How To Declutter For A House Move
Many people struggle with clutter simply because they don’t know where to begin. Decluttering your home is, in theory, a straightforward and rewarding task. However, it's essential to stick to a method and progress at your own pace to ensure a more efficient and stress-free process.
Research shows that 1 in 2 people admit to holding onto household items longer than necessary. That’s 54% of people in the UK dealing with increasingly cluttered homes. By decluttering before a house move, you can save a significant amount of time and money during the packing process, as fewer items mean fewer moving boxes.
Omni Removals works alongside a variety of property experts to support you throughout your moving journey. In this article, we’ve outlined a few of our favourite methods to help you declutter your home before moving house, making the packing process smoother. Keep reading to learn how decluttering can save you money and reduce the hassle of your house removals
Why Should You Declutter Before Moving House?
Decluttering can be a therapeutic exercise, and it's scientifically proven to boost happiness. An organised home often reflects an organised life and mind. Not only does it create a more aesthetically pleasing environment, but a clutter-free home can also contribute to better sleep. When you declutter before moving house, you're "starting fresh," shedding unwanted items and embracing a new chapter, in every sense.
While decluttering should ideally be an ongoing process, moving house often requires a more focused effort. Decluttering before moving will save you money on your removal costs, as the moving team will need to pack fewer unnecessary items. This is a valuable tip to keep in mind when preparing for your move.
If you declutter after receiving your removal quote, be sure to inform the removal company so they can adjust your quote accordingly. For more guidance on what to do before your move, check out our moving house checklist.
Why is Decluttering So Difficult?
1 in 3 Brits admit they don't like getting rid of items, so it’s no surprise that we find decluttering such a difficult task. There are a plethora of reasons why we put off decluttering our homes, such as thinking we don’t have enough time, feeling unsure where to start or even being too sentimental about our possessions.
We waste 3,680 hours of our lives looking for lost items such as keys, mobile phones and wallets. Declutter and you could start to earn back some of these precious lost hours.
Popular Decluttering Methods
These are some of the most popular methods to try if you want to declutter:
Marie Kondo
Marie Kondo, a Japanese organizing consultant and author, is best known for her decluttering method, KonMari, which has become a global sensation. One of her most recognizable techniques is asking yourself, "Does this item spark joy?" If the answer is no, you treat the item with respect and let it go. Kondo recommends starting your decluttering process by focusing on categories rather than tackling each room individually. Begin with easier items, like clothes or books, and save more sentimental items, such as photographs or memorabilia, for last. This approach helps reduce overwhelm and makes the process more manageable.
Swedish Death Cleaning
The decluttering craze is also influenced by the book The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter by Margareta Magnusson. The concept behind this method is to declutter your home as a way of easing the burden on your loved ones when you pass away. By organizing your belongings now, you ensure that your friends and family won’t have to deal with the overwhelming task of sorting through your possessions later. This approach offers a practical and meaningful way to declutter, creating a more organized life while also relieving future stress for those close to you.
Project 333
Project 333 is a minimalist fashion challenge that encourages you to choose just 33 items of clothing and accessories to wear over the course of 3 months. While it’s primarily focused on fashion, this method can be incredibly effective for decluttering your entire home. Every 3 months, review your belongings and select 33 items you no longer wear, use, or have never used, then decide whether to sell, donate, or dispose of them. If you prefer a more gradual approach, you can opt to declutter by picking a few items each day to sell or donate. Not only will this help you simplify your living space, but you can also make some extra money by selling unwanted clothes on platforms like Depop, eBay, or Gumtree.
The Minimalists 90/90 Rule
Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, also known as The Minimalists, have developed the 90/90 rule to help people declutter effectively. The rule is simple: if you haven’t used an item in the last 90 days and don’t plan on using it in the next 90 days, it’s time to let it go. This minimalist approach is gaining popularity in home décor and lifestyle circles, and it can serve as great motivation to declutter your own home. By applying the 90/90 rule, you’ll be left with only the items that truly add value to your life, making your space cleaner and more organized.
Tips for Decluttering Before Moving House
Now that you’re familiar with a few weird and wonderful decluttering methods, here are our top tips on completing the task at hand.
Be Ruthless
Before you begin decluttering your house, it's important to get into the right mindset. To be truly successful, you need to approach the task with a ruthless attitude toward letting go of your belongings.
Helen Sanderson, a Space Therapist, decluttering expert, and creator of the Home Declutter Kit, shared her methodology for effective decluttering. She suggests starting by letting go of things you no longer need, as these items are often holding you back and blocking the flow of your life.
She emphasizes, “The less you have, the less you have to manage, and the more time you’ll have to enjoy your new home and the next chapter of your life. Declutter your home to create room for your future. Use the opportunity of moving house as a chance to make a fresh start.”
Start Early to Save on Costs
You must start to declutter early when you’re moving house. This allows you to provide your removal company with an accurate estimation of how many boxes they’re going to be moving. This means that the earlier you start, the more money you could save on removal costs.
Use eBay
An easy and effective way to declutter your house is to start by gathering items you can sell. Look for clothes that no longer fit or that you rarely wear, electrical devices gathering dust, or even that pile of unwanted Christmas gifts. Knowing you can earn a little extra cash from decluttering makes the process feel much more rewarding.
