How to declutter and pack for a house move

As the purchase of our new home goes ahead (slowly), I’ve already started packing. This may seem a little premature, but for me, I wanted to pack slowly and gradually instead of panic packing a few days before the big move.

Personally, I think it’s a waste of time and effort to store items that you don’t want to take to the new house. You’ll only pack them, move them and then throw them out after a couple of weeks. This is where I decided that I would declutter and pack at the same time.

 

When should you start packing to move?

You should start packing to move as soon as possible. This could be as soon as you’ve sold your house and had an offer accepted on another one. I wouldn’t advise leaving the packing until you’ve exchanged, as this will be stressful.

Obviously there are certain items that can’t be packed months in advance. You need your cutlery and crockery, your clothes and shoes, even some books to keep you going until moving day.

Therefore, if you do decide to start packing a long way in advance, only pack the things you don’t really need or use. This could include home decor, artwork, throws, kitchenware that only comes out once a year (like cake stands, teapots and serving platters), etc.

The reason that packing should be done slowly is so you have time to really think about whether you’ll be taking every item. You should sort out as you pack and create piles for keep, bin and charity.

On that note, how exactly do you go about decluttering your home before moving?

 

How to declutter your home before moving

I started not even with one room at a time, but with one cupboard at a time.

First, I tackled the china in the upcycled sideboard in our dining. This china literally never leaves the cupboard. I absolutely love my teapot set, but it’s never been used and acts more as decoration than anything else. This is why I decided to pack this unit up first.

   

I took out every single item from the unit and placed it on the dining table. For each item, I thought about whether I liked it or not, whether it would eventually get used and if it’s something I can visualise in the new house. If the answer to these three is YES, it gets kept and packed. If the answer is NO, it can go in the ‘Get Rid’ pile.

Once you have the items packed that you want to keep, it’s time to tackle the bin pile. Some things will be perfectly acceptable to give to charity, and if you are able to do this you should. However, there may be some items that are just not salvageable or likely to be wanted by anyone. These can go in the actual bin pile.

You may find, like me, that your bin pile gets pretty big pretty quickly. I love a good sort out and can be brutal when it comes to deciding what doesn’t quite make the cut.

Continue to declutter one cupboard/wardrobe/drawer at a time until you have a complete bin pile of items you’re happy to say arrivederci to.

Once I’d done this unit, I packed up most of the kitchen (par plates, cutlery, pans), and the spare bedroom. I’m sure we all have a drawer where junk mail, old cables and a myriad of pens get thrown, so these kind of drawers are a good place to start.

For any paper that contains confidential information, I’d recommend shredding it instead of recycling or binning it.

Now that you’ve got enough items in the bin pile, it may be worth having a rubbish removal firm such as Clearabee get rid of it for you. You can simply choose a collection day and they will collect it for you.

Over 95% of their collected items is diverted away from landfill, making this option environmentally friendly too. I hate the idea of throwing unwanted objects in the bin, knowing that they can leave your house, but just end up somewhere else in the country without being recycled or reused somehow.

Alternatively, for larger piles or for those getting rid of big items, you may instead benefit from a service such as SKIPBAG. Simply order it, fill it and request that it’s picked up within six months.

This service might also be beneficial if you’re moving into a new home and want to immediately crack on with some renovation work.

Other ways to get rid of clutter include eBay, Facebook Marketplace, charity, giving to friends or family and car boot sale.

 

How to pack for moving house

Now I’ve determined that you need to declutter as you pack, how do you actually go about packing?

Firstly, you need to figure out where the boxes will go once they’re packed, particularly if you’re like me and you start packing months in advance.

You don’t want the boxes to get in the way, as they could stay there for weeks. I dedicated a corner of my dining room as box territory.

   

My logic was that I don’t want to be traipsing up and down the stairs on moving day. By putting the boxes in the back of the house downstairs, they can be taken out of the back door and into the removal van at the front. Easy.

Finding enough boxes and storage containers can also be tricky. You need to leave enough time to source these items before you can start packing. Ask friends or family to keep any big boxes they get from deliveries. It may also be worth going to your local shop or supermarket and asking if they have spare boxes. They’ll likely give these away for free, as it’ll clear up space and save them sorting out disposals.

As I’ve said, start with the items you don’t really use. There are a lot of belongings you won’t be able to pack until much nearer the time, and there isn’t a lot you can do about this.

   

For every box you pack, make sure you label it precisely. I’ve been adding labels like ‘Books and outdoor coats’ or ‘home decor and throws’. This makes it much easier when you get to the new property, as some boxes, such as ‘Bedding’ can go straight to a particular room.

It may be beneficial to include ‘fragile’ on the boxes too. This could be the ones filled with delicate items like champagne flutes or even just one that has items meaningful to you in it.

Remember that not everything has to go in a box. You may be able to remove the drawers from a chest of drawers unit, put the carcass in the removal van and then put the drawers back in. Sometimes, it isn’t worth wasting your time packing items that can be moved like this.

Small objects, like screws from the bed frame, should be attached to the item with cello tape to keep them together.

 

What to pack first when moving house

I would start by packing the items you don’t need. If you’re moving house in summer, pack your winter clothes. If you have two bathrooms, pack up the things in the smallest one. Home decor accessories, throws, pillows, table settings, these can all be packed months in advance.

I had over 350 books in my office, so I packed most of these, decluttering as I went, leaving around 10-15 books not packed that I want to read now.

   

How to pack boxes when moving house

Another aspect of packing involves making sure the items you do pack will arrive safe and sound at the new property. Things should be packed logically (e.g. no heavy items on top of light ones) and with enough protective wrapping, like newspaper or bubble wrap.

Smaller boxes can be used for heavy items and large boxes for those light, but bulky belongings. Most of my really big boxes will be half full of books. To make sure these don’t get too heavy or break, I’ve filled the other half with throws or spare bedding. Not only does this mean the box stays easy to carry, but the light items can help to protect the books.

Finally, think about how certain items might slot together instead of just chucking everything in. It’s like a giant game of Tetris.

 

This all sounds pretty complicated and time consuming, but believe me, decluttering and packing at the same time will save you a lot of time and effort on the other end of the house move. You’ll have less items to unpack and everything will be super organised.