Moving house: How to let it go and declutter

If it’s broken, let it go

We all hold on to treasured or useful items that break, thinking we’ll fix them one day. Give them away. Your local men’s shed will enjoy fixing broken appliances, furniture, toys and bikes; they will then donate them to the needy.

Baby steps

Clearing out the clutter might not be something you can finish in a day, so set objectives and work towards them.

• Dedicate a weekend to sorting through the garage or storage areas, making space to store things you do decide to keep.
• Start working on one room at a time. Continue working through each room in dedicated timeslots over the next week or month, depending on your schedule.

Call a friend

You might have attachments to your treasures, but it’s quite likely family and friends don’t share those same binding ties. Invite a sibling or friend over to help you go through and clear out a room.

Establish an agreement of trust: you will honour their advice to let go of things that no longer serve a purpose, and they will listen if you can make a strong enough case for an item. Be sure to have clear guidelines for exactly what constitutes a ‘strong-enough case’, and limit the number of wild cards you’re allowed to use.

Have a plan

Does your home have a particular style? If not, what would you like it to be? Knowing the kind of space you want to create will help you identify the things you will keep or let go.

Anything that doesn’t fit with your new plans can either go to a local charity store, or fetch a few dollars on Gumtree or eBay. List valuable items, such as that antique furniture you’ve inherited which doesn’t fit with your home decor, with a renowned auction house so it goes to an appreciative buyer.

Sort by threes

The age-old sorting system of ‘keep’, ‘throw’ and ‘donate/sell’ boxes never fails. Work your way through each room, taking out the ‘throw’ box straight away. Put ‘donation’ items in the car so they’re out of your house. Place the ‘sale’ items in a designated place and get them sold without procrastinating – the sooner you do, the sooner you will see your space clear and your bank balance increase.

Once you’ve cleared your home of clutter, use the lessons you’ve learnt to keep it to a minimum in your new home.