How To Declutter Before Moving: 13 Pro Tips
Declutter
So about those top tips on how to declutter before moving? You’ve come to the right place! We’ve teamed up with Maija Diethelm, a professional organizer with more than a decade of experience in organizing spaces, to share our best tips on decluttering before moving so you can start fresh in your new place.
How To Get Rid of Everything and Move: 13 Pro Tips To Help You Declutter Before Moving
Even with all the benefits, decluttering can feel like a daunting task to undertake, particularly when paired with a move. The good news is it doesn’t have to be! Knowing when, where, and how to declutter before moving can help streamline the process, make it easier, and — dare we say — make it something you might even find a little fun. Here are our best tips on getting the job done.
1. Get Motivated.
Real talk: Decluttering before moving can be very emotional and overwhelming — especially if you’ve never done it before — so there’s no shame in needing a little motivation or inspiration to get prepared. Just remind yourself of how great it’ll feel to trim the fat on your belongings, save money, possibly make some money, and start fresh in your new space. You’ll be surprised how fantastic it will feel to free yourself from things that no longer serve a purpose in your life — or your house.
2. Don’t Procrastinate — Start Early.
According to Maija, one of the top mistakes people make when decluttering before moving is not starting early enough. “We always have way more stuff than we even imagine,” she says. Depending on the size of your home or apartment, you may want to start at least two, six, or even 12 months before your move. “That just allows the process to be a lot less intense and stressful.”
Tip: When you declutter before moving, start with the spaces and items that aren’t frequently used, like storage spaces. The instant gratification speaks for itself — just look at this garage transformation.
(Source: Maija Diethelm)
3. Take Before and After Photos.
Before you get started on your decluttering-before-moving journey, snap a few photos of your most cluttered rooms and areas, like the garage, storage closets, cabinets, and your pantry. When you’re done, take a photo of the end result. Seeing the progress you’ve made will help motivate you to finish other areas of your home. Plus, there’s no harm in doing a little showing off to friends and family!
4. Give Yourself an Extra Boost of Energy.
Another thing you can do before you start decluttering before moving is deciding how to make the process more enjoyable. For some, this means having a cup of coffee before cleaning out so they can ride the caffeine boost, while others like to put on their favorite playlist or podcast while the work takes place. Maybe you can even think of a small reward once the work is done to treat yourself, like ordering a piping hot pizza or snuggling up with a good book for the rest of the evening. Remember, this is work, but making it boring will lead to burnout.
5. Start With the Rooms and Things You Use the Least.
Ok, you’re in the right headspace and you’ve given yourself plenty of time to clean out your home. But you may still be a little stuck. If you find yourself asking, “How do I get rid of all that stuff?,” Maija’s advice is to get your feet wet by starting the decluttering process with rooms and stuff you don’t use that often.
“I highly suggest you do not start with memorabilia,” Maija warns. “If you start with rooms that are less used, you have the time to go through all of those things — and you’ll likely get rid of one-half to three-fourths of it.”
Starting with your basement, attic, or garage is a great way to train your brain to think about the value and purpose of your belongings. That way, by the time you reach the really important stuff, you’ll be a pro, deliberate less, and have your own process practically perfected. Plus, you can pack the items you’re keeping into boxes or plastic bins as you go, tackling two birds with one stone — and with minimal disruption to your daily routines in the rest of the house.
| Q: What is the first rule of decluttering before moving? A: The first rule of decluttering before moving is knowing your “why” and maintaining a positive mindset. You’re going through your belongings to make your move easier, and when you get rid of an item, it’s not a waste. You’re doing something productive and beneficial, so don’t let those invalid thoughts get in the way. |
6. Pack With Pride.
You’re decluttering before moving, right? So why not pack along the way? Especially those areas with items that you won’t be needing before the big day. But we’re not talking about just dumping your “keep” piles of stuff in big boxes and calling it a day.You’re taking the time to go through each and every item in your home already; you should also take the time to ensure your wanted items are clean, dust-free, and packed neatly and efficiently (bonus points for categorizing them!). The best part about doing this? You’ll cut down on wasteful packing materials, potentially saving you money on the cost of the move. And who knows? You may even look forward to unpacking those boxes since it’ll be such a cinch!
Not sure how to deal with sentimental items while decluttering before moving? It’s ok to hang onto a few things for emotional reasons to prevent regret.
7. Don’t Linger on Old Memories.
No matter what you do, you’re going to end up sifting through emotional items — it’s unavoidable. Just try to veer back to the present if you suddenly find yourself on a trip down memory lane (trust us, it’s easy to do, especially if you’re decluttering before moving by yourself). “I have many clients who were trying to declutter before moving on their own, and they’ve been like ‘I opened this box and I was there for two hours — all I could finish was this box,’” Maija says. “You pull out a picture and all these memories come up and you have to process all of that.” Fight the urge. If there’s really a strong connection, keep the item and dip into the nostalgia at a later date.
Sorting your things into categories makes it easier to figure out how to declutter before a move — and what exactly to do with each item.
