How Decluttering and Organizing Helps Make Moving Stress-Free
As a long-time LA resident, you more than likely know how hectic and fast life can get. Now, imagine having to move in the middle of that hullabaloo. Sure, you can get the best movers in Los Angeles, you can get your friends to help out, and you might still run into problems. And during the move, by far the most common problems you tend to run into involve trying to pack properly.
Simply put, we all live in a big mess. If that big mess is taking over your home and making you feel claustrophobic, it’s called clutter. So, removing the said clutter will help your move progress swimmingly. In other words, before you start to pack, you need to declutter and organize.
Some people are on the fence about that, however. After all, decluttering involves a lot of extra work, and moving is already stressful. Well, what if we told you that decluttering actually comes with a lot of benefits that result in a stress-free move? This article actually covers some of the key ways in which getting rid of clutter and organizing your move can help you breeze through the whole process.
Benefits of Decluttering and Organizing
Saving Time and Moving Things Along Smoothly
It’s impossible to say with any accuracy how many possessions an average American citizen owns. The most common statistic is that of 300,000 items, but not even official studies recognize that number as legitimate. Nevertheless, even if your household has a modest estimate of 2,000 items, that’s a lot of stuff to pack. And a huge chunk of those items includes the ones you simply do not use, such as:
- Old clothes and shoes
- Empty containers
- Unused dishes
- Gadgets and gadget accessories (e.g., earbuds, old USB flash disks, etc.)
- Useless knick-knacks and objets d’art
- Old toys and board games
- Busted furniture.
So, by getting rid of everything you don’t need, you can actually save time on packing. In fact, having fewer items in your home than usual during the move also makes it much easier to organize and sort.
Saving Money
Movers will transport exactly what you tell them to, and, depending on the type of service you choose, they’ll also pack and/or unpack anything. However, their fee will vary depending on the amount of work they have to do. To put it simply, the more stuff you want to take with you, the more you will have to pay the movers for packing, transporting, and unpacking.
By reducing the number of items you take with you, you’ll save a lot of money on your moving estimates. But you’ll also, ironically enough, be helping the movers. Yes, they might be earning less money by transporting fewer belongings, but they’ll also require fewer trucks and vans for transport and will exert less effort when packing or unpacking.
Getting Space
Stuff takes up space, so extra stuff takes up extra space (yes, a conclusion worthy of a Nobel prize, we agree). So, by decluttering and organizing, you’re actually solving the space issue in two important ways:
- Short-term
- Long-term.
The short-term solution is simple enough; when you get rid of stuff early on, you’ll have more room to move around and pack, and it will be easier to sort everything out. Conversely, the long-term strategy involves you organizing your living space for your future home. With less stuff to drag about, you can live a stress-free life in your new home.
Lifestyle Improvement
People who live a clutter-free lifestyle list a few key reasons for their decision. But by far, the most common one is simply feeling inspired and unstressed. By getting rid of clutter, you get lots of room to breathe, move about, and think clearly. Furthermore, it will make you feel more organized and more in control of your life. That’s why expert clinical psychologists recommend cleaning one’s room regularly.
A Health Boost
Clutter is an invitation to dust, grime, and harmful particles, and all of that can affect your physical health. Furthermore, as we mentioned earlier, when you live among the clutter, you can’t think clearly. Stress takes over, which leads to anxiety, depression, panic attacks, and other more serious conditions. So, if you want a sound mind and a healthy body, decluttering before the move (which is already stressful enough as it is) will do you good.
Helping the Community
Physical and psychological well-being is important, but don’t forget your moral well-being as well. If you happen to have a lot of extra items that you don’t need, maybe there’s someone less fortunate that could use them. So, once you have all of your clutter ready to be removed, contact a few charity organizations. Goodwill, the Red Cross, and the Salvation Army are decent places to start.
Earning on the Side
Naturally, if there are possessions that you don’t intend to donate, you can always try to sell them and earn some extra money before the move. You can approach the sales in two different ways. Firstly, try one of the online second-hand retailers like eBay or Craigslist, or any number of specialized websites that handle unwanted items. Selling them on social media is also a viable option.
Alternatively, organize a garage sale; your neighbors and anyone passing by can use some of your old items and might just be willing to pay for them. You can even go the extra mile for those friends that are helping you move and simply give them some items as compensation presents.
A Sense of Closure
Seeing a clutter-free, organized home before the move is a great motivator and the perfect way to end a chapter of your life. You will show great respect for your old home that sheltered you for years. Plus, the person who will move into the home after you will be satisfied when they see a clean, neatly organized space, and that can only earn good karma for both of you.
Decluttering and Organizing: Final Thoughts
Decluttering and organizing before the move sounds like extra work, mainly because it is. But it can be rewarding in so many different ways, to both you and the people around you. Therefore, don’t miss the opportunity to make your move stress-free and give your clutter some long overdo thinning-out.
