When its time to move is also the perfect time to get rid of
all that clutter. If you go through your
belongings and purge beforehand, you will wind up saving yourself a heck of a
lot of money, not only because you are using quite a few less shipping boxes
but because you are taking up way less space and decreasing the weight of your
overall move.
Not sure how to go about
decluttering? Here are 9 simple
suggestions that should see you all the way to success:
- If you are anything like me, you are leery of tossing any kind of paperwork. This can result in boxes full of trash. The common rule of thumb is to shred any personal documents that are over 3 years old.
- When going through your clothes, hang on to the classics. Items like jeans, pencil skirts, button down shirts… these are never going to phase out. Get rid of anything else you haven’t worn in over 18 months.
- Put photographs in acid-free albums to preserve them. It’s also a really good idea to back-up or print out your digital photos in case something happens to your hard drive during the move.
- One thing you do not want to throw away are your home improvement records. You will want to show any potential buyers what you have invested in your home.
- One of the first things you should start doing when you know you are going to move is get your hands on as many boxes as you possible can: shipping boxes, used boxes, file boxes. Then, start filling up those boxes with all of the items you want to get rid of. Make sure they are properly labeled and set off to the side in the attic or garage for when the time comes to have a garage sale or drop them off at Goodwill.
- Write down every single item that you are going to be donating so that you can properly document on the tax return slip. The tax return slip is key- between your move and what you are donating you have the potential to earn back upwards of a couple hundred dollars.
- Recycle any old electronics that don’t work anymore.
- If you are getting rid of a toy because it’s missing pieces and generally broken, save everyone their time and dignity and just throw it away instead of trying to donate it.
- Put any unwanted books in one of your sturdiest shipping boxes and donate them to your local jails and prisons. Inmates only have access to whatever books have been donated, so I’m sure they will appreciate your contribution!
