Moving to a new home can be exciting and challenging at the same time. Most people are surprised by how much stuff they have managed to accumulate over the years, especially once they start clearing out foundations, attics, cabinets, closets, and pantries. However, before you start to feel exhausted and overwhelmed, you can take advantage of the following tips to get a truly fresh start in your new home.
Implement the two-year rule
Aside from old family photos and other sentimental items, most of the things you haven’t taken out and appreciated or used in two years probably won’t be used at all. As such, there is no feasible or good reason for you to hold on to them. These things are taking up space in your current residence and will not provide any additional benefit in your new home. These may include:
– Old board games that the family has outgrown.
– Clothes that no longer fit you
– Clothes or furniture that need serious repairs
– Print publications such as dated magazines and newspapers that you have no intention of reading again
Throwing these things away will make you feel lighter and much less stressed. This will not only limit the amount of clutter in your life, but it will also decrease the size of the load you have to carry when transporting your belongings. This can also lead to a significant reduction in your overall moving costs, especially if you are using professional movers.
Go-Digital
There are many tangible things that people transport and store, even though there is absolutely no value in having them. For example, you might have a smart TV and streaming services, but still keep your massive DVD collection. With an expansive and always accessible digital movie library, these movies are taking up unnecessary space. Think about selling them, narrowing your collection down to a few limited-release or favorite movies, or simply giving them away. You can also start scanning old photos, important documents, and other things that won’t lose any intrinsic or sentimental value as a result of the conversion.
inspect your furniture
Transporting furniture from one house to another is a very expensive task, especially for those who move long distances. Unfortunately, however, these efforts rarely pay off. In the hands of even the most talented and experienced movers, outdated items that were on the verge of falling apart at the start of a move will be noticeably less attractive and less functional afterwards. It’s usually cheaper and better to just replace these things rather than haul them out. This is true for items that have wobbly legs, missing hardware, broken shelves and drawers, or an overall shabby look.
While you may part with a number of things at the beginning of your move, this will give you both the space and the motivation to create a whole new environment in your new home. This is the ideal way to start absolutely fresh. You can use furniture rental services, local consignment stores, and many other platforms and vendors to build your living environment at a pace that works for you.