Tips - moving two homes into one.

[DiamondBright]

Me and DP are looking to sell our houses and buy together quite soon, so we're at the stage where we need to start decluttering both houses ready to decorate and eventually pack up and move.

Any tips from people who've done the same would be great, we've both lived in our houses for a lot of years so while neither house is particularly cluttered there's still lots of stuff in cupboards, the lofts etc. to sort out and lots of duplicate things like kitchen equipment.

I'm thinking we'll need to rent some storage after the first house sells.

I'd keep the better quality duplicate and donate the other .
Or you could get rid of the lot and have a completely fresh start .
Do you have an idea of what size property you want to buy ?

@Bedsheets4knickers

I'd keep the better quality duplicate and donate the other . Or you could get rid of the lot and have a completely fresh start . Do you have an idea of what size property you want to buy ?

We're looking at 3 bedroom bungalows, the sizes vary, we'll need office space, I quite fancy a garage that can be converted.

So we're moving two three bedroom semi detached houses into one three bedroom bungalow.

We won't be taking much furniture, and I'm not sentimental about furniture so not many decisions to make there really, but two kitchens to sort through, we've got enough pots, pans, crockery etc. to between us open a cafe. Two lots of Christmas decorations etc. etc.

We'll need to sell one house and empty it without then filing the second house with packing boxes.

Whichever you sell first do a massive declutter. Or do both at the same time as you'll have to anyway. Anything you want to keep that you don't have room to store then yes get a storage room. Then when you come to sell the second you'll have an idea what you have in storage (take photos if it helps) and you then can get rid of stuff. Then move in to new house, and as you unpack you can sort through again - do you really need two sets of every day china? Six egg cups when you can't remember the last time you used one? That ugly cutting board your aunt gave you three Christmases ago?
Hold on to the Xmas decs though - wait til you decorate for next year before deciding (I'm of the mind you can never have too many Xmas decs, and you don't I have to use them all every year).

Doing it currently. We donated lots to a charity kitting out homes to Afghan refugees, still got lots though, hopefully the buyer will want some. Dp had already bought some furniture plus his ex offloaded stuff and then I have a 5 bed house!

@gogohm

Doing it currently. We donated lots to a charity kitting out homes to Afghan refugees, still got lots though, hopefully the buyer will want some. Dp had already bought some furniture plus his ex offloaded stuff and then I have a 5 bed house!

How's the decision making going in terms of who's stuff to keep?

I'm concerned about getting DP to part with stuff, he's more sentimental than me but I just don't want the new house to be full of ornaments that belonged to his mother (a few important items we'll find room for) and things chosen by ex wife for example.

I also don't want a loft or garage full of stuff when we've moved so decisions have to be made as we go along.

This is hopefully the last move for both of us and I want a clutter free home that's low maintenance and easy to keen clean and tidy.

I had to look at an absolutely hideous Japanese embroidery that my ex husband bought on his honeymoon with his first wife for 4 1/2 years until it accidentally got lost in the move shit does indeed happen

@Jessie75

I had to look at an absolutely hideous Japanese embroidery that my ex husband bought on his honeymoon with his first wife for 4 1/2 years until it accidentally got lost in the move shit does indeed happen

Good point, unfortunately things do get lost and broken in transit.