My husband and I just did the big 12 hour move out here to California. We were given 30 days’ notice and with everything else going on in our lives, we weren’t nearly as prepared as we were hoping to be. Now, I’ve read lots of posts about decluttering my home before moving but it really is easier to say than to do. Here are 3 tips I found most useful during our recent move that you can do in a time crunch.

Use 3 Categories

As I’m sure you’ve discovered when you’ve moved before, there’s always more stuff in our homes than we think. As we were packing, we followed the 3-category rule for all our items.

1. Keep: This item is useful, unbroken, and I look forward to having it in my new home
2. Donate: This item is unbroken, but I no longer use it or like it
3. Toss: This item is broken, trash, or not accepted by thrift stores

As I went about packing my home, I made sure to have the boxes necessary for my keep pile items. This helped make loading the truck easier as we didn’t have random things around the house that still needed to be packed. I also had a box or a bag for my growing donate pile and a large, black trash bag for the toss pile.

As each pile grew I made sure to put them in designated areas in my home. Keep items went by the door to be loaded into the moving truck. My donate pile went immediately into our car so it could be taken to Goodwill as soon as enough items were collected to fill the box. The toss pile went immediately into the dumpster. This helps keep your categories organized without having to remember which box and bag went to which pile.

Enlist Help

I wasn’t too excited to have other people come over and help me pack due to the sheer volume of stuff that had accumulated. However, having another set of helping hands helped me decide to get rid of items I otherwise would have kept. Ask your neighbors, friends, and family to see