9 Tips From A Moving Expert
A new home symbolizes a fresh start: new paint, a new bedroom, even a new eye on arranging your old furniture, cherished heirlooms and valuable collectibles. But, your new space wonât feel so wonderful if itâs weighed down with stuff. Â Nowâs the time to purge your home, this means a deep dive into what stays and what goes.
âYour possessions should have three purposes: function, purpose, usefulness or sentimental value,â says Karmin Daniel, champion purger and CMO of Alliance Moving & Storage. Pick up each item in your home, and ask yourself, âWhy do I have this item? What does this item do for me? Why am I keeping it?â
There are a lot of things you should toss or donate before packing up the truck. But, here are nine of the most common offenders:
1) Old Towels & Linens
Whenâs the last time you bought new towels? If its the last time you moved, turn those suckers into rags and buy something new! After years of use and hundreds of washings, I am sure they are looking a bit worn out too. You donât need those old bed sheets either. Fitted sheets lose their elasticity over time, and exposure to sweat and oil can cause them to look stained and worn.
2) The Juicer
We all have goals. Yoga Class three times a week, and beginning each morning with a glass of cold juice pressed from spinach, kale, ginger, and pineapple. Donât give up on achieving your dreams â Assess your achievements at moving time, and donate everything that didnât work out. At least youâll have more room for your next wild aspiration. Maybe a FitBit?
3) Unworn Apparel
Organizing a closet before a move should be simple. A keep pile, a toss pile, and a donate pileâright? But we all have those jeans we keep around just in case we finally lose 15 pounds. Or a dress tucked deep in your closet in case you ever go clubbing again. (Never mind that, the last time you were out of the house after 10 p.m. was the night your first child was born.) Watch out for clothing youâre keeping âjust in case,â which take up precious room in your closet. And even if you do lose the weight, or get an invitation to a bachelorette party in Vegas, you can always buy (or rent) something newâand we bet youâll love it even more.
4) Multiples & Collectables
Clutter grows in the strangest placesâlike your mug tree, the chair in your room, or your dining hutch. You might have started out with two novelty mugs, but now you own a coffee cup from every place youâve visited right? âTry to keep only one from your favorite vacation.â Look for duplicates throughout your kitchen. Do you really need three bread pans? Or more than one cake platter? You should only hold onto what can fit neatly in your space.
5) Gifts Youâve Outgrown
A long time ago, you told your mom you liked giraffes. You were 8. Your next birthday: a giraffe necklace. Your graduation gift: a porcelain giraffe statuette. Your housewarming gift from your aunt: an Etsy giraffe print. But itâs not too late to trim down your collection. If Mom stops by and looks confused, you say, âI just couldnât fit it into our new space. Iâm sorry they had to go.â
6) Beauty Supplies and Makeup
Like most things in life, skin and beauty products donât last forever. So before you move, ditch the pile of half-used products youâve amassed under your bathroom sink; that goes for skin creams, sunscreens, shaving cream, beard oils, deodorant, and even soap. That means tossing the four year old nail polish too. That stuff has a shelf life of two years. Same goes for cosmetics: For example, you should replace your mascara every 90 days.
7) Space Stealers
Sometimes, when moving into a new home, we buy stuff just to fill the emptiness. Unattractive tables, a TV stand that doesnât match the rest of your furniture, or that poster you bought at an art fair 15 years ago, thatâs out of step with the rest of your decor. Your next home doesnât need to be a clean slate, but before moving in, giveaway furniture and anything that just doesnât fit the current you. Next time you buy for your home, seriously consider exactly what you want before you spend money.
8) Â Extra Wires, Cords & Cables
You donât know how it happened, but you have 32 micro-USB cables and 12 random charging cables that seemingly belong to nothing and everything at the same time. Get rid of duplicates nowâas well as anything that doesnât have a match, sort the remaining cords and cables into an organized system.
9) Old Paperwork & Records
Itâs time to sort through all your old paperwork. Setting aside tax records, closing documents, recent bank statements and tossing everything you donât need to keep. Create a filing system that works for you, since that paperworkâs going to keep coming, and pledge to sort once a year.