It's no secret that moving is a stressful experience, but taking steps to declutter your home before moving day will streamline the process and make things go much smoother. This way, you'll have fewer items to pack and can start fresh in your new home with a more efficient and scaled-down household. Before you start packing up and hauling boxes into the moving truck, leave plenty of time to declutter and downsize. Below are a few tips to help you simplify before moving day.

How to Declutter Before Moving

1. Sort Carefully

While it may be tempting to get rid of boxes, bags, or containers you haven't opened in years, it's always a wise idea to open them up and sort through the contents. Essential items that you don't want to discard, like legal documents, mementos, family heirlooms, and photographs, could be tucked away inside. As you sort, put things into one of three piles: a keep pile, a donation pile, and a pile for hauling to the junkyard.

2. Go Room by Room

For many people, the idea of sorting through an entire house can be so overwhelming that they're intimidated to even begin. However, don't feel the need to do everything at once and go one room at a time. This is where time management is essential. Leave yourself several days to do the sorting and decluttering, devoting one day to each room in the house. Take breaks throughout, work at a steady and unfrenzied pace, and enlist family members and friends to help.

3. Check Expiration Dates

All foods have a shelf life, so when you reach the kitchen during your sorting and decluttering, check the expiration date of every item in the cupboard, refrigerator, and pantry. Toss out anything that is past its use-by date. Toiletries in the bathroom typically don't have expiration dates, but unused grooming products can discolor, crust over, or lose their scent. Do a visual and scent inspection of each, and if it has an unsavory look or smell, or if it's a product that hasn't been in regular use in the last few months, throw it away.

Junk Gone Today provides junk hauling for homes and businesses throughout Northeast Ohio. Since 2011, they have been an area leader in hauling and junk removal, debris cleanup, estate clean-outs, and yard waste pickup services. They can help you leave your house in excellent condition and clear out unwanted items that you don’t need to take with you during the big move! They are available 24/7 and offer both same-day and next-day removals. Call (216) 269-5555 or visit them online to schedule an appointment today.