Monday, May 9, 2011

Don't Pack It, Attack It!

By Brian Hodson


Moving to affordable self-storage or to a new home is a terrific time to get rid of unwanted things. Eliminating clutter before packing is an often-overlooked but crucial part of the moving process. It's very important to determine which items belong in the new house and which should be left behind. Take into consideration whether you'll have more or less space and whether or not the new rooms will be serving the same purpose as the old ones.

Decluttering your house results in a lot more than just the satisfaction of a job well done. You'll also be rewarded with less packing, a streamlined move, and peace of mind. You'll even find that you have more time for fun activities like dinner parties and family gatherings, because you won't have to devote so much energy to making your house look presentable.

Shred old receipts and other papers that no longer need to be kept on hand. Most documents only need to be retained for from one to three years, while a few, such as tax records, should be kept for up to seven years. Check with local and governmental agencies to find out how long each type of document should be kept on hand.

Start the decluttering process early. This not only gives you time to do a thorough job, but you can also post items for sale online and hold a garage sale. You may not be moving again for a long time, so take the opportunity to really pare things down to the essentials, and pick up some pocket change in the process.

Helping others is a powerful motivator. As you sort through your belongings, set aside items that can be donated to charities such as homeless shelters and other worthy causes.

A great trick for getting rid of all those do-it-yourself articles and project ideas that you can't quite bear to part with is to use a scanner to save them in digital form. They won't be taking up any space, but you'll still have them handy.

Knowing that items you no longer use will be supporting a good cause and/or contributing to the family finances helps make it easier to let go of those items, and to approach the project with a positive attitude. It may take a bit of work, but it will be well worth the effort.




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