Decluttering before house move

AlbertBridge · 08/02/2022 15:26

Hire a skip.
Go to the outer reaches (loft, garage, shed) and dump as much as you can.
Go through it all again and dump more.
Then go through your everyday rooms and be ruthless. All crap into the skip.
Go through everyday rooms again.

Ladyof · 08/02/2022 17:01

I need to know this too!! I feel we will be moving in the next few weeks and no zero motivation to pack or declutter, help!

Kyrae · 08/02/2022 20:44

I found it easiest cleaning out room by room, starting with the easier stuff like clothing and books, and then moving on later to harder stuff like sentimental items, souvenirs, old photos etc! I think Marie Kondo had the right idea, look at each item and decide if you genuinely like it, or if it's useful, and if not then pass it on to someone else who will like it! Charity shops and Free local FB groups are good places to get rid of things! :)

I'm obviously not that good at it though as i've had 3 clear outs in the past 2 years and i still keep finding more stuff to get rid of!!

TeacupDrama · 08/02/2022 21:09

Ask some questions

Do we need it, if yes what is the right number of these items to have, if it's a kettle the answer is one is it is forks it maybe 10
I might not need it but it's useful sometimes, how often? Is there anything else I would use instead easily if I didn't have it, would I buy it again if it broke

3 do I or a member of the family love it, if not why are you keeping it if it is not useful or loved?

Do I have room for it at my next house, if I keep this will I have to get rid of something else
If it is broke why haven't I bothered repairing it or replacing it do not take anything broken to your new home
With clothes if it doesn't fit or it doesn't hang right or you only wear it if nothing else is clean don't take it with you
Don't keep items for your fantasy life but for your real life, if you have had a book for 2 years and not read it you won't read it now pass it on, same with clothes that still have tags on or haven't been worn ( exceptions formal outfits for weddings etc ski wear snorkels etc when the only reason you haven't worn it is the type of occasion you would wear it was not allowed during pandemic)
Don't keep things because of guilt it was a present from X, or it cost a lot of money, the money has gone now, sell it to recoup some if you can but you are not getting value by keep looking at it remembering the cost

9 just in case items when it hasn't been used for years if it is something like a tool that would cost £300 if you needed it keep it but if it would only cost a few £ and could easily be replaced in an hour then don't keep it. We won't get rid of the roof ladder we only use it every few years but if a slate slips or the high gutters get blocked DH can fix it immediately rather than waitng and paying for someone else to do it, but the Allen keys for a piece of furniture you no longer have but might be right for something else not so much. 10. Items you did love and use but now don't 11. When you simply have too many of something say plastic containers for food 12. For sentimental items several very similar items or photos just keep the best and write dates on back of photos especially of older relatives as next person may never have met great uncle Stanley have a set amount of storage for these items a box or a whatever but only that box. Most things you will know answer to in seconds

Alrightqueenie · 09/02/2022 10:31

Do you have books to your local refuge or library? My local B& Q have a shelter refuge book donation point so I've dropped off a few boxes. I've also donated 3 boxes of books to the local school library.

Any unused and unopened toiletries can be donated to a food or hygiene bank. My local boots and library boots has a hygiene donation point.

Its worth calling the local women's aid and asking if they'd like a donation of clothes for the refuge.

I sometimes put old toys, bikes etc at the end of my driveway with a free to take note and people have always picked it up. Just do a little bit often and ensure that you dispose quickly once you've bagged up something.

Time40 · 09/02/2022 11:17

Do we need it, if yes what is the right number of these items to have, if it's a kettle the answer is one

Ooooh, you're brave and ruthless! Personally, I think the right number of kettles is however many spare ones you've got room for, if they didn't cost anything because you just came by them somehow. I think I've got three spare kettles at the moment - I mean, they all break in the end, so why not have some free spares around?

Sorry - entirely missing the point there.

ShallWeTalkAboutBruno · 09/02/2022 11:30

@Time40

Do we need it, if yes what is the right number of these items to have, if it's a kettle the answer is one

Ooooh, you're brave and ruthless! Personally, I think the right number of kettles is however many spare ones you've got room for, if they didn't cost anything because you just came by them somehow. I think I've got three spare kettles at the moment - I mean, they all break in the end, so why not have some free spares around?

