Moving house is the perfect time to take a hard look at what you own. Every item you carry to the new place has to be packed, lifted, transported and unpacked again. That is a lot of effort for things you may not need. Decluttering first means less work on the day, and a lighter start in the new home.
Take one room at a time and work through it calmly. Start with the rooms you use least, such as the loft, the garage, the spare room or the back of the wardrobe. Ask a simple question about each item: would I be glad to unpack this in the new home? If the answer is no, the item can stay behind.
Three piles are enough
Make three piles for everything you touch: keep, pass on and throw away. The keep pile should be clearly smaller than what you started with. The pass-on pile can go to friends, family or a charity shop, and anything sellable can be offered locally. The last pile is for things that are truly finished. Do not let a fourth pile of maybes grow.
Be honest about the things you have carried from home to home without ever using. Old sports kit, spare crockery and boxes of cables often fall into this group. If you did not need them in the last home, you probably will not need them in the next. Kitchen cupboards are another place where surprising amounts hide. Only take what you cook with, and let the rest go.
Keepsakes and sentimental objects deserve more time. Choose the ones that mean the most, and photograph the rest if you like. A single box of memories per person is usually enough for a start. Do not rush these decisions at the last minute, or you may regret them later. Give yourself a quiet afternoon just for this.
Fix a date by which the sorting must be done, well before the packing starts. Then pack only what remains, room by room, and label each box. You will be amazed at how much easier the day feels. The new home begins with a clear head and room to breathe. And the things that stayed behind will be useful to someone else.