A helpful method is to label three boxes: ‘charity,’ ‘sell,’ and ‘tip/dump.’ As you go through your belongings, decide which category each item belongs to. You can then sell your unwanted items on platforms like eBay, Depop, and Gumtree to make some extra cash while also decluttering your home.
Try the 30-Day De-Clutter Challenge
The 30-Day De-Clutter Challenge is designed to tackle a small, manageable chunk of decluttering each day for a month. You can sign up for free and get the tasks emailed to you each day. If you’d rather, you can create your own specific tasks each day.
Leave Sentimental Items for the End
It's much easier to declutter items you have no attachment to. To help you begin, get rid of the items that do not have sentimental value, leave the more difficult decisions for last. This should ensure a less frustrating and stressful process.
Check Expiration Dates
When cleaning food, bathroom products or even makeup, it's worth checking the expiration dates to help you decide which items should go. While using some expired products won't harm you, it can greatly help you be more ruthless and determine which items you don't need to take with you.
Create an Essentials Box
When moving house, you will need a box of essential items to ensure you have everything you need during your first night in the new property. This box could include snacks, phone chargers, toiletries, DIY tools, or anything you think could be vital during your first night. Mark this box once it's full to ensure it doesn't get loaded onto the removal van without your permission - if possible, it would be wise to keep this box near you during the move.
Organise Junk Removals
Now you've decluttered, it's time to organise your junk removal. It's important to do the research and avoid overpaying for the job with a 'cowboy' company. You should only use a licensed waste collector so you know you're in good hands. This is why it is important to compare house clearance costs before choosing a house clearance company.
Your Room by Room Declutter Checklist
Here is a simple declutter checklist room by room:
Step 1 - Attic/Garage
The attic and garage are usually where most of us dump things we use once a year, like Christmas decorations. These places will likely hold clutter that’s easy to get rid of. This is a good starting place.
Here are a few rules you can follow:
Get rid of anything that you’ve not used or looked at in the last year
Ask yourself why items are in the garage and not in the house – do you really want them?
Keep your floor space clear by putting up shelves
Don’t store anything here that could be affected by extreme weather
Step 2 – Bedroom
This is another easy starting point as most of us only use 20% of the contents of our wardrobes.
Here’s how we recommend you go about the bedroom clear-out:
Start by sorting through your clothes. If you can’t remember wearing an item, and can’t think when you’ll wear it next, discard it. You can donate clothes to a charity shop, or list them on eBay or Depop.
Get rid of expired or empty bottles of make-up and body lotion
Only keep essentials on your bedside table and dressing table
Get rid of any old receipts, train tickets or other paper that you no longer require
Step 3 - Living Room
We spend a lot of time in our living rooms so there’s a fair chance you’ve let unwanted items build up here too. Though, this is where you want to be relaxing, so it makes sense to keep this room nice and clear.
Here are the easy places to start:
Get rid of old TV remotes and unused wires
Recycle any old newspapers and magazines that you no longer need
Donate unwanted books, CDs and DVDs to your local charity shop
Organise photographs – these could be stored in your newly decluttered attic, or on a bookshelf if they’re in an album
Organise photographs – these could be stored in your newly decluttered attic, or on a bookshelf if they’re in an album
Lots of us are guilty of storing a heap of expired and unused toiletries in the bathroom.
Here are some quick tips for minimising your bathroom clutter:
When you move, you’ll ideally want to reduce bathroom storage down to 1 or 2 boxes
You only need 1 shampoo, conditioner and shower gel/soap open at a time – if you have unopened spares, tuck these away out of site, and if you have multiple open bottles, combine where possible
Chuck away all expired, mouldy or empty bottles
Donate or get rid of unused towels, and discard any old or stained ones you no longer use
Step 5 – Kitchen
We spend most of our time in our kitchens, using many of the items there daily. This doesn’t mean there isn’t junk hiding there though, so you’ll need to dedicate some time to decluttering your kitchen too.
Get rid of expired food including jars and bottles of sauces, as well as any old cupboard stock
Recycle contents of the drawer that’s usually filled with takeaway menus/receipts/broken lighters
Donate any unwanted cups, mugs, plates and crockery to your local charity shop, or list the items on a site like Freecycle or Gumtree
Using Self-Storage For Extra Space
Decluttering can feel overwhelming, especially when you're facing a tight deadline. Self-storage units offer a great solution for cleaning and decluttering before moving house.
If you have excess furniture, sentimental items, or simply need more time to go through everything, self-storage units provide the extra space you need to safely store your belongings until you're ready to sort through them. This not only reduces the number of boxes you need to move on the big day but also ensures a more organised and efficient removal process. Once you're settled in, you’ll have all the time you need to unpack and assess the remaining items.
Some removal companies offer self-storage services, or you can compare different storage facilities online. The cost of storage will vary depending on the size of the unit, location, and whether you need additional shelving. On average, storage costs in the UK are around £23.94 per square foot, according to the Self Storage Association UK.
Save on Moving House Costs
Once your home is clutter-free and ready to move, fill out our quick and simple form and we’ll connect you with up to 6 professional home removal companies. We can help save you up to 70% off your home removal costs.
