There are many reasons for a good declutter and one of the main ones is moving house. There’s nothing worse than packing boxes with things you no longer need, just to leave them unpacked in the garage or loft at your new home. Some people even declutter before putting their house on the market. Having less stuff around gives the impression of a bigger, tidier space, which will likely lead to a quicker sale.
But you don’t have to be moving to declutter. Renovations are another great excuse to have a big clear out. At Burke & Wills, we offer storage services as well as removal services, and we always advise a declutter before putting your things into storage while builders move in. We’ve put together some of our top tips to help you declutter with ease…
1. Get your declutter ‘kit’ ready
First things first. You’re going to need a declutter ‘kit’ – key tools that will make the whole job easier:
Bags and boxes
Bin liners
Labels and a marker pen
Packing tape
Bubble wrap or packing paper
These will make your job easier and prevent you ending up with piles of loose possessions strewn all over your house.
2. Tackle one room at a time
Working though methodically one room at a time breaks down the massive task of ‘declutter the house’ into several smaller tasks: declutter the kitchen, declutter the lounge, and so on.
For each room, divide your belongings into four piles:
KEEP – these are the items that will be moving to your new home with you
DONATE – box things up that can go to the local charity shops
SELL – if you want to sell certain items, think about whether you want to do it at a car boot sale, or online using platforms such as eBay, Gumtree, Vinted or Facebook Marketplace. Take photos there and then so you can upload the items when you create posts later.
THROW – some things will be ready for the bin. Think about whether you’ll need a skip for this, or whether you can do tip runs. Remember, items such as tins of paint and batteries will need to be disposed of carefully at the correct disposal sites.
3. Sort out the kids’ toys
If you have children, you’ll know how quickly their toys build up. And you’ll know that they don’t play with half of them. Now is the time to sort them out. You can either do it with them, or surreptitiously make things disappear when they are out at school. Unless it’s their favourite toys, they probably won’t even notice!
4. Clear the paper clutter
Paperwork is another thing that accumulates at an alarming rate. Piles of documents, letters, brochures and catalogues seem to appear from nowhere. Set a whole day aside for sorting through papers. Boil the kettle, put the TV on, listen to a podcast or your favourite music… and get the job done.
5. Hunt down expired items
Don’t fall into the trap of moving things that have expired. Go through all your cupboards and hunt out anything that is out of date, including food, medicines and toiletries. Take medicines back to a pharmacy so that they can be disposed of properly.
6. Saving the sentiment
We all have items that we want to keep because they have sentimental value… and so we should. If you find that you’re struggling to decide whether something should stay or go, then put it to one side and come back to it later.
7. Set a deadline
We all work better when we have a deadline to work towards. So, set yourself a date when you want to complete your declutter by. We always recommend decluttering before you get a quote from your removals firm, as they will quote on what they see in your home. Less stuff equals less money!
Using these tips when decluttering to move home, or indeed to put your possessions into storage, will make the process run a lot more smoothly. And it feels just great when you’ve finished. You’re left with a house full of things you actually need and will use, and more space to enjoy!
If you’d like to know more about our removals or storage services, contact our friendly team today on 020 8947 9001 or get a quote by filling out our form.
