Take or Toss: Follow This Chart for the Best
Move Ever
By |
Clearing out clutter before a move can feel
overwhelming, but with a few expert tips, it can be painless. Really!
If your belongings are taking up precious
square footage in your home, it may be time to re-evaluate whether
you really need everything you own before your next move. (More than one black
sweater? Possibly. Biology notes from freshman year? Probably not.)
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“If you’re vague about when you might use
something, you probably won’t,” says Lisa Zaslow, founder and CEO of Gotham
Organizers in New York. “By definition, ‘someday’ never actually arrives.”
Instead of stockpiling remnants of your life in the basement (or living room …
or bedroom …), follow these decluttering tips to organize your space once and
for all.
Go big
When you’re looking to get rid of stuff, start
with the big, bulky items first, says Zaslow. Doing so will free up space
quickly, and once you see how good getting organized feels, it may
motivate you to keep going.
Give it a gut check
“If you can’t decide whether to keep or toss
an item, ask yourself, ‘If I saw this in a store today, would I buy it?’ or ‘If
I were moving across the country, would I pay to take this with me?’” says
Stacey Platt, author of What’s a Disorganized Person to Do? If
the answer is no, toss it.
Embrace technology
Nowadays, you can find most things
online — including another copy of a book, DVD, or CD that you
regret parting with. “You can get [lots of] books online for under $5,” says
Zaslow, who also recommends selling your books on Bookscouter.com. “And aren’t
you streaming all of your media these days anyway?”
Say so long to swag
That beer koozy with the logo of a software
company you interned with 10 years ago? T-shirts with now-defunct corporations
on them? Or the countless cheap nylon bags these freebies often come in? Into the garbage
bin they go.
“Most of this stuff isn’t worth donating and
no one will buy them in a thrift shop,” says Zaslow.
Consider an item’s afterlife
Your old living room couch isn’t doing anyone
any good collecting dust in your basement, but it could be just what a college
grad furnishing their first apartment is looking for. “Furniture doesn’t age like
fine wine,” says Zaslow. “Give it away now, while it’s still usable,
to someone who needs it. Ditto old electronics or appliances.”
But let yourself be somewhat sentimental
Photos and memorabilia can be the hardest
stuff to let go of, so start the process by corralling all of them in a box.
Then go through them 30–60 minutes at a time, says Zaslow. If you’re unsure
whether to part with an item, give yourself a decide-by date and revisit it
then. Your decision may be clearer. And your house will inevitably be cleaner!
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