Actionable Decluttering Tips Everyone Can Use

This guide offers actionable tips on effectively sorting, organising and cleaning up your home from the experts at ZOOM Removals.

Let’s face it everyone’s got junk lying around their homes; to some of us a little more than we’d like to admit. Although having too many items may seem harmless, when moving to a new home having to pack a large number of items you’ll probably never use can be startling when reality dawns!

That’s why decluttering your home before moving can be essential before starting a new chapter in your life.

What Exactly Is Decluttering?

The Definition

Decluttering involves the removal of unnecessary items from an untidy or otherwise overcrowded space such as in homes, offices or other properties (such as apartments). It is often the result of multiple reasons, including:

• Emotional Attachments: Items that carry sentimental value can make it harder to let go of them.
• Future Worries: A fear of needing items in the future results in hoarding.
• Being Overwhelmed Before A Move: It’s already tedious enough when relocating, having to sort through hundreds of items can sometimes engulf people.
• Impulse Purchases: Buying or over-collecting through hobbies quickly becomes a stockpile of unused items!

How Do I Know If My Clutter Has Gone Too Far?

The mess can slowly creep up and invade our homes and offices without us even realising. That’s why it’s important to notice the signs. This can include the following:

At Home:

• You can’t find everyday items like keys or glasses.
• Spaces meant for relaxation are full of items.
• You can’t see the carpet anymore.
• You are embarrassed or hesitate to invite friends over due to the mess.

At the Office:

• A disorganised desk hampers your productivity.
• Important documents go missing amidst the chaos.
• Your clients comment on mess.
• Staff members or colleagues begin to comment on untidiness.

If these situations sound familiar, it might be time to take another look at your living/working areas.

The Many Benefits Of A Decluttered Space

Although it might be obvious to many people why tackling a busy space is important, research and studies have shown that leading a more minimalist lifestyle can do so much more for people, especially before changing addresses.

By clearing out your space you’ll notice that it comes with many advanatages:

• Less Is More: Owning fewer belongings can lead to a more fulfilling lifestyle in general.
• Letting Go Is Liberating: Parting with unnecessary items helps clear the mind.
• Saves Money: Fewer items mean a lower chance of having to rely on packing services or storage depots when relocating.
• It’s Easier To Keep On Top Of Things: Fewer belongings means you can organise them better before a move. It’s also easier to locate things before and after. Finally, labelling boxes is less of a hassle.
• Lower Stress Levels: Moving has always traditionally been stressful. By simplifying your living space beforehand, you’ve got less to worry about!
• Gives You A Fresh Start At Your New Location: A clutter-free move enables you to start from scratch without the cycle of having to deal with these items all over again.
• You Can Make Money: You can also earn a buck or two through decluttering. It is a perfect opportunity to sell items online, to friends or through a garage sale.

Tips On How To Start Your Decluttering Journey

Set Clear Goals and a Timeline

Having a plan will help you keep on track and prevent you from feeling overwhelmed.

• Don’t wait until the last minute, but make a plan months in advance.
• Create a ‘clearing out checklist’ by making a list of all the rooms in your home or office you need to declutter and tackle them one by one.  This could be room by room or category by category (clothes, books, kitchenware, etc.). You’ll find some more helpful information by visiting this spring cleaning resource.
• Set a deadline for when you plan to tackle every area for a more structured approach. This will allow you to better sort through belongings without the pressure of a looming deadline hanging over your head.

Use the ‘Four-Box’ Method For Sorting

When sorting through your belongings, we recommend using the 4-box method. It’s simple, just label four boxes as:

1. Keep
2. Donate
3. Trash
4. Relocate.”

This method makes it easy to decide the fate of each item forcing you to make a decision item by item.

Consider the ‘6-Month Rule’

When deciding on keeping or clearing out belongings, consider these questions:

• Have you used it in the last 6 months?
• Will you be using often it in half a year?
• Will it still bring you joy or have significant sentimental value?
• Does it still work (toys, electronics)?
• Do they still fit (jewellery, clothes, shoes and other accessories)?
• Are they still fashionable or worth throwing out?

