Whether you’re downsizing, relocating for work, or transitioning from a rental into your first home, moving is an exciting time. Before you even sign your name on the dotted line, you begin envisioning your new space. You start planning the layout of the rooms, choosing a color scheme, and dreaming of your first morning in your new home. Then…it hits you. You’re jolted back to reality as soon as you remember all of the stuff you have crammed into your current home. How on earth are you going to pack everything up and transport it to another location in time? And, even if you could get everything packed up, how are you going to afford the moving costs? Sounds like you need some helpful tips for decluttering when moving.
Tips for Decluttering When Moving
This post contains so much more than just a handful of tips for decluttering when moving. In fact, it’s a complete, comprehensive guide to help you prepare for a move. I’ll explain what to declutter and when as well as how to sell items to recoup some of the costs of moving. In addition, I’ll give you helpful packing tips, and real-life advice to help you stay organized before, during, and after your move. I’ll even give you a free printable decluttering checklist to help you stay on track.
If you’re looking for some helpful tips for decluttering when moving, I’ve got you covered. I happen to be a self-proclaimed “expert” in the area of decluttering before moving. My family and I have moved across the United States four times!
The first time we moved from Florida to Colorado we packed up our entire 1,200 square foot townhouse, loaded it into an ABF shipping container, and paid a couple thousand dollars to have our belongings delivered to our new home.
Unfortunately, our new home ended up being a 400 square foot apartment. Needless to say, we ended up bringing way too much stuff! So we ended up paying even more money to store whatever we couldn’t fit into our apartment. {Expensive} lesson learned!
The second time we moved from Colorado back to Florida, we sold most of what we owned, packed the rest into a 5X10 cargo trailer, and towed it over 1,700 miles to our new home. Not long after, we wound up moving back to Colorado, towing the same size trailer yet again.
Not too long ago, we sold our 3-bedroom, 2-bath home in Colorado sold/gave away 90% of our family’s belongings, and moved to Florida where we lived in a 5th wheel trailer for 6 months…
Only to discover, we don’t enjoy living in Florida, (or in a tiny house). So, we sold the 5th wheel, packed up a 4X8 trailer, and moved back to Colorado and into a 945 square foot apartment with our family of 4.
All this to say, I know a thing or two about decluttering before moving!
Tips for Decluttering When Moving: The Benefits
There are many benefits of decluttering before you move. Such as:
- You’ll save money. The less you have to move, the less it will cost to move it.
- Your home will be easier to stage (if you are selling).
- You will have less to unpack in your new home.
- Your new home will be easier to organize/clean.
Out of these reasons, saving money is by far my favorite! As I said, we learned our lesson the hard way by thinking we needed to take everything with us the first time around. I still shudder when I think of the money we wasted on that move!
Must-Have Moving Supplies:
Here are some of my favorite supplies to have on hand to make moving day a breeze!
Vertical Wardrobe Boxes (no need to remove your hangers)
Packing Tape (because this is one time when duct tape will not do)
Shrink Wrap (to hold drawers/doors closed during transit)
Color-Coded Moving Labels (because you won’t want to spend hours searching for your coffee maker)
Bubble Wrap (when you think you’ve purchased enough, buy one more)
Tips for Decluttering When Moving Q&A:
Q: When should I start the decluttering process if I know I will be moving in the foreseeable future?
A: Immediately, if not sooner.
Q: What if I only have a short amount of time left before I need to move?
A: You’ll need to ramp up the time you spend decluttering. Normally, I recommend you work 1-2 hours per day reducing clutter before a move. However, if moving day is a month or less away, you should devote as much time as possible to the decluttering process. Which translates into an average of 3 hours per day. {If you don’t have the time during the week, you can make up time on the weekends instead.}
Q: I have so much stuff! Where do I even begin?
A: Chances are, you didn’t accumulate a houseful of clutter overnight, and you won’t be able to rid yourself of it in a night, either. Just work consistently each day, follow the schedule below, and make sure you donate/discard boxes of clutter as soon as you fill them so they don’t end up getting mixed in with the boxes you plan on keeping.
Q: Why should I bother decluttering before I move? Can’t I just throw it all in boxes and worry about it when I unpack?
A: Sure. If you don’t mind paying tons of money for a moving company to move all of your clutter to your new home.
Q: I literally have NO room in my house to store my packed boxes. Where am I supposed to put everything while waiting to move?
A: Normally, I do not recommend shelling out money for off-site storage. However, if it will save your sanity, and free up space for you to move throughout your home as you declutter, go for it. Just make sure you take everything out of storage (and cancel your contract) as soon as you move into your new home.
Q: I would really like to recoup some of the money I spent on my stuff. What’s the best way to sell stuff before a move?
A: If you have time and the weather permits, have a yard sale. If not, (and if time allows) post larger items in online Facebook Sale Groups, Craigslist, or eBay. You can use the proceeds from the sale to help ease the financial blow of moving.
Tips for Decluttering When Moving: First Thing’s First
The very first thing you should do is to clear out your garage or storage shed (if you have one). Why? Two reasons. One, chances are you’ve forgotten about all of the crap you have in there so it will be super easy to let it all go. Two, because you’ll need the extra space to store the boxes you will be packing up.
Related Post: How to Declutter and Organize Your Garage
*Tip: Declutter while you pack. Have one box labeled for your new home, another for donating, and a final box for sale items. As you hold each item, quickly decide which box to place it in. Once a box is full, seal it up and place it out of sight so you are not tempted to dig back into it.
Trust your instincts! If you suspect you don’t need an item, chances are, you don’t.
