You need to move into, and it is be inevitable that you will have to go through all of your things. Years of belongings, gifts, utensils, furniture, and garbage must be sorted through in order to move.
This is an overwhelming task. There is no way around it. While it does scare many people, this is also an opportunity to bring closure to the things you no longer need in order to have a fresh start in your next place.
Most people need to downsize their belongings before moving into another place. If you are forced to move, this applies to you even more. There is no right or wrong way to downsize. You must first acknowledge that it takes time to finish.
Making the most out of your remaining time of stay would make all the difference in your moving. Here are some tips that can help you:
Have a good look around. The moving process will involve transport and moving things around the house. Keep an inventory of the things you have in order to track all of them.
You may only want to track the things you think are important. That’s okay. No need for a complicated system. Furniture items must be on the top of that list because of their everyday usage.
Take a picture of all of your belongings if you think that would be faster and better. You may want to use the pictures as “checkpoints” of your move. Using your smartphone as a camera automatically records the time and date of when you move things around.
Take note of the duplicate things you have. You may want to sell or toss away the duplicates because you are downsizing. Often, your utensils may need a downsizing because moving to a new place often implies fewer people around the home.
Keeping an inventory of things allows you to get a “feel” for which things you will take to the next place. It starts the downsizing process even without doing the heavy lifting just yet. This may get you in the headspace of starting to think about moving and tossing things around.
Your landlord may have given you a last date of occupancy. This implies that you have to move days or weeks before that given date. If you have your own freedom to choose the deadline, set this date in your mind first. Talk to your spouse or family about the best date to do it.
This helps you stay organized and motivates you to move. If you think that there is no reason to hurry up, the last day of your occupancy provides the utmost reason. Attempt to negotiate at least a three-month allowance to go through all of your things.
Lapses will happen and you will feel tired along the process of moving. That’s normal. You set yourself plenty of time to move so that you can be more careful with your things rather than feel stressed about the process.
Some things did not make your inventory. That could be an opportunity to donate and sell things. You may want to organize a garage sale this weekend.
Call non-profit organizations to pick them up by a certain date. The dumpster only comes once a week. Keep these dates in mind as it helps you think of sorting things within the week.
Having these little dates between your last day gives your sorting some pace. You also enable yourself to pinpoint the things you want to sell, donate, or throw away.
Now is the time to get your hands moving. Go through each room and determine which one you could segregate first. Ask permission from the other household members first before entering their personal spaces. Have your boxes ready for sorting.
Going through each room and sorting things from there is the usual way to go. You can divide your boxes based on purpose: (1) “Move” (going with you in the next place), (2) “Sell” (put into a garage sale ), (3) “Donate” (give to an organization), and (4) “Toss” (throw away in dumpster).
Feel free to omit some of the boxes. You may need more boxes for “Move”, so you can remove the “Sell” box. Your goal here is to sort things by function rather than by type or by size.
You can also go from the big things first, then to the small things. Furniture can be moved right from the start. Tossing away furniture takes energy and time, so having that out of the way speeds up the downsizing.
Go through the things you are emotionally tied to last. Your kids’ medals and trophies, the toys they outgrew, the projects you made, and the pictures you own. Some of these take time to sort through as they are filled with your own stories. Take your time when you go through them.
How large is your next place? Are you moving there only to sleep at night due to your work? Will it be a remote work space? The personal utility of your next place determines that some things can go with you and some things that need to go.
Check the rooms and the storage spaces. Have a measuring tape when you come to the new home and see if your furniture fits. The customization of your bathroom or kitchen may require you to bring less utensils or other things. Some apartments may already provide hangers for your shirts.
Know how many people are going to live with you. Look around the unit with them and let them know what they can bring too. Organize the spaces where the things will go, so you can easily know how to sort your things.
You can even change the label of your boxes based on their designated place in the new unit. No need to be exact with the decision making. A close estimate will be fine because you can always reorganize again when you move.
Moving into a new home or a house is a huge decision. You need to consistently consider the things you will need. There is no right or wrong way to move. Stay organized and pace yourself throughout the process to remain stress-free.
Make sure you ask for help from your friends or family members when you think that moving will need extra hands. You may have shared memories with them through the things you own.
The Woodlands Dumpster Rental can help you with your downsizing. You can rent a dumpster from them for a friendly price suited to your move. This allows you to sort your things at your own pace. Check their website for more details on how they helped their prior clients.
