Moving is a remarkable milestone—it marks the beginning of your new life in a new home. Maybe it also means a new job, relationship, or family member. Maybe it means a new natural environment with foreign trees and oddly shaped clouds. Yes, there’s no denying the emotional importance of a fresh start.

3 children sitting on gray couch

However, this fresh start can be hindered by bringing too much from your old life into the new home. A big part of moving should always be going through your possessions with care and integrity and deciding what to keep, what to throw away, and what to donate to charity.

The following will break down how you can purge your unnecessary items to help make your move and your new life easier. The goal here is to get rid of anything and everything that you don’t want or need in the next phase of your life.

Develop A Donation Plan

Before you start sorting through everything, figure out where you can donate items and develop a plan for doing it. Maybe move all the items for donation to the trunk of your car as soon as you’re done sorting for the day. This way, you can drop them off as you pass by the donation center every Saturday when you go to visit your sister.

Think About Garbage

You’re also going to want to develop a strategy for tossing things out. You’re likely going to have too much (and things of irregular sizes) for a standard garbage day. This leaves you the option of renting a dumpster or taking items to the dump yourself. If renting a dumpster, you’ll have a giant bin dropped off outside your house that you can fill up. It will be taken away at a later date.

If you go this route, search for a local dumpster rental as you’ll get better prices this way. For example, if you’re in Cherokee County, Georgia, you’re going to Google search: dumpster rental in Cherokee County. Make sure to compare prices and inquire about any additional fees or permits. Opting for a local dumpster rental can indeed save you money and provide more convenience. On the other hand, those who live in Wilmington DE, or the surrounding area should be able to get a good deal on renting a dumpster from this dumpster rental company in Wilmington DE for their moving needs.

If you decide to take items to the dump yourself, make sure you know you can fit items in your vehicle. Typically a dump weighs your vehicle on the way in and the way out and charges you by the weight of what you dropped off.

Minimize Clothing

Getting rid of clothes seems to be one of the hardest things for people. We assume that one day we’ll need the item, so we hang onto it. Or we were wearing something during an important memory. Here are some steps to help you get rid of clothing:

  • Throw out anything torn or sock with holes in them
  • Donate anything that doesn’t fit
  • Donate anything you haven’t worn this year
  • Five pairs of shoes are plenty
  • You don’t need more than two weeks worth of undergarments
  • Donate anything you don’t like
  • Donate anything that was a gift from your ex

The Bathroom

Oddly, things tend to pile up in the bathroom. Look for the following items and see what you can get rid of.

  • Throw away makeup you don’t use or is expired (yes, makeup expires, if you can’t remember when you got it—get rid of it)
  • Toss out expired medicines
  • Throw away torn towels
  • The shampoos and soaps you have but don’t like to use can go

Tackling The Kitchen

The kitchen is another area where we can accidentally end up with a lot of clutter. Here are some kitchen tips:

  • Throw out anything that is cracked or chipped
  • Toss out containers without lids and lids without containers
  • Donate any duplicates (you don’t need four measuring cup sets)
  • Donate appliances you don’t use
  • Throw away any scratched Teflon pots or pans (this is horrifically toxic for you, and you shouldn’t be eating food cooked in scratched Teflon ever)
  • Throw away aluminum cooking appliances—these are also terrible for you (and linked to alzheimer’s disease)—we’re sorry if you love your rice cooker, but if it’s aluminum, it’s literally poisoning you
  • Throw out anything broken or rusted

Children’s Toys

We could feel your heart breaking from here. This one is crazy difficult, but it has to be done. It will make your life easier because there will be less cleaning up and less potential mess, but it will also teach your children how to parse through things.

  • Toss out anything broken or torn
  • Donate anything they don’t play with weekly
  • Donate anything no longer age-appropriate
  • Think about which toys take up space
  • Set a stuffed animal limit and stick to it

The above list should help you sort through some of the bigger culprits for clutter in the home. Yes, this can be a painful experience at times, but once it’s gone, you’re going to feel so much lighter, and your new home is going to stay a lot tidier.

Published by HOLR Magazine.

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