Moving Truck

A great way to clear out, de-clutter and repair items around your work or around the house is to put yourself in a moving truck – you’re moving in your mind.  It’s a great way to see your surroundings in a whole different light.  Here’s my experience:

Experience 1:  Spruce it up.  Walk into your office and look around objectively.  What do you need to do to make it the most attractive, efficient workspace?  Same thing goes at home.  What would you need to do to prepare your home for sale?  If you need inspiration, check out http://www.houzz.com.  Make a list and start the repairs, refreshing and organizing.

Experience 2:  Be a buyer.  If you were a buyer and looking at your house or your office, what would you see?  Arrange your stuff in your office and at home as if you were having an open house.  What is most appealing?  What would you get rid of?  Remember that buyers look in drawers and closets – open each up and see what they would see.  Neat and organized works, stuffed full does not.

Experience 3:  Cost of moving.  Pretending that you’re moving is an eye opener.  Take it a step further and realize the cost of moving is based on the number of boxes you will move and/or the weight of each box.  Ask yourself, is it really worth moving?  Put a price on each potential box – say $1,000 (a bit on the high side) – is your “stuff” worth moving?  Pass on those things that others can benefit from, that you don’t really need.

Experience 4:  Storage.  I’ve known many people who rent a storage unit, only to forget what is in the storage unit.  Before renting a storage unit, decide how long you’ll rent it for.  It may be a good idea to have a storage unit, if you need a short term solution (e.g. saving furniture for a child who is getting their first apartment).  If you’re renting a storage unit as a long term parking lot, consider giving those items to charity.  Accumulating and holding onto things, without a purpose or because you might need them “someday”, clutters up your life and doesn’t allow for anything new.

Experience 5:  Empty.  Each week block off some time.  Take everything out of a drawer, closet or work cupboard – pick one per week.  Once you’ve completely emptied it out, put back only those things that you use or love.  For those items that don’t work, you don’t like or you never use, toss, re-gift or donate them.  You may be amazed what you’ll find hiding.  If you’re on the fence about keeping something, that’s a clue you don’t need it – let go and let someone else use it.  Remember that you don’t have to fill up all the space you have – this leaves room for the new.

What’s been your experience?  Have you moved lately?  What tricks do you have to keep from accumulating too much?  Leave your comments below.

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