Declutter and Downsize Your Move

As you plan your move and itemize your valuables that you want to insure, you will probably have a growing mound of things that you won't be taking with you. Decluttering is a healthy byproduct of the moving process--especially if you are putting your home on the market. Most of us only use a fraction of our possessions, no matter how much fills our closets. In advance of moving day, move all of your least-used items into one room, and separate them into four piles: store, sell, donate, and trash. Reduce the size of your trash pile and sell valuable unwanted items on Craigslist or Ebay, donate useful items to charity, or look into recycling options, such as Freecycle. Here are some questions to ask yourself as you declutter your home:

• When was the last time I used this item? If I won't use it in the next six months, why am I keeping it?
• Is this item worth paying my hard-earned money for to move?
• How hard would it be to replace this item if I needed it in the future?
• Does this item have sentimental, legal, or financial value?
• How soon after moving will this item come out of its box? Is it worth putting into storage?

You will be surprised at how much stuff you can do without, and hopefully, decluttering will reduce some of the stress of your move and save you money.