Clean Out Tips for When You’re Downsizing
Although it can be hard to say goodbye to a longtime home, there is no reason for downsizing to be a negative experience – You should look at this move as an opportunity to eliminate junk & begin a fresh start in a new home! If you’re moving from a large house to a smaller one, it may be difficult to determine what items you want to keep and what to do with the ones you no longer want. Here’s our guide to cleaning out when you are downsizing!
Re-Home Your Items
Sometimes items you decide to get rid of will still have lots of life left in them. It is always nice to offer these secondhand items to new owners – Most of us genuinely appreciate a good hand-me-down! But if you can’t seem to find a new home for something promptly during your clean out, don’t let the item continue to sit around. A good rule of thumb for a still useful item is offer it to someone who could benefit, but if they don’t make plans to pick it up within a day or two, move it along with a junk removal or donation service.
Be Realistic
Sure, you might start knitting someday with that pile of yarn – But how long have you been saying that for, and letting the items continue to collect dust? Clean out your belongings according to your current lifestyle, not the one you wish you had. It’s okay if you don’t like to cook! That’s a great reason to cut down on space by slimming down your kitchenware collection. If there are less people living in your home now, do you really need the extra set of dishware, or is one enough? Consider the factors to your lifestyle when cleaning out.
Give Yourself Time
Cleaning out before a move can be an arduous and emotional process. After years of collecting items in one dwelling, there is probably A LOT to go through, and many of your items carry sentimental value. Just because it is time to get rid of something doesn’t mean it’s not hard to say goodbye! To eliminate potential stress, avoid starting too close to your move out deadline, and allow yourself time to decide what will be important and useful for your new smaller space.
Leave Junk Removal to the Professionals
It is a given that downsizing will mean eliminating a lot of junk. Save yourself countless trips to the dump by hiring a professional junk removal service to take your unwanted items. Your junk will be properly disposed of, and you will have time to do more important things, like packing for your move!