Less is more. This is true of many instances in your life, but it is especially true when moving. When you’re starting to pack, you’ll realize how many things you have collected over the years. Not only that, you’ll realize how many useless things you have collected over the years. Getting rid of your junk can be overwhelming. However, here are some tips from Cheap Movers Kansas City (www.cheapmoverskansascity.com) on how to declutter your home before you relocate.
Get rid of as many books as possible
Books are heavy, and they take up a lot of space. If you have already read the books on your bookshelf and they fall under “mediocre,” get rid of them. There will be some books that you can’t bear to part with, of course, and there will be others you may choose to read again (will you really?). However, the rest of them can be easily donated to the library, recycled or sold at a garage sale.
Even if you’re an avid reader, or especially if you’re an avid reader, books should be given away. The reason is you’re bound to buy more, which means your collection is ever growing. Moving gives you a good reason to pare down your at-home library.
Newspapers and magazines
Once you start to sort through your belongings, you may find a lot of old magazines and newspapers. You’ve probably decided to keep them because of a specific story or article. However, like books, they take up a ton of space and attract silverfish. Best thing to do? Digitize them. Take photos of the articles you like so that you can save those pages as jpegs. Then toss out your entire paper collection.
The beauty of saving articles as jpegs is you can now share them with whomever you like, simply by attaching the jpegs to your email.
Declutter room by room
Once you’ve decided on the date of your move, declutter your space room by room. Bring several big garbage bags and go through everything. Make a “keep” pile and a “throw away” pile. What goes into your throw away pile? Everything that you’re not using or won’t be using in the foreseeable future.
There is also a lot of stationary and toys that pile up over the years. If you have five clipboards, get rid of four of them. If you have three soccer balls, throw away two. Sit down with your kids, and go through their toy boxes. Then together, decide what gets tossed. Don’t forget the kitchen. Old can openers, pots, pans, and Tupperware can probably be tossed, as well.
Get rid of your old clothes
Fashion changes and your tastes probably change along with it. Go through everyone’s closet and find out what never gets worn. Then pack all the no-longer-worn clothes into bags and give them to your local Goodwill, Salvation Army or a charity of your choice. Do the same with shoes and hats.
Reducing your belongings to the bare essentials will make relocating a lot easier. The good news is, it will make the unpacking portion a lot easier, too.