Moving Sucks Less When You Declutter Before the Big Day
Jun 11, 2025
There’s no sugarcoating it, moving can be chaotic, stressful, and exhausting. But you can eliminate a large chunk of that stress before the movers even arrive. The secret? Decluttering your home before the big day. Moving to a new home presents the perfect opportunity to lighten your load and reconsider what truly deserves space in your life.
Decluttering before packing up can transform what might otherwise be an overwhelming experience into a manageable and even refreshing one. Decluttering is a learned skill that gets better with practice, for reclaiming control, saving money, and starting fresh. Whether you’re downsizing, relocating across town, or moving across the country, a focused decluttering process can make your move dramatically smoother, and even a little therapeutic.
Why Decluttering Before a Move is Worth It
Taking the time to declutter before a move brings real benefits: financial, practical, and emotional.
- You’ll Save Money: Professional movers charge based on how much you’re moving. The more stuff you have, the more hours they’ll need and the more truck space you’ll pay for.
- You’ll Save Time and Energy: From packing to hauling to unpacking, fewer items mean less hassle. Decluttering before you box up even one room can shave hours or even days off your moving schedule.
- You’ll Start Fresh: Shedding old, unused, or unwanted items allows you to move into your new space with clarity and freedom, instead of clutter and regret.
How to Start: Decluttering the Right Way
Once you’ve committed to decluttering before your move, gathering the right supplies will streamline the process. Having everything on hand means you can sort, pack, and label without interruption, making the entire experience more efficient.
| Supply Type | Items Needed | Purpose |
| Sorting Supplies | Colored stickers, markers, sorting bins | Categorize items into keep, donate, sell, recycle, trash |
| Packing Materials | Boxes, bubble wrap, packing paper, tape | Safely contain and protect items you’re keeping |
| Labeling Tools | Labels, permanent markers, inventory sheets | Track contents and destination rooms |
| Organization Aids | Drawer dividers, small bins, vacuum bags | Keep similar items together while moving |
Don’t wait until the week before your move. Give yourself plenty of time to go through each room without pressure, ideally two to six months in advance, especially for larger homes.
Whether you’re moving or just trying to simplify your space, these practical tips can help you declutter more effectively:
- Start Small: Begin with easy categories like clothes.
- Avoid Sentimental Items at First: Save gadgets, books, and keepsakes for later.
- Stay Practical: Focus on what’s truly needed in your new space.
- Plan Ahead: A clear schedule helps reduce stress.
Here’s How to Get Going
Starting the decluttering process might seem daunting, but with a strategic approach, you can transform this overwhelming task into a manageable project.
- Start with Storage Areas First: Garages, attics, basements, and closets are often full of forgotten or rarely used items. These spaces are emotionally easier to declutter and help you build momentum.
- Use Sorting Categories: As you work, divide everything into five categories: Keep, Donate, Sell, Recycle, and Trash.
- Apply the One-Year Rule: Haven’t used it in a year? Odds are you won’t miss it.
Professional organizers consistently emphasize one crucial point: We always have way more stuff than we even imagine.
Room-by-Room Decluttering Guide
A room-by-room approach prevents overwhelm. Once you have decluttered the rooms that are less used, the storage areas, basements, or garages, tackle everyday spaces.
Kitchen
- Toss expired pantry items and half-used condiments.
- Let go of duplicate utensils, mismatched containers, and broken appliances.
- Donate unused cookbooks or specialty gadgets you rarely use.
Living Room
- Review your books, DVDs, old magazines, and decorative items.
- Furniture: Only keep what you love or need, especially if your new home has a different layout.
Bedroom
- Go through your closet and dresser drawers. Be honest: if it doesn’t fit, flatter, or feel right, let it go!
- Thin out extra bedding and linens you don’t use.
Bathroom
- Dispose of expired medications, old makeup, and nearly empty bottles.
- Reduce to one or two towels per person and toss ragged ones.
Kids’ Rooms
- Involve them in the process. Sort out outgrown clothes, toys, and books.
- Encourage donation to teach empathy and responsibility.
Office
- Digitize or shred outdated files and documents.
- Recycle non-functional electronics and unused office supplies.
Packing Tips That Support Your Decluttering Efforts
Once you’ve decluttered, packing becomes far easier and faster. Try these tips to stay organized and stress-free:
- Pack as You Go: When you decide to keep something, pack it right away instead of waiting until later.
- Use Color-Coded Labels for each room to make unpacking easier.
- Inventory Your Boxes: Create a simple spreadsheet or handwritten list. Label boxes with a number and jot down contents on your list.
- Schedule Donation Pickups: Organizations like Goodwill and Habitat for Humanity can pick up large donations. Just make sure to schedule well in advance.
Smart Decluttering: Balancing Practicality and Sentiment
Decluttering is about making space, but it’s also about making smart choices. While it’s important to be efficient, it’s equally important not to be overly ruthless and lose meaningful items you’ll later miss.
Key Tips for a Thoughtful Declutter
- Be Honest, Not Sentimental: Ask whether the item genuinely adds value to your life.
- Take Photos of Sentimental Items: A picture can preserve the memory without taking up space.
- Host a Moving Sale: Turn unused items into cash via Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp, or a garage sale.
- Declutter Digitally: Clean out files, photos, and old software, especially for home offices.
Avoid These Common Regrets
While decluttering can be freeing, take care not to make hasty decisions you might regret later, like these common pitfalls:
- Tossing sentimental books like high school yearbooks or childhood favorites (e.g., Harry Potter).
- Getting rid of old gaming hardware like the Nintendo 3DS, which could still bring joy.
- Decluttering too aggressively and losing irreplaceable pieces of personal history.
Why Decluttering Pays Off Long-Term
Taking the time to declutter before a move isn’t just helpful in the short term. It can make a lasting difference in your lifestyle and mindset:
- Most Discarded Items Aren’t Missed
After multiple moves, it’s clear that most things let go were never needed again, freeing up space without real loss. - Easier, Less Stressful Moves
Decluttering made big transitions, like long distance moves, much simpler with fewer boxes, smaller trucks, and less hassle. - Freedom to Live in Smaller Spaces
Downsizing to studios or compact homes became possible without feeling cramped, thanks to owning only what truly mattered. - Applying a “Studio Mindset” in a Larger Home
Even now in a two-bedroom with a toddler, the habit of keeping things minimal makes it easier to stay organized and handle daily chaos. - Decluttering Is a Learnable Skill
While it takes effort, the ability to let go gets easier with practice and the rewards increase with every move. - You’ll Be Grateful Later
Fewer belongings mean you’ll unpack faster, settle in with ease, and feel emotionally lighter. Best of all, everything you bring will have a purpose, creating a sense of order and calm in your new space.
Taking the time to declutter before your move pays off in more ways than one:
- You’ll unpack faster
- You’ll feel more in control
- You’ll settle into your new space with less baggage; literally and emotionally
And best of all? You’ll move into your new home knowing everything in it has a purpose. That feeling of lightness, order, and simplicity is worth every minute of prep time.
Let Go to Move Forward
Moving isn’t just a change of location. It’s a chance to reset. Decluttering helps you shed what’s behind you and walk into your n w space lighter, freer, and ready for what’s next.
Let Atlas Allied Help With the Rest
You’ve done the hard work of sorting and simplifying. Now let Atlas Allied handle the heavy lifting. At Atlas Allied, we specialize in local, long-distance, and international moves, complete with packing services, secure storage, and specialty item handling.
Don’t let clutter, or chaos, slow you down. Request a Free Moving Quote today and experience a smoother move with Atlas Allied.