After over a century in the moving industry, we’ve experienced a lot of changes over the years, but there are some aspects of moving that will always stay the same. In this article, our expert moving team will share one of the oldest pieces of advice on moving that we continue to offer to our customers each year—and that’s to lighten your load before packing up.
In Moving, Less is More
Hoarding is out, and minimalism is in—at least according to hit reality TV shows like Hoarders and Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. Whether you’re a hoarder or not, if you’re like most Americans, you have a lot of stuff—and experts say that getting rid of the extra things you have and don’t need is proven to lead to a calmer, more satisfying lifestyle.
Lightening your load is also the key to a calmer and more satisfying move. There’s no point in taking what you don’t need with you into your new home, and whatever you can leave behind will maximize your space. It’ll also be easier to re-pack everything and to organize your new abode.
Additionally, the more you pack, the more expensive your move will be, since moving companies often charge by the pound of the load or by the hour. The heavier the load, or the more time it takes to move your things, the more you’ll pay.
Getting Started: Focus on Categories
Unless you’re already living the minimalist lifestyle, embracing it now before a move is your first step towards a less chaotic move. Before a move is the best time to sort through your belongings and remove what no longer serves you—a cathartic experience that can be surprisingly enjoyable, once you’re in the middle of it.
To get started, scan your home and take note of what you have the most of. If you have a lot of clothing, you can start there—going from room to room and focusing on reviewing just the clothes in each space. According to experts, its easier to focus on items than on entire rooms when getting rid of things, because working to clear an entire room can become tedious and overwhelming. Break the project up by category instead.
What to Do With the Things You Don’t Want
The general rule of thumb is to get rid of anything you haven’t used in the last year. This rule applies best to clothing, shoes, and accessories, but also applies to books, technology, tools, and home decorations. If an item holds sentimental value to you, however, go ahead and hold onto it. If you’re unsure, consider renting temporary storage to make up your mind. This will allow you to test out the separation to see if you really miss the item once it's gone.
As you sort your belongings according to whether you want to keep them or not, put them into separate piles based on where they should go. For example, you can make a donation pile, a for sale pile, and a trash pile, and sort your things into them accordingly. If you do throw things away, make sure they’re actually trash before you toss them. Many things can be recycled, so be sure to double-check to see if what you have is really junk or if it can be reused.
Selling Your Items
Selling your things will take extra time, so be sure to plan for this in time for moving day. You can hold a garage sale if you have a lot of things to sell, or you can list your items on garage sale apps like LetGo, or eBay, or Facebook marketplace.
If you haven’t sold your items by the time it’s time to move, you can always put them into storage until they sell. What you probably don’t want to do is to re-introduce unwanted items into your home, as this can increase your chances of adopting them into your home again for good.
