When the time of your move to the new log home comes, there comes the chaos of packing. That is the moment when you realize how many things you have. There come the long-forgotten clothes, souvenirs from some distant journeys, dishes, children’s toys, and so much more. If you decide to take it all with you, it can be a waste of money and time packing and transporting things you may never use again. That’s why you should think about decluttering. Here are several tips on how to declutter before moving into your new log home.
1. Start on time
The process of decluttering is not something you can do in a couple of hours. Moreover, it is a process that can sometimes last for two or three weeks. Because of that, you need to start on time. Once you decide about the day of your move, start thinking about the decluttering process. The best thing you can do is pick several hours daily and focus on a particular area of your home. Only that way will you not feel extra stressed in an already daunting relocation process.
What’s more, if you decide you need a place to store your belongings before you move in after the decluttering, it would be wise to look for a storage unit on time.
2. Create a plan when you declutter before moving into your new log home
You can’t do anything without a good plan. And that goes for decluttering too. At the very beginning, it is essential to define the starting day. When you have it done, the real show begins.
The best thing you should do is deal with one room at a time. Begin with the one that seems the least difficult. That is a good tactic since only that way will you not feel frustrated and discouraged with what you have to do at the very beginning. Remember, you don’t have to finish all the work in one room for a day. Some parts of your home will require more time and effort, while others will need revision sooner than you may expect.
The other thing that will help to declutter before you move into your new log home is making a list of your belongings. Moreover, if you keep a record of things from the start, you can sit and go through it once the work is over. That is just in case you decide to change your mind about something.
3. Choose what to keep
Well, here is when we come to the most challenging part of decluttering- making choices. At this point, employing the rule of four boxes is most beneficial. As you are going from one room to another, you should select things and place them in one of the four boxes:
● to keep
● ‘to sell
● to donate
● to throw away
That will not only help you stay organized, but it will also speed up the post-decluttering process as well.
What if you are indecisive?
It may happen that, while decluttering, you come across many things you simply cannot decide upon. In that case, you simply gather them in a separate box and let them for your final judgment later. When it comes to clothes, that might be easy. If you have some pieces you haven’t been using for years, then it may mean you don’t like them anymore. When it comes to dishes or electronic devices, again test their practicality, and see whether you need them since you haven’t even noticed they exist for a long time.
However, one thing is essential- be honest with yourself. It is not unusual that you need to make some order in your life and even downsize at some point. That can happen if, for example, you are moving from a traditional home into a log cabin. So, don’t feel guilty for getting rid of the things you don’t use anymore.
4. Hard decisions should be the last
Family keepsakes are the things that we find the most difficult to declutter. Most people usually have a lot of old things that serve no purpose other than a unique souvenir or a memory. However, when the day of the move comes, you simply can’t take everything with you. You must select things you want to keep and give up the rest.
However, thanks to modern technology, nowadays you can find a way to remember the things you decided to give up during your pre-move decluttering. Just take several pictures of them, and make digital copies to preserve memory.
5. What to do with the unwanted things that still look good?
If you have decided what things you want to keep, and if all your log home storages are full, you need to decide what to do with the unwanted stuff. The two possible options are to sell or donate them. Selling is an excellent way to make extra money for the already expensive relocation process. On the other hand, by donating things to charity, you can help many people and possibly make them happy. The best thing you can do is select some things for both of these boxes. That is if you have a lot of things that you don’t need that still look good and are usable.
6. Call for help
Having a pair of helping hands by your side when you need to declutter before moving into your new log home is priceless. Hiring professionals to do things for you is one of the options. Still, if you can sometimes be too emotional, it would be nice if you shared such tasks with someone close to you. Call on your friends and family members, and do that together.
Final words
Relocation is often a stressful experience. Decluttering, as its inseparable companion, is not different either. Therefore, we hope that our tips on how to declutter before moving into your new log home can help you at least to stay organized. Keep being focused, and remember: don’t regret things you already had forgotten a long time ago.