Decluttering Timeline: Up to 6 Months Before You Move
If you have the luxury of knowing about an upcoming move well in advance, consider yourself lucky! Between 3-4 and up to 6 months ahead of a move, I recommend you begin with the following categories:
- Seasonal Items (decor, clothing, dishes)
- Sports Equipment & Camping Gear
- Toys & Board Games
- Craft & Hobby Supplies
- Collectibles
- Books
- Paperwork
- Photos & Keepsakes
- Musical Instruments
- Building Materials (likely to be included in the garage declutter)
- Lawn & Garden Supplies
Decluttering Timeline: 1-2 Months Before You Move
Now is the time to be brutal with your decluttering. If you don’t love/use something, don’t let it take up precious space in your new home. It’s time to sort through:
- Kitchen Appliances & Gadgets
- Tools
- Electronics
- Pet Supplies
- Decor
- Linens
- Furniture
- Toiletries
- Framed Photos & Wall Hangings
- Indoor Plants (trust me, they are no fun to move long distance)
- Clothing & Shoes
Decluttering Timeline: 1-2 Weeks Before You Move
Within 1-2 weeks of your moving date, (ideally) everything should be decluttered, sold, donated, discarded, or packed. With the exception of a handful of daily use items, you should be living out of suitcases. Go ahead and declutter/pack up:
- Plates, Cups, Bowls (keep out 1 each per family member or pack them all up and use disposable products)
- Silverware (keep out one place setting per person)
- Pots & Pans (keep out enough for basic meals)
- Tupperware Storage Containers (keep out a handful, pack the rest)
- Dish Cloths/Towels (keep out 3-4)
- Medicine/Vitamins
- Cleaning Supplies (if you are moving a short distance, pack up a small box of cleaning supplies and keep them with you to avoid spilling)
- Bedding
*Tip: Keep one or two boxes on hand to pack up last minute items. These will be the last boxes you pack/load and the first boxes you unload/unpack. That coffee maker will be a lifesaver on moving day!
Tips for Decluttering When Moving: Staying Organized When Packing
Believe me when I say, staying organized during a move is key to keeping your sanity intact!
Some experts recommend numbering your boxes with the most important room (the kitchen) being #1, bathroom #2, etc. and keeping a master list of what’s inside each box.
But I live in the real world and know this system is almost impossible to maintain. So, instead, I like to label the outside of each box with the room it belongs in as well as a few of the key items inside. For example, a box labeled “kitchen” might also have “coffee maker” and “Instant Pot” marked on the outside. This way, I’ll know to unpack this box first because I use those items on a regular basis. Whereas a box labeled “kitchen/roasting pan” would most likely be unpacked last.
Also, when labeling your boxes, make sure you label the tops as well as the sides. This will enable you to know the contents of a box when another one is stacked on top of it. This is where those color-coded moving labels will come in handy! You’ll also want to make sure you mark boxes with breakables “FRAGILE” so you the movers don’t accidentally toss them down the stairs!
When loading the truck before a move, I always find it’s best to load the majority of the boxes first and the furniture last. Doing so will allow you to unload the larger pieces of furniture first and place, arrange (and rearrange) them in your new home without having to maneuver around tons of boxes. Unfortunately, I know this advice goes against conventional wisdom of how to pack a moving truck, so don’t be surprised if the moving crew outvotes you on this one!
Tips for Decluttering When Moving: Unpacking
Chances are, you will have little, if any, help when it’s time to unpack the plethora of boxes you’ve moved into your new home. Don’t be discouraged! After all, Rome wasn’t built in a day!
The key to staying organized when unpacking is to prioritize. If you’ve followed my advice on staying organized when packing, you’ll know which boxes need to be unpacked first in each room. Start with those items. When you’ve found a home for your most used/loved items, move onto the other boxes.
Doing this will allow you to know right away whether or not you have a space for whatever’s inside the other boxes. You may discover that, after unpacking the most important items, you simply don’t have room in your home for everything. That just means you have a little more decluttering to do!
If this is the case, you’ll be glad you organized ahead of time. You may find you can just donate unopened boxes and be done with it!
Tips for Decluttering When Moving: Free Printable Timeline
*To download your free printable decluttering timeline, click on the image or the text link below the image.
Download the Decluttering Timeline
READ MORE:
- How To Declutter Fast With The Shock Treatment Declutter Method
- How To Declutter When You Can’t Afford New Stuff
- 10 Questions To Ask When Decluttering That Aren’t “Does it spark joy?”
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The moving back and fourth part gave me anxiety.
Good to hear Afton, hopefully moving into your new home went well!
It really helped when you suggested finding ways to offset old items like selling them off to neighbors before moving. A lot of my old belongings are mostly instruments and collectibles that I no longer have time for, and these were things I didn’t plan to bring with me to my new house. It’d be a shame if they were just left behind, so I’ll definitely try and see if any of my neighbors are interested in them before getting a residential moving company to help me carry what’s left to my new home.
I like that you included a guide for decluttering because it is difficult if you don’t have a schedule. Especially when you’re busy you have to organize your time and work. Great tips by the way and thanks for sharing this information!
Derek,
I agree. In fact, with our latest move (going on as I type this) I decided to list everything for sale online and donate whatever didn’t sell. I grouped like items together and sold as a
‘lot’. I simply didn’t have time/energy for a full-on yard sale. Plus, the weather refused to cooperate.
However, for people who aren’t tech savvy or comfortable with buyers coming to their homes or driving somewhere to meet up with them, yard sales are still the way to go. I have helped countless friends earn an extra $500+ in a couple of days time. Bonus…they get rid of unwanted clutter in the process.
Here’s a post I wrote on how to have a successful yard sale.