Moving 101: Embrace decluttering during a move

You’ve finally found your ideal house or apartment in your dream neighborhood and have already researched the best movers in New York City. Now it’s time to tackle all the stuff you’ve been buying and collecting throughout the years and decide what to keep.

Decluttering and organizing belongings is, for some people, a real chore, while for others, it is almost therapeutic. If you’re moving, it is unavoidable, no matter how you feel like it.

The question is — how important is it to declutter before or after you move?

Decluttering Is Crucial Either Way — But It’s Usually Better to Do It Before Your Move.

Buying or renting a new property may be a pivotal point in your life. Nevertheless, the decluttering you are about to face is the most critical part of your move. Whether you decide to do it before or after, it will set a certain tone for the move itself. Whichever you choose, it will somewhat disrupt your life, one way or another.

One of the most common reasons people decide to organize and declutter their belongings before the move is to save time. If you start packing weeks before the move, you’ll actually have time to sift through your belongings carefully.

All that’s really left to do once you move all the items is to distribute them around the house or apartment. Voilà — your new life at your brand new property can start immediately!

Expect Less Anxiety and Procrastination.

If you declutter before you move, procrastination is unlikely to get the better of you. You won’t have to jump over boxes or keep moving them from room to room as you take your sweet time to set up your home. Instead, you’ll be enjoying your new space from the very start completely clutter-free.

Another significant benefit to pre-move decluttering is that you could save a lot of money on the move itself. The more belongings you have, the pricier (and more overwhelming) the move will be.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. If you want to take everything with you, you’ll probably spend a lot more on additional packing supplies than expected. In retrospect, this may seem wasteful if you’re only going to get rid of some of your stuff later on.

In the end, remember that decluttering before a move is a bit like ripping a bandaid. It might be uncomfortable and unpleasant as you know it will take a lot of time and require you to make some hard decisions.

Once you go through it, though, you’ll get to enjoy your new place without any major anxiety or tension. The purging process can be incredibly cathartic, so it could just make the whole move seem less intimidating and more satisfying!

Why Would Anyone Want to Declutter After the Move?

If decluttering before a move is such a great idea, why would anyone consider organizing their belongings afterward?

The usual answer is that life happens. Even though you know it is important, you may not have time to painstakingly declutter all your stuff because of your job and other obligations. Other times, you may be in a rush to get to the new place or want to sell your stuff and are eager to research all the options carefully.

Couples May Want to Wait Until the Move’s Done.

In other cases, decluttering after a move may be the smarter choice, e.g., when you’re moving in with your partner. The main advantage here is that you can both take part in the process once you’re at the same location.

Doing so beforehand may be tricky as you probably won’t know what would fit in your new home. Better yet, you may have some stuff that your partner would love to have and use. Alas, they may not get a chance if you get rid of them while decluttering before the move.

In essence, decluttering after a move is vital for people who want to have a better overview of the new place before they get rid of stuff. Time is also usually of the essence. If someone is just too busy before a move to curate their home decor and belongings beforehand, it makes more sense to just ship the stuff to the new location and start the decluttering process there.

When in Doubt — Do Both!

Decluttering before or after a move is another form of self-care that could make the whole moving process a bit easier on you. The choice, however, is entirely up to you.

The great thing about decluttering is that you don’t have to settle for just one option. You can ensure that your new home is as streamlined as possible by doing a bit of decluttering before and after the move.

For example, start by packing everything you know you want to keep or sell in separate boxes. Everything else that you’re not sure of can be packed away in other boxes. You can sift through those once you’re ready to unpack.

In the end, remember that decluttering is crucial to having your life in order and living it to the fullest. Not feeling weighed down by unnecessary belongings is a fantastic way to start a new chapter at your new place. That said, it will undoubtedly feel incredible even if you have to organize it all once you’re already there!