Decluttering: Things You Need to Get Rid of Before a Move (VIDEO)
Moving into a new home should be exciting and a time for a fresh start. The move will usually make you realize how much junk you have accumulated over the years. Getting rid of all the unused junk that piles up in the back of our closets and cabinets should be the first thing that is thrown out. All the shoes and clothes you haven’t worn in years need to go. So do the old magazines that are only taking up space. We aren’t talking about getting rid of the things you don’t want, all the things you haven’t used in months and will likely use in the future needs to go. When it comes to deciding what stays and what goes you need to use the 3-purpose method: function, aesthetic or sentimental value.
Obviously, the vintage leather bag your great-grandmother gave you stays since it has sentimental value. But the random magazines from your favorite pop artist you used to listen to when you were a kid need to go. Some of the items are hard to get rid of we all know that but you probably won’t use the pair of shoes that are a size too small and have the rubber sole coming from being too old. Here are the most common this we like to hoard without knowing.
“Many people keep things because they think they just might use them in the future. But they never do,” says, Pablo Ferry a professional organizer from the beautiful city of Los Angeles, CA. “As humans, we have a habit of hoarding things that we might use but we never end up using. And this is what creates junk in our home,” says, Ferry.
1. Way Too Old Bed Sheets and Covers
We use our bed to sleep every night so the sheets and covers get washed over and over again. Over time they start to collect stains from exposure to sweat, oils, and dropped food that doesn’t come off anymore, so the question is “when was the last time you replaced your sheets and covers? On top of being a stain collecting bed sheet, the elastic starts to wear off and it starts looking saggy and old. When it’s time for the move all the unused sheets should go to the trash.
2. Old Unused Shoes
It is perfectly normal for us to start adding pairs of shoes to our personal collection over time but when is it enough? Enough is when you only wear 1-2 pairs but have 10 pairs sitting in the closet collecting dust. You should have a pair for each occasion, 1 for working out, 1 casual pair, and 1 for special occasions. There should be a reason for you to have 6 workings shoes in 6 different colors. But only use 1 pair. Podiatrists recommend replacing workout shoes every 2-3 years to avoid feet and back problems but also keep in mind when replacing your old shoes make sure to donate or throw away the old pair.
3. Cosmetics and Toiletries
Just like most things, skin and beautify products don’t last forever. When you move throw away all the old half-used products under the bathroom and kitchen sink. This isn’t just for the women, men also have toiletries too. Men usually hoard disposable shavers, shaving cream, and other miscellaneous items.
“90% of the bathroom drawers were being used by my girlfriend. And from all those products she only used 3 or 4,” says, Harris.
4. Clothes
We all like to wear new clothes especially when we start losing weight. But some of us will not get rid of the old clothes. It’s understandable that some clothes were too expensive to just throw away or donate, in that case, sell it on eBay. eBay is known for having a variety of items so your Tommy Hilfiger jackets and your GUESS vintage pair of jeans will get a new life with someone else while you get some cash back. Donating your clothes to Goodwill that you haven’t used in over 2 years is a great way to start. Some thrift stores like Savers thrift store will give you a 30% discount each time you donate.
5. Old Computers
With technology moving so fast old computers seem to be in almost every home. The most common reason why folks don’t want to get rid of an old computer is because of the data that gets saved in the hard drives. It’s understandable but that old computer is also taking up a lot of space in your home. Just like your clothes you could sell them online to get a few extra bucks. As long as you remember to remove and replace the hard drive.
