Decluttering Before Moving, Knoxville TN

Packing to move to a new home is important, and you should begin as early in the moving process as you can. There’s one essential task you should do before you start filling up boxes, though, and that is decluttering.

Nothing makes less sense than carting all your belongings to the new house and then having to sort them out, and particularly if you’re downsizing from a large family property to a ranch plan or one level home.

These tips will help you get the job done.

Develop a Timetable

Everything works better when it’s carefully planned, even a project like decluttering. You want to give yourself plenty of time to complete the process and get packed before moving date so you don’t feel pressured. Calculate the number of weeks you have and allocate one third to decluttering and two thirds to packing. Divide the one third into the number of rooms that need work, and set aside one day a week to the project.

Take Action

By deciding in advance what method you’re going to use to declutter the home, you’ll avoid the pitfall of rushing headlong into the process without a clear direction. Here are some steps you can follow to keep on track:

Step #1: Declutter by Category

Group all the items you want to review into categories, such as clothing, kitchen utensils, bathroom items etc. Divide each of those into subcategories, like dishes, pots and pans, cleaning products. This helps you avoid the confusion of starting in one place and getting drawn into another. It’s not difficult to begin clearing out a linen closet and discover some old toys, and before you know it you’re reminiscing about the past and sorting through toy boxes.

Step #2: Use the 3-Box Rule

This is a proven method for both sorting out items and starting your packing at the same time. It applies regardless of which rooms you do first, and enables you to get organized in half the time it would take otherwise. Have three large boxes with you at all times as you move around the house:

Box 1: Things to keep. As you’re going through everything, place all the items you want to take with to the new home into this box. You can even organize them into different corners of the box if you know you want to pack them with other items.

Box 2: Possessions to sell or donate. Items in good condition that you haven’t used in the past year should go into this box. Whether you plan to gift them or simply offload them, you can decide that later. For now, just set them aside so you know they won’t be moved to the new Knoxville home you’re buying.

Box 3: Items to throw out. Anything broken, in bad repair or worn out has no business going in the moving truck. Place them in this box and organize them depending on whether they go into garbage or recycling.

As you’re sorting, you might turn up some items that don’t fit well into any of the three boxes. If you really can’t decide what to do with them, put them in a pile and get back to them the following day.

Step #3: Look Ahead

When you’ve finished sorting through everything and disposed of the clutter, you should have a fair idea of the quantity of goods you’re taking with. Think about the storage options you’ve chosen for the new home, and if necessary get the dimensions from your Knoxville TN home builder.

As you pack, consider where each item is going to be stored, and pack so every box is filled with items that belong in the same room. If you’re taking storage items like cabinets and other furniture with you, make sure you’ve considered how they will fit into the home floor plan.

For more information on how to plan the layout of your new home floor plan, please contact the experts in house design at Saddlebrook Properties at (865) 966-8700.