How to declutter and live minimally for moving house?
In January I, like many others, always decide I need a day to declutter to live a more minimalistic life. It never works out well though as I am such a hoarder! So far this year I have sorted out most of the kitchen and I’ve been very ruthless.
So many mugs I didn’t need have now found a new home and I have sorted out my food cupboards. The next few weeks will be making food that uses up things that I have had in the cupboard for ages. Particularly rice, somehow I have bags and bags of the stuff!
What is the difference between hoarding and having clutter?
We all have our own little collections of things that we can’t bring ourselves to part with. However, whether this is having a bit of extra clutter or hoarding is another matter.
Hoarding and having clutter may seem similar, but there are significant differences between the two. Clutter is common, and most people have it to some degree. It is usually manageable, and most people will organize or discard it with the help of a company like Waste Removal USA when necessary.
On the other hand, hoarding is a disorder and a more severe problem. People who hoard have difficulty parting with possessions, even though they are no longer useful or valuable.
In addition, hoarding can lead to dangerous living conditions, such as fire hazards, structural damage, and health risks. If you or someone you know has a hoarding problem, it’s important to seek help from a mental health professional.
Breaking the hoarding habit and decluttering can be a daunting task, but it’s necessary to prevent further damage to one’s mental and physical health. It’s never too late to start clearing out the excess and living a more functional and stress-free life.
10 of the most popular things people hoard unnecessarily
Ten of the most popular things people tend to hoard are:
- Newspapers
- Magazines – unless you have a child who will cut them up and do some kind of activity with them in the next week or two, bin them!
- Clothes – Why not sell clothes instead of keeping clothes that do not fit? The easiest way is usually using Paypal for selling safely.
- Plastic bags – yes, they cost money, but do you need hundreds?
- Empty food containers – Chinese takeaway containers. I am looking at you!
- Old electronics – if you do not know what the wire does then you do not need it!
- Books – will you actually read it?
- Socks – how many pairs actually get worn?
- Toiletries – If you won’t use it get rid of it, the money has already been wasted, that won’t change just because it sits unused on the shelf!
- Food – Have weeks where you buy the very minimal so that you can use up the food you have hoarded; no one needs 10 cans of baked beans or 6 bags of coffee beans!
Why you should do some decluttering?
I love Marie Kondo’s minimalist living idea of getting rid of things that do not bring you joy. If only I could be more ruthless in that! There is no reason that you should only declutter when you move house, though.
Think of when you last moved house. How much stuff did you get rid of? How much did you leave in bags and boxes after you moved and never touched them again?
Instead of waiting until you move and then looking at all the stuff you have, wondering if you can get an affordable rubbish removal service to take all the clutter to your new house, just sort it now.
Even if you have no plans to move, why live cluttered in the meantime? You don’t need lots of clutter for a house to be homely! It makes your life easier, and you’ll spend less time cleaning. Who doesn’t like living simply?
Living minimally
Maybe by starting to live more minimally, you will find you don’t even need to consider moving house as you create space. It is incredible how much space you can make by removing things you do not need, making the things that give it character stand out.
I have done most of my kitchen, so the next step is my lounge. I have an added incentive here as we want a new carpet.
The more I can get rid of the more I won’t have to move when we get the new carpet! At the same time, I might get some new curtains and ensure I don’t keep the current ones hoarded “just in case!
How do you decide how many old bills, letters and bank statements to keep? Do you shred everything before you chuck it out? That is going to be my next task; it will be worth it, though.
Maybe I should find someone with a hamster who can use all the shredded paper! Keep important papers like bills and bank statements for six months before shredding them.
Other rooms
Do you even hoard in your bathroom? I do. I have so many shampoos and such that I have bulk-bought at a far faster rate than I use them.
Theoretically, in my decluttering, I should also have a month or two where I spend less as I use all the things I discover I have or donate them to the food bank! Your cupboards will soon be clutter-free for a more minimalist lifestyle.
What do you hoard? Do you have boxes of stuff from your last house move that have never seen the light of day? I moved in with Stuart 3.5 years ago and have a few boxes like that still, so they really should go. I also need to get Ben’s baby clothes out and part with lots more.
There are some I want to keep for sentimental reasons, but I am pretty sure that does not have to be a whole suitcase full!
Do you think you need to move house? Why not declutter your home and see if you still need to move?
