Moving to a new home can be exciting and challenging at the same time. Most people are surprised by the amount of things they have managed to accumulate over the years, particularly once they start cleaning basements, attics, cabinets, closets, and pantries. However, before you start to feel exhausted and overwhelmed, you can take advantage of the following tips to make a fresh start in your new home.
Implement the two-year rule
Aside from old family photographs and other items of sentimental value, most of the things you haven’t taken out, appreciated, or used in two years will probably go unused at all. As such, there is no feasible or valid reason for you to keep them. These things are taking up space in your current residence and will not provide any additional benefits in your new home. These may include:
– Old board games that the family has left behind.
– Clothes that no longer fit
– Clothing or furniture that needs serious repairs.
– Print publications such as dated magazines and newspapers that you do not intend to read again
Throwing these things out will make you feel lighter and a lot less stressed. Not only will this limit the amount of clutter in your life, 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 use 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 may have a smart TV and streaming services, but continue to keep your huge DVD collection. With an expansive and always accessible digital movie library, these movies are taking up unnecessary space. Consider selling them, selecting your collection on a few favorite or limited-release movies, or just giving them away. You can also start scanning old photos, important documents and other things that will not lose intrinsic or sentimental value as a result of the conversion.
Inspect your furniture
Transporting furniture from one home to another is a very expensive task, especially for those who move long distances. Unfortunately, however, these efforts are rarely worth it. Even in the hands of the most talented and experienced removalists, dated items that were about to fall apart at the beginning of a move will be noticeably less attractive and less functional afterward. It’s usually cheaper and better to just replace these things rather than transport them. This is true for items that have shaky legs, missing hardware, broken shelves and drawers, or an overall threadbare appearance.
While you can detach yourself from 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 from scratch. You can use furniture rental services, local consignment shops, and many other platforms and vendors to build your living environment at the pace that seems right for you.
