Should It Stay or Should It Go? | Journey Home Lending

Are you in the home-buying process, considering the home-buying process or finished with the home-buying process and ready to move? Whatever your situation, decluttering is a task you will find yourself facing as you continue to move forward.

In reality, even if you have lived in the same home for 20 years and have no plans of buying a new one, decluttering is still a task you endlessly find yourself facing.

Choosing what you are keeping to move into your new home can be challenging. In some instances, a new home might make you feel ready for a completely new start, furniture and all. Or you may be downsizing to smaller square footage, which might make your selection process a little easier.

Even if everything in your home holds a precious memory for you, cleaning out or packing things away for storage may be necessary in order to live comfortably in your new home. Take a look at some common things you can declutter as you move forward in your journey.

Why Declutter?

Decluttering, or simply packing away unused items to store, can help make your move, adjusting to your space and unpacking easier. In many instances, it can also lower your moving expenses, particularly if you are letting go of some big items.

Simplifying your belongings can also be good for your mental health. Clutter has been shown to affect anxiety levels, your ability to sleep well, focus and productivity. So, while you are in the midst of what can be an already-stressful process of buying, selling and moving into a new home, the more you can do to keep your calm, the better.

Easy Ways to Sort It Out

Once you have decided to clear out some of your possessions, the easiest way to start is by asking yourself a few questions:

1. How Many Do I Have? Sorting out multiples is one the best places to get started on your decluttering journey. Whatever the item is, consider how many you actually use in a day or week. Keep what you need and let the rest go.

2. When Was the Last Time I Used That? If you haven’t worn a piece of clothing in a year, or you never reach for any of those mugs anymore, they could be better loved in someone else’s home. Add anything you haven’t used for a while to a donation pile and smile at how happy you will be making someone else.

3. Will It Fit? If you haven’t already done so, take measurements of the rooms in your new home and plot out how your current furniture will fit in each room. If there just isn’t space for an item, consider how you can downsize to eliminate rather than replace that item. Clothing, towels or other linens could be kept under beds, or coats could shift into a closet not in the bedroom.

Getting rid of things isn’t always the easiest thing to do, but if you let the excitement of a new space wash over you, it can ease the sting of parting ways with your less-than-loved items. Convincing kiddos to thin out their belongings can be especially challenging. While you pack, remember your patience. Hear your family members out when they are making their case for an item they want to keep. Check into storage totes that could help you store items you can’t part with but don’t need displayed anymore.

Whatever you can do to make your space feel like home, you should do it. Just don’t be afraid to do it with fewer items.

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