If the answer is no, then it’s likely time to say goodbye. Remember to be ruthless for maximum results!

Get Professional Assistance

Tackling mess can be daunting, especially if this is all new to you. To ease the process, involve close family or friends for support. If they are not available to help you, then you enlist professional help.

At ZOOM Removals, we offer expert moving assistance for local or interstate relocations. Visit the following pages for more information:

• Sydney Removals
• Interstate Removalists
• Backloading Removals
• Full Service Removalists

One advantage of using a professional company is the lack of attachment to your possessions, which can provide an objective outlook, helping customers let go of items more easily to move towards a clutter-free home or office quicker.

Be Ruthless with Clothing

Clothing is one of the hardest things to throw out, even for ones we don’t wear. Perhaps knowing you can donate them may help you make those tough choices!

Here are some tips for clothes:

• Only pack clothes that fit you now along with things that you regularly wear.
• Consider fashion trends and think about whether you will wear them in future.

Tackle the “Maybe” Pile Again

Occasionally, you’ll comes across items that are difficult to part with. If this is the case, one effective way to declutter your home is to create a pile labelled the ‘unsure about pile‘:

1. Create An  Initial “Maybe” Pile: Rather than agonising over each item, list all the items and set them aside for the moment. This will allow you to focus on the items you’re 100% sure about wanting to keep. Come back to the “maybe” pile later.
2. Return And Tackle It With A Fresh Outlook: After a few days, revisit the pile. You may have greater clarity and forgotten about some items, making it easier to decide what to do with them. Review each item again and ask yourself if you truly need it and if it still brings you joy. If not, confidently add it to the discard pile.

Remember, don’t let guilt hold you back. It’s normal to feel guilty when clearing things out, especially when discarding items with sentimental value. Keep in mind, holding onto these items may not benefit you in the long run, especially if they no longer serve a purpose.

Set A Timer And Take Breaks

Don’t forget that decluttering takes time, so take a break in between ‘sorting sessions’.

You can also bring some fun into this chore by putting on music with a good vibe while you are sorting out your house. Our moving songs article will help with this making the entire tedious process much more enjoyable.

Pro tip – Set a timer for 20 to 30 minutes per tidying sessions to prevent exhaustion when on the job.

Use Up Consumables

Before moving, try to start using up things that can’t come with you or you don’t want. Examples include:

• Perishable foods (fruits, vegetables, dairy).
• Frozen or refrigerated foods.
• Open containers of liquids (beverages, cleaning supplies).
• Fresh flowers or plants.
• Open condiments or sauces.
• Items with expiration dates approaching (medications, cosmetics).

While this may sound wasteful but will do you some good in the long run as taking dozens of “almost used up” products can add a lot of extra clutter.

To summarise, when moving try to use up as much as you can.

Host a Garage Sale

Hosting a garage sale is an excellent way to get rid of items that you no longer need or can’t take with you. It also gives you a golden opportunity to make some extra cash or help give previous items a new lease on life.

Here are a few more tips for hosting your very own garage sale:

1. Choose a Suitable Date and Time: Choose a day when many people are likely to be out and about such as the weekends. Early morning or late afternoon hours are often preferred to avoid the midday heat.
2. Gather Your Sale Items: Go through all of your belongings and carefully evaluate which ones you no longer need and which ones you think you are most likely to sell for maximum success. This can include items such as clothes, furniture and appliances, toys, books or even household goods.
3. Price Your Items: Decide the prices for your items and clearly label each one. Avoid overpricing, as it may deter potential buyers. Use a consistent pricing strategy, preferably a flat rate to keep a fair and transparent pricing structure.

Think About the Space in Your New Home

Before moving into your new home, try to visualise where your belongings will eventually end up.

By carefully considering the space available in advance, you can make better and more informed decisions about which items to bring with you and which ones you can leave behind or sell.

