and recycling centers, so be sure to deal with them on your own.
Separate Electronic Waste
Old gadgets, cords, and all electronic items must be sorted carefully. Moving to Miami-Dade County means you’ll have plenty of places to dispose of such items. Eureka Drive, Golden Glades, Moody Drive, North Dade, Palm Springs North, Sunset Kendall, West Little River, West Perrine—all of these centers accept old electronics and dispose of them properly and environmentally.
White Goods
Large home appliances are the most common issue for homeowners who need to move. Old washing machines, dryers, and stoves are difficult to handle, yet they take up a lot of space and cost a lot to move. If you have some white goods you no longer need in your home, most trash and recycling centers in Miami Dade will accept them – except Chapman Field, Norwood, and Richmond Heights. Look for a center closest to your home and arrange for the pickup.
The area has 13 trash and recycling centers, so it will be easy to find one that will help you downsize and eliminate waste from your home.
Earn While You Recycle
You can also drop off certain items and materials at a local recycling facility that pays to recycle. These facilities collect all kinds of materials, such as old wood, tires, glass, batteries, and other items you might find unnecessary in your new home. Find a facility near your home and earn while you recycle.
Miami Dade Landfills
Private haulers can take trash to one of the two landfills in Miami-Dade County. There’s the North Dade landfill and the South Dade landfill to choose from. However, you need a permit and safety equipment such as reflective vests.
Chemical Disposal
Disposing of chemicals is probably the trickiest part when clearing out your home. Pesticides, paints, pool chemicals, and similar items must be handled properly, as they can’t be left at a regular dumpster site. Miami Dade County has several chemical collection sites where you can take these items, and they advise that new paint or similar items in good condition be donated to friends or family to reduce waste.
Remaining Items
Sometimes, downsizing results in several items we can’t get rid of but also can’t fit in our new home. You can quickly solve this with our storage services – a climate-controlled, secure spot for your belongings. We’ll keep it safe until it’s time for you to use it again, and you’ll enjoy extra space in your home.
Enjoy a Smooth Relocation!
Downsizing and decluttering before the move can significantly affect the cost and course of your moving adventure. So, if you plan on relocating any time soon, add this task to your moving timeline; you certainly won’t regret it. You’ll see the benefits of decluttering not only during the moving days but also long after – unpacking and sorting out your home will be a lot easier once you have all your belongings well organized.
