Decluttering before house move

[DonGray]

Where to start?

@JaninaDuszejko

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.

Good points, there. I agree with you. I found it much easier to go through crates here where I have space than in the old house where there was no space to do it in. And about books too....well, once reason we moved to a doer-upper was so we could afford the space for ours. I keep a catalogue for my 'work' books (most of which are large format). There are about one and a half thousand of them. Plus the novels, and the books belonging to the other 2 adults here. I have some novels I have read so often over the years that I have worn them out, and have had to buy a new copy.

Slightly tangential, but I dislike the ubiquitous term 'declutter' . Deciding to say goodbye to belongings, due to moving/downsizing, does not necessarily mean they were 'clutter'. They might have had great significance, but we no longer have room for them so they have to go.

Decluttering before the move and while unpacking at the new house is really important. Decluttering before moving will save money as you won't need to hire additional moving vans. What's the point in paying to move unopened boxes from one house to another.

@TamingtheShrew : A sister is very useful for this sort of thing.
It is far, far easier to be dispassionate about other people's treasures

A skip seems to be a difficult option in London - you have to suspend the parking and randomers fill it up with their junk!

Get some veg boxes from the supermarket each time you visit - the kind that are made of stiff cardboard with tabs as they stack well and you can see contents easily. They can’t be overloaded because of their size so can be moved easily when you’re sorting in a room and easy to take out to the car.
Dispose/Recycle everything you can using own refuse bins - that’s free.
Apart from all the items you can send to charity shops or sell or advertise locally on free sites, bag or box up all the rubbish and take to tip to make room at home.
That’s the key - you need space to sort and stack ready for removing from the house.
Every area has licensed refuse collectors - look at council’s website. You can often send them photos for a quote for rubbish and furniture removal, including white goods, etc. Obviously you will have to pay for this but it will work out cheaper than a skip in your circumstances - plus it will be all removed from the house for you and takes very little time.

Banana boxes are good , and lidded .

I did this when we moved from a 3 bedroomed house to a 2 bedroomed small apartment.

I hired a skip from a company that recycles as much as it can. I threw out all the rubbish. I left plant pots by the recycling bin and people picked those up. Even some stuff in the skip people picked out, often within minutes!

I gave away decent stuff for free either to friends, Facebook marketplace or charity.

I went through everything! We now only have what we need and use apart from a couple boxes of sentimental stuff.