Sorry - entirely missing the point there.

That’s fine if you’ve got plenty of room to store multiple items, but most people don’t. Then again, I’ve never ‘come by’ a kettle I don’t think

. I buy a kettle, and when it breaks I’ll buy a new one. I’ve had my current kettle for over 10 years so I wouldn’t hang on to spares for that length of time until I need them. Haven’t got the room!

NotMeNoNo · 09/02/2022 12:00

@Teacupdrama is right.

They key is choose what to keep, not what to throw away.
If you have picked out the nicest/most useful/right amount of each kind of thing, then why are you hanging on to the rest? And paying people to pack, store and move it to clutter up your lovely new home?

You sort of have to give yourself permission to cut your losses: get rid of things gifted, needing repair or just left over. You owe them nothing.

MsMeNz · 09/02/2022 12:56

i've done a LOT of uncluttering over the years, got rid of thousends of items. Its an on going thing espcially with 3 growing kids. it's never "done".

I can honestly say in all this time, that even the items that were harder to let go of have i never regretted letting go of anything. (i take photos of things for memories)

I wouldnt get a skip though unels syou ahev piles of old plasterboard and carpets laying around, best to try and get rid of things reposibily, freecyle, facebook market place etc, charity shops, car boot sale, ebay, friends and family etc and then only recyle or throw out stuff that really has no value to anyone really (holy tshirts, school work books from 20 years ago)

I'm not totally unsentimal though we each have large 2 palstic storage containers we can store memory stuff in and limit it to those, if we want to add stuff and its already full something has to come out to keep a limit on it.

Everyone's "enough" is diffrent though, if what you are unsure of dissapeared tomorrow - would you notice? what you go out and try to buy the exact thing again to reaplace it? if not its a no.

SpacePotato · 09/02/2022 13:02

Just don't pack anything you don't want or need in the new house.
Be ruthless.

3 spare kettles is ridiculous though. You can pretty much get most things delivered next day if you can't get to a shop and not really difficult to boil water in a pan if necessary. Thanks borderline hoarder.

SpacePotato · 09/02/2022 13:02

That's not thanks

kirkandpetal · 09/02/2022 13:15

A skip. Without a doubt....and you will fill it.

And I found I was more ruthless as there was no umming and ahing and having to think about loading up the car and taking to the dump - instead you just walk out side and chuck it in the skip. It's an instant feeling of getting rid and seeing the empty space, and feeling good about it.

We decluttered massively when we moved to our new place 3 years ago and it made a world of difference. We had held into things because we had a spacious loft, but our new place didn't have the same amount of space. I think also when you store stuff out of sight, it's so easy to forget what you're holding onto, so when you finally see it again, you do think "why on earth is this still here"

We did a fair amount of selling stuff, and charity shopping things/gumtree too, but broken bits or tatty bits and general rubbish - skip!!!

redandwhite1 · 09/02/2022 15:07

I've done some and will do a bit more on the final pack up

But have decided when we move in I will do it again (will be on mat leave) and will have the time (ish!) to properly sort through everything, I even plan on buying new plastic boxes to store stuff in that's currently all in random cardboard boxes from over the years, we don't currently have a garage but it'll all go in there and whatever I throw away won't ever go into the house

I need to be ruthless!!!!

I hope I do as I've promised myself!!

redandwhite1 · 09/02/2022 15:13

Mugs! Why do we keep so many, defo throwing all of them out

cobblers123 · 09/02/2022 15:31

We had to clear out dad's house last year and despite him living on his own for 10 years, there was a lot to clear away.

We sent box loads to charity shop, put lots on Freecycle and put quite a bit out the front of the house as Free to take away.

Then we hired a skip for what was left.

The 48 (!!) Mugs we found including many still boxed and brand new went all over the place, including to friends and work places.

JaninaDuszejko · 09/02/2022 15:35

When we moved I actually decluttered as we unpacked and then again when we redecorated rooms. I found that easier than trying to do it in a too small house. I know that goes against unconventional wisdom.

And FWIW I would never get rid of a book just because I've not read it for two years. My books are my friends, I like having them around me.

randomsabreuse · 09/02/2022 15:40

Are you going bigger to smaller or smaller to bigger?

