Steps to decluttering

Whilst moving to a new home is an exciting prospect, managing the practicalities involved can be an overwhelming experience. In a recent poll, two thirds of people voted moving house top of their stress list, with it triggering more anxiety than relationship breakdowns, divorce and starting a new job.

Preparation is key when it comes to managing stress levels. By decluttering your house before the big move, you can dramatically reduce the volume of belongings to pack and start afresh in your new property, having left all the ‘stuff’ behind.

Find inspiration from decluttering guru Marie Kondo and take a mindful approach to tidying up. Kondo prescribes keeping only items that ‘spark joy’ and carefully disposing of the rest.

Start early and get organised

Whether you are moving in a month or six months, the earlier you start, the less stressful your move will be. Gather together four strong boxes, or bin liners, and label them ‘keep’, ‘give away’, ‘rubbish’ and ‘sell’. Leave no stone unturned and work your way through every room, cupboard and drawer.

Tidy by category, not location

Identify the categories of your possessions, i.e. clothing, books and papers. When sorting clothes, for example, gather every item of clothing you possess in one spot. This will allow you to see exactly how much you have for each category. Then carefully assess each item and decide if it inspires feeling, or ‘sparks joy’. If the answer is no, out it goes.

Discard clutter, do not store it

A common characteristic of people who struggle with clutter is that they attempt to store everything without getting rid of anything. Storage units are filled with unnecessary items, making it impossible to keep them organised. Do not be tempted to invest in elaborate storage systems or pretty boxes for your new home to store items you will never use. View the move as an opportunity to sort which items you really need, and which can be discarded.

Find your clutter a new home

Charity shops will welcome donations of good quality clothes, household items and furniture. Your clutter could be another person’s treasure, and you’ll be generating funds for a good cause in the process – win-win. Alternatively, you could sell good quality items online or to friends or colleagues.

Organise your paperwork

It can be hard to ignore the niggling voice in your head that tells you to hang on to every document because ‘it might be useful one day’. However, getting rid of years’ worth of paperwork is both satisfying and quick to do. Keep all essential documents such as passports, birth certificates, and insurance documents in a folder – and then shred all the unimportant or outdated ones. If you want to be extra cautious, scan the documents to your computer so you have them as a digital file.

HMRC recommend holding onto records such as bank, credit card and other personal finance documents, for 6 years after receiving them. So if you find documents that are over 6 years old, get shredding!

Sales Advisor at Blue Cedar Homes, Sue Scott suggests embarking on your decluttering project with your new home in mind. “It can make it easier to discard items when you visualise your beautiful new home, and exactly what you want in it. When you’ve decided, be realistic about what items will fit and what will need to be replaced before moving day, so that there are no nasty surprises.”

Instead of leaving your decluttering until the last minute, why not start the project today and look forward to starting afresh, enjoying a clutter free life in your beautiful new home?

If you’re considering a move to a Blue Cedar home and would like support from streamlining your possessions to packing everything up on the big day to planning where your furniture will go, we can take care of the details. Contact us on 01392 369704 or visit us at www.bluecedarhomes.co.uk.

Preparation is key when it comes to managing stress levels. By decluttering your house before the big move, you can dramatically reduce the volume of belongings to pack and start afresh in your new property, having left all the ‘stuff’ behind.

Find inspiration from decluttering guru Marie Kondo and take a mindful approach to tidying up. Kondo prescribes keeping only items that ‘spark joy’ and carefully disposing of the rest.

Start early and get organised

Whether you are moving in a month or six months, the earlier you start, the less stressful your move will be. Gather together four strong boxes, or bin liners, and label them ‘keep’, ‘give away’, ‘rubbish’ and ‘sell’. Leave no stone unturned and work your way through every room, cupboard and drawer.

Tidy by category, not location

Identify the categories of your possessions, i.e. clothing, books and papers. When sorting clothes, for example, gather every item of clothing you possess in one spot. This will allow you to see exactly how much you have for each category. Then carefully assess each item and decide if it inspires feeling, or ‘sparks joy’. If the answer is no, out it goes.

Discard clutter, do not store it

A common characteristic of people who struggle with clutter is that they attempt to store everything without getting rid of anything. Storage units are filled with unnecessary items, making it impossible to keep them organised. Do not be tempted to invest in elaborate storage systems or pretty boxes for your new home to store items you will never use. View the move as an opportunity to sort which items you really need, and which can be discarded.

Find your clutter a new home

Charity shops will welcome donations of good quality clothes, household items and furniture. Your clutter could be another person’s treasure, and you’ll be generating funds for a good cause in the process – win-win. Alternatively, you could sell good quality items online or to friends or colleagues.

Organise your paperwork

It can be hard to ignore the niggling voice in your head that tells you to hang on to every document because ‘it might be useful one day’. However, getting rid of years’ worth of paperwork is both satisfying and quick to do. Keep all essential documents such as passports, birth certificates, and insurance documents in a folder – and then shred all the unimportant or outdated ones. If you want to be extra cautious, scan the documents to your computer so you have them as a digital file.

HMRC recommend holding onto records such as bank, credit card and other personal finance documents, for 6 years after receiving them. So if you find documents that are over 6 years old, get shredding!

Sales Advisor at Blue Cedar Homes, Sue Scott suggests embarking on your decluttering project with your new home in mind. “It can make it easier to discard items when you visualise your beautiful new home, and exactly what you want in it. When you’ve decided, be realistic about what items will fit and what will need to be replaced before moving day, so that there are no nasty surprises.”

Instead of leaving your decluttering until the last minute, why not start the project today and look forward to starting afresh, enjoying a clutter free life in your beautiful new home?

If you’re considering a move to a Blue Cedar home and would like support from streamlining your possessions to packing everything up on the big day to planning where your furniture will go, we can take care of the details. Contact us on 01392 369704 or visit us at www.bluecedarhomes.co.uk.

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Blue Cedar Home Ltd is registered in England no. 6444180. Registered office: Eagle House, 1 Babbage Way, Exeter Science Park, Exeter, Devon, EX5 2FN

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For further peace of mind, all Blue Cedar Homes properties carry a 10 year NHBC 'Buildmark' warranty.

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