Every expert out there will tell you that in order to prepare your home for sale, declutter. But whether you are moving out or moving in, you are going to need to move your stuff. In either case, it is wise to get rid of stuff you don’t need. This saves you money in moving expenses and maybe even a few chiropractor visits. Here is how to decide what to keep and what to toss when moving in Central Florida.
Closets and Clothing
One of the first places to start when moving is to go through closets for clothing that no longer fits you is in style or you simply won’t use. Depending on how large of a wardrobe you have, this task may take a good chunk of a day. A great way to do this methodically is to put all the clothing on your bed (or as much as you can fit in segments). First go through anything that is torn, stained or otherwise damaged. Just because it’s cute doesn’t mean you should wear it if it shrunk two sizes in the wash. Put this in the automatic toss pile which should really be a donate pile. Many donation centers will still recycle materials if the clothing itself isn’t able to be repurposed.
With what is left, take a look at what you love to wear and wear often. Return these items to the closet or dresser. Then start to go through the remaining items. The rule of thumb is if you haven’t worn in it six months, you probably won’t. The truth is some items are probably seasonal. So use judgment or grab a friend to help you make final decisions. For items that you decide to keep but aren’t going to use regularly, get a compression bag to store them and prepare them for the move. These are great to help you shrink bulky jackets or clothing.
Papers and Files
Papers and files can consume boxes and boxes of stuff in a move. Things like tax and medical records or documents such as work contracts or mortgage information often take up space. Consider what you no longer need. The IRS suggests keeping records for seven years in case of an audit though some people prefer to keep things for 10. This is up to you. But the old car or phone statements don’t need to make the trip with you. In fact, the file of bank statements probably doesn’t need to either. Most banks will send you up to two years of statements upon requests so lighten your load.
With the paper you are keeping, think about how you can condense it. Flash drives are great for storing tons of data. It might be worth paying your teenager for a days worth of work to scan and store the files on a flash drive and then shred the rest. Make a duplicate of the flash drive and put it in a safe deposit box or secondary storage area. This way you not only save space on files but have a backup in your first flash drive is lost or damaged.
Kitchen Tools
A kitchen is a place of many fun and interesting toys, especially for those who like to spend time cooking and trying new gadgets designed to save time or help with healthier eating habits. If you let the movers in, they’ll pack everything. But the reality is you probably don’t use half of the items in the kitchen. Most people try gadgets and realize they aren’t as effective as the old-=fashioned way. Other things break. You may have a hodgepodge of dishware because of breakage. Decide what you really want to move with and donate the rest or hold a yard sale.
Take the time to make sure you have all the pieces to things like mixers. Complete the sets of kitchen tools or hand appliances. Then look at what is left. You’ll be surprised how many extra pieces are laying around. In fact, Ikea may call asking for their extra parts back.