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How to Declutter in 2020 and Prepare for your Move

When getting your house market-ready to sell, decluttering is considered one of the basics. But sometimes seeing what needs to be decluttered is scary and overwhelming. When you declutter before a move, it’s different than your typical spring cleaning weekend. You may be dreading it, but decluttering now will save you time and money in the future. Plus, it will make you happier.

Start small.

Items like old take out menus, sauce packets, outdated magazines, unused cords, and expired toiletries are taking up a lot of space and not giving you much satisfaction. So start your decluttering here. These items usually don’t have sentimental value and throw away decisions will come easily. Getting rid of these types of things will be easy and won’t take a lot of time so it’s a realistic goal. And when it is time to move out, you will be happier not having to sort through these pesky items.

Make a list.

After you’ve gotten rid of all the small stuff, make a list of every room in your house that needs decluttering. Then, organize them by priority level, putting your biggest stressors first. This way you’ll see immediate results when you start working, which will motivate you to keep going. Plan to organize each room by sections. List closets, dressers, shelving units, and any boxes within each room that you’ll need to organize individually.

Create a timeline.

Now you have a list of every room that needs to be decluttered. Looking at this list, create a realistic timeline for completing each project. Give yourself at least one day to complete each room. If you’re decluttering several days in a row, pencil in a day off. Focus on something else, or relax, whatever you do just avoid burn out.

Slowly tackle the big things.

You’ve cleared out the little things, made a list, and created a timeline. Now it’s time to progress to the bigger things. Before you move onto the bathroom, it may time to graduate to the pantry or a linen closet. Keep in mind that you really only need one extra set of linens per bed so get rid of extra sets, or sets that have missing or damaged pieces. Utilize baskets to organize your pantry, take everything out and wipe out shelving. Now is the time to get rid of those old coconut flakes and food coloring from four years ago.

Be honest.

Go through your belongings and ask yourself a couple of questions for each item: Would you buy it again? Do you totally love it? Do you use it often enough to justify the space it takes up? If you say yes to at least one of these questions, keep. Everything else you won’t miss.

Utilize the deep purge.

When you prepare to move completely empty your closets and drawers? Turns out, by completely emptying everything out of a packed closet and sorting items by color and type, you will make some amazing discoveries. You will probably find that you have multiple white t-shirts, or find that skirt you have been missing for years. Get rid of the stuff you have multiple days of, the stuff that doesn’t fit, the things you no longer wear, or the stuff that’s a little too worn.

Create zones.

Find an area of your home or a corner of a room to stash any items that you will be getting rid of. Categorize each section as either donate, sell, or trash. Put the items from each category into a large, durable bags or storage containers. Once each container or bag is full, close it up so you’re not tempted to go back through them.

Label, label, and label.

Use painter’s tape, sticky notes or other inexpensive labeling products to make a note of any items that have been packed or label zones you have created. This will not only help you to remember where to stash things but will also make it much easier to unpack when you arrive at your new home. When your boxes are clearly labeled with their contents and the rooms they belong in, it’s easy to know where to place items and for you to unpack them!

Ease stress, save time, money and lighten your load by decluttering as much as possible before you move. No matter your plans for the new year starting with a well-organized and intentional space is a great place to begin. If 2020 is the year you sell your home and move onto bigger and better things, contact the Michelle Clark Team to get started!