We're moving "soon" (have been waiting for lawyers to get their shit together for 6 months) and current house is too small to make space to declutter sheds etc. New house is double the size so I can work through the stuff much easier once we're in, and see what will work in that house and what won't.

If downsizing I'd be ruthless and I'd also be ruthless about time and donate stuff to get it gone rather than selling and risking being messed around...

I wouldn't declutter curtains or furniture unless you know it won't work at all, but be ruthless with clothes that you don't wear or foresee wearing. I wouldn't use an arbitrary time limit as we're still back to normal - I'm definitely keeping my wedding guest clothes for all the seasons even though they've not been worn in 2 years!

TamingtheShrew · 09/02/2022 16:06

My sister has just 'done' this to me (with me!) for half my house. Both therapeutic and traumatic as I don't have the incentive of a move. But it was necessary.
Her two questions to me:
Do you love it?
Will you wear it / Do you need it.?

One big block for me is books - I have just looked up some options for donating books as I have a lot of secondary text books in particular.
Books2Africa.org -- takes lots of different things, you can drop off in Canterbury or order a collection for £7
Childrensbookproject.co.uk - want newish books to gift to primary age children, no text books, can drop to a local school check the website.

Old and broken things i am waiting to fix have gone, she has reminded me to wear and use the nice things i have, not to 'save ' them, as this IS my life now and I deserve a nice life...
My children have (mostly ) left home now, so perhaps easier than when you need lots of bits around you and want to save things for decent hand-me-downs.

Good luck!

BruceAndNosh · 09/02/2022 17:14

As a couple of posters have suggested, keeping stuff is easier than chucking stuff.
So when faced with a drawer or cupboard, don't try and decide what to throw out.
Instead decide what you are keeping, eventually you find the sweet spot of "enough" and everything left in drawer goes out.

Chakraleaf · 09/02/2022 17:17

We started with the loft. We went through everything. Then our bedroom wardrobe and drawers.

Enterthedragons · 09/02/2022 17:23

Surprised at the number of people who are saying skip. So wasteful and unnecessary! Give away/take things to the charity shop etc so they don’t just go to landfill.

Sunnyday321 · 09/02/2022 17:33

@Enterthedragons

I agree with donating to charity, however as someone who has volunteered in one , it's obvious that some people can't make the comparison to items that are way past their best and needs to be binned . We've had worn down shoes , very old fashioned , dirty , holey clothes . Also damp books , yellowed and full of spider webs probably stored for years in a shed / garage.
The donating matra should be if you wouldn't buy it , why expect someone else to .

Lottle · 09/02/2022 17:54

Start with the bathroom cabinet. You won't be sorry!

ShallWeTalkAboutBruno · 09/02/2022 17:59

@Enterthedragons

Surprised at the number of people who are saying skip. So wasteful and unnecessary! Give away/take things to the charity shop etc so they don’t just go to landfill.

That’s fine for things in good condition, but I wouldn’t give anything sub par to charity shops. Jigsaws without all the pieces, broken toys, frayed towels etc.

BlueMongoose · 09/02/2022 18:26

@redandwhite1

I've done some and will do a bit more on the final pack up

But have decided when we move in I will do it again (will be on mat leave) and will have the time (ish!) to properly sort through everything, I even plan on buying new plastic boxes to store stuff in that's currently all in random cardboard boxes from over the years, we don't currently have a garage but it'll all go in there and whatever I throw away won't ever go into the house

I need to be ruthless!!!!

I hope I do as I've promised myself!!

One friend told me when he moved there were boxes in his loft that had been there, untouched, since their previous move. 40 years before.

We did some decluttering when we moved here. Even though its a much bigger house, the decluttering is still ongoing. When we moved into the last house, we had so much stuff from the previous loft we swore we'd never put anything into the new one. Of course, we filled it in completely in our 30 years there. But this house has a smaller loft. And we're going to retire here, so we don't want to be having to go into the loft when we're older. So I am trying to declutter so we aren't going to need the loft in future. One problem is that I have many thousands of photos- i.e., prints. If I can can scan the lot, I can chuck the lot, keeping the negs just in case, and I will save dozens of crates of space in the loft (and in the house too- space that 'loft stuff' can move down into). But it's going to be a very long job.