Not only will this help you become more organised but it will also future proof your new home as a more functional living space.

Gift Items to Friends and Family

It’s the thought that counts! If you have any items of value that you don’t want anymore or prefer to sell, why not consider giving them to friends or family members who might appreciate them more?

Not only will this kind gesture only brownie points for people but helps you simplify your living space at the same time. It’s a win win

Donate What You Can

Another honourable way of decluttering is to donate items to charities. Not only will this make you feel better, but it helps give items a new lease on life at the same time.

Whether this is clothing, furniture, toys or even household goods, your items can make a meaningful impact in somebody else’s life.

Knowing that you are not just sending your items to the landfill, but rather impacting somebody else’s life can even bring a sense of fulfilment and peace of mind.

Here are some further advantages of donating to a charity:

1. Reduces environmental impact: Donating items diverts them from landfills, reducing waste and conserving resources.
2. Supports Local Community Organisations: Local organisations can help play a crucial role in addressing real-life social issues by providing essential services. By donating your belongings to these organisations, you can help empower them to continue their work.
3. May Create A Positive Domino Effect: Your act of kindness may resonate and inspire other people to do the same, this may further help improve people’s lives.

Here are some charities you could consider donating to:

• The Salvation Army Australia: https://www.salvationarmy.org.au/
• St Vincent de Paul Society: https://www.vinnies.org.au/nsw
• The Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation: https://www.schf.org.au/ 

Kitchen Nightmare

When you open the cabinets, it is common to put everything into a box. This will fill the space very quickly. Look at the cupboards and consider “Do I really need this extra-large serving platter to go into the box, or should I put something more practical?”

Apps You Can Use to Declutter

Why not embrace the power of technology by utilising apps to help you on your decluttering journey?

In today’s digital age, whether you are an Android user or an Apple phone user, there are quite simply millions of apps for every walk of life; decluttering is no different.

To find the very best decluttering apps you can head over to the Google store or the iOS store for Apple phones.

How Apps Can Help With Decluttering

• Convenience: Decluttering apps are accessible from your smartphone or computer, allowing you to manage your belongings from anywhere and at any time.

• Ease of use: Most decluttering apps feature user-friendly interfaces that make it simple to list, sell, or donate items.

• Wider reach: Apps connect you with a vast network of potential buyers for your belongings, increasing your chances of finding new homes for your unwanted items.

• Streamlined process: Apps streamline the decluttering process by providing tools for listing, pricing, negotiating, and managing transactions.

Pack a “First Day” Box

Moving to your new house can be exciting, but for some people including children, it can be an overwhelming experience. To ease the burden of the transition (and avoid any last-minute scrambling), it can be a good idea to pack a ‘First-Day’ moving box which contains all the essential items that you might need when you first move into your new home.

This helps represent good planning and will future-proof the need to rummage through countless unpacked boxes in search of basic necessities such as towels, toiletries and kitchen utensils. Furthermore, a ‘First-Day’ moving box will help give you peace of mind knowing that all your essential items are in one place, allowing you a hassle-free start that should come with moving into a new property.

Reassess Your Furniture

Furniture can be one of the trickiest categories. Assess each piece critically – is it worth the cost to move it? If your furniture isn’t too expensive and you no longer need it, you can consider donating it.

You may also want to plan ahead when it comes to heavy furniture as this can be harder to move and you risk injuring yourself if you do not know how to move these types of items properly.

Alternatively, you may wish to hire heavy furniture movers to help you with this task. You may also want to read our guide on how to move heavy furniture.

Keep the End Goal in Mind

Stay motivated by focusing on the result: a clutter-free new start. When the going gets tough, remind yourself of this goal. You can visualise how you’d like your new place to be!

By implementing these decluttering tips, not only will you make your move easier, but you’ll also be curating a more intentional and harmonious living space. Happy decluttering, and here’s to a fresh start in your new home!

If you need additional assistance our packers and movers are ready to help.