Planning a move? Before you start packing, consider decluttering your home. Decluttering before moving is the perfect way to set yourself up for a fresh start, especially if you need to downsize. Your future self will thank you, we promise.
Learn more about pre-move decluttering, from planning your declutter session to evaluating what to keep and toss. Whether you prefer organizing room by room or by item type, we’ll cover everything you need to know to make your move smoother and more organized.
What is Decluttering?
Decluttering is different from organizing. When you declutter, you focus on removing excess items you don’t use or want. In other words, you think like a minimalist! This can be done anywhere in your home, including your closet, pantry, bathroom cabinets, or garage. Once decluttered, you’ll only have to pack the items you genuinely need, cherish, or use when you move. Plus, in the interim, your space will look better for showing (and you might find it’s more functional, too!).
Why Declutter Before Moving?
Decluttering before moving can help by:
- Eliminating stress during packing
- Reduce unpacking time
- Save money on packing materials and transportation
- Help you clearly visualize and define the aesthetic for your new space
- Take a load off your back – literally. You’ll have to move fewer boxes and pieces of furniture
What to Know Before You Declutter
Decluttering before you move is crucial for curating your new place to fit your life stage and aesthetic. There are usually two camps of declutterers: those looking for how to get rid of everything and move and those having difficulty letting go of their possessions.
Decluttering, ultimately, isn’t about extremes. Instead, it’s all about making thoughtful choices about what you keep – which looks different for everyone. When choosing to keep, dispose of, or purchase new items, consider high-quality, timeless, and versatile styles that can stay with you for years, even as your tastes change.
Love it, Use It, or Leave It
Whether you’re downsizing or upgrading your space, you’ll want to ensure that what you bring is either functional or fabulous. It’s not worth bringing outside the city limits if you don’t love or use it.
As you assess every item in your home, focus on eliminating anything you no longer need, use, or enjoy. Look for items that are half-used, broken, mismatched, don’t fit, or haven’t been used in the past year. Consider if your use will realistically change in your new climate.
Consider Your Current Needs and Future Space
Think about your future space and what you hope to create in a home. What’s your vision for each room? How much storage space do you have? What’s your desired aesthetic? What’s most important to you in terms of form and function? Will you have less, more, or a similar amount of space?
Find Your Fabrics and Color Palettes
Evaluate your clothing, linens, and current decor and eliminate items that don’t fit your desired aesthetic. For a minimalist style, opt for fabrics like linen or cotton in muted colors. Select a few bold colors for a more vibrant look. Then, stick to them.
Evaluate Accessories and Decor
Keep a close eye on your personal accessories and home decor. Define your style and select pieces that are meaningful to you or complement your furniture style and color palette. Keep decor minimal to avoid overwhelming your space. You can never go wrong by paring back, even if you’re into eclectic styles, as evidenced by eclectic minimalism. A few well-chosen pieces can add personality without creating visual clutter.
Stay True to Your Style
Decluttering is also about making thoughtful choices about what you keep. When choosing to keep or purchase new furniture, consider high-quality, timeless, and versatile styles that can stay with you for years, even as your tastes change.
How to Downsize When Moving
Decluttering and downsizing can be overwhelming. To keep a good pace and prevent burnout, try these tips:
- Create Designated Decluttering Piles: Consider what you’ll do with the items you’re purging. Create designated bags or areas for trashing, recycling, donating, or selling items.
- Make Your List, and Check It Twice: Create a decluttering checklist that outlines every space in your home. Check off rooms or spaces as you complete them to stay motivated.
- Take it Room by Room (And Day by Day): Break things down into bite-size chunks. Take things room by room and create a schedule for yourself.
- Once You Start a Space, Don’t Stop: See each space through from start to finish to avoid stress and anxiety.
- Touch Every Object Just Once: Use the one-touch method to prevent decision fatigue. Decide whether each item should stay or go right then and there.
Execute on Your Home Declutter
Wondering how to downsize your home and approach your decluttering project? Here are tips for tackling this task, as broken down by room.
Bathroom Clutter
Empty all cabinets and drawers, sort through prescription bottles, hygiene products, and skincare tools. Discard expired or unusable items, recycle empty plastics, and properly dispose of old medications.
Bedroom Clutter
Clear nightstands and dressers of excess items. Go through your dresser drawers, pulling out anything you haven’t worn in the last year. Organize your closet by clothing type, making it easier to see what you need.
Kitchen Clutter
Focus on one zone at a time: upper cabinets, lower cabinets, pantry, drawers, and countertops. Empty each area and assess each item. Return essential items to their places, move extra appliances to concealed storage, and keep daily-use items on the counter.
Living Room Clutter
Start with bookcases, side tables, and TV consoles. Empty doors and drawers, decide which books, magazines, and movies to keep. Evaluate your electronics, keeping only what you use frequently.
Renting Furniture: A Flexible Solution
A move marks a pivotal time in your life, but the process can also be stressful and overwhelming. Moving requires logistical work and seemingly endless, tedious tasks like packing, cleaning, hauling, setting up utilities, and updating all your billing and shipping info. After all that, you still have to unpack and settle in. The LAST thing you want to do is unpack a bunch of junk you no longer want or use and set up bulky furniture! This is especially true when you’re moving into a space temporarily, such as a transitional time in work or life, college, or the military.
Renting furniture from CORT can minimize what you move while completely furnishing your home. Visit your local CORT showroom in person or online to get started. You can either pick a pre-designed furniture package, or customize every piece to fit your particular needs – and we offer everything you’ll need in your new space, from sofas to silverware. Once you set a delivery date, we’ll handle the heavy lifting and setup your entire furniture packing in your new home. When you’re ready to move out, set a pickup date, and we’ll also pick up your furniture. Get started with CORT today!