8. Use the Power of Piles.
As we briefly touched on earlier, one huge decluttering-before-moving hack Maija uses with her clients is separating sorted items into different piles that determine their fate. Here are a few examples of piles you might want to use to categorize your things as you go through them:
| Q: What is the 5-year rule for decluttering? A: The 5-year rule for decluttering is simple: Look at your stuff and ask yourself, "Have I used this in the last five years?" If the answer is no, it’s probably time to let it go — unless it’s something with major sentimental value, of course. This method takes the guesswork out of decision-making, making tidying up feel less stressful. |
9. Involve Your Kids With Their Things.
Now, of course, we realize it may be a bit of a struggle if you’re going through items that your children haven’t seen in a while. They suddenly become their absolute favorites, right — even if they’ve been “out of sight, out of mind” for months? Just take a deep breath and remind them that other children would love to get a chance to enjoy some of their lesser-loved items. You may be surprised at how generous your children suddenly become. Bonus? They’ll grow up with the emotional skills and know-how to declutter their own things later in life.
| More of a visual learner? Check out our favorite videos of insanely clever organization tips and decluttering tricks. |
10. Schedule Dedicated Time for Decluttering.
Look, you’re likely not chomping at the bit to sort through all of your things, which is exactly why Maija recommends actually putting it on your schedule. In fact, she lists not scheduling set periods of time to declutter as one of the biggest mistakes people make. She suggests scheduling one to three hours of dedicated decluttering time on a weekly basis, preferably on a specific day of the week, every week, to create a routine. “Tune everything out — no appointments, no schedules, no nothing, and actually set that time,” she says.
On crunch time and need to know how to declutter before moving in a hurry? “You’ll probably want to do it more like three to six hours at a time,” she recommends.
11. Use a Portable Moving and Storage Container.
Make portable moving and storage containers like PODS your secret weapon when you’re figuring out how to declutter before moving. If you know you have a lot of things to go through, or if you’re downsizing into a smaller space but want to keep heirloom items or furniture for the future, consider having a portable container delivered. Simply load it up with items you want to store — either at your place or at a secure facility, like a PODS Storage Center. Alternatively, you can also use portable containers that stay in your driveway as long as you need them to load packed items for your move at your own pace.
Maija says she’s used PODS in the past as a convenient way to temporarily store her clients’ belongings while they searched for a permanent place in a new city. “It’s a great option when you need time to declutter, pack, and then store your items because you’re moving but don’t totally know where you’re going to land,” she says. “I actually did that with a client.”
Maija handled her client’s decluttering before moving, had local labor providers load her client’s things into a PODS container, and then PODS stored his things for a few months at a nearby PODS Storage Center and delivered his container to him when he landed in his new permanent home. “It turned out to be a great situation and made total sense,” she says. “He was relocating for his career and was living in a new city but not in the official place he was going to live. He didn’t want to get all of his stuff and then unpack and three months later pack and unpack again. Using PODS was a lot less stressful because he had the time to look for a place where he wanted to live.”
Professional organizer Maija Diethelm knows all the best tips for how to declutter before moving.
(Source: Maija Diethelm)
12. Consider Hiring Professional Help.
If you’re still not sure where to start or just want (or need) some help figuring out how to declutter before moving, it’s probably worth adding a professional organizer to your team. Maija says by the time her clients reach out, they’re “really wanting help,” though she suggests not waiting until you’re at your wit’s end to seek someone’s help.Grab recommendations from family, friends, and neighborhood group sites like Nextdoor, and then do a consultation with the top candidates so you can get to know each other, see if you vibe well (you’ll be working very closely with them, remember), and get a feel for the scope of the project and their fee.
Decluttering before moving means going through every item in your house — down to the last junk drawer.
(Source: Maija Diethelm)
13. Go Through Everything — and We Mean Everything.
Decluttering before moving can be a long process, but it’s worth it. Be sure to go through everything. Hit the cabinets from front to back, go through those junk drawers, reassess all pieces of clothing, gadgets, old boxes — everything. Leave no item unturned, unopened, or unsorted. Motivate yourself by knowing whatever you don’t go through now, you’ll have to move and go through anyway at some point down the road. It might as well be now, right?
The payoff? “When you get to your new home, the items you put away are the things you want and need, as well as those that make you happy,” Maija says. “Decluttering before moving ensures you’re only bringing the things you love and need to your new place.”
| Q: How do I get rid of everything and start over? A: If you want to start over, consider relocating to one of these top moving destinations. To cut down on the things you’ll take with you, you’ll need to go through a major declutter before moving. We wish there was some secret or shortcut to share, but the reality is that you’ll have to go through every item in your home and decide what stays and what goes. This is the time to be ruthless. Assess every drawer, cabinet, closet, and container. |
Done Decluttering Before Moving?
Once you know what you’re keeping, check out the PODS Blog, where you’ll find all things moving, packing, and home storage — from life-saving home organization tips to foolproof packing and moving hacks.
Alex Keight is a frequent contributor to the PODS Blog who has moved 25+ times because she loves to experience new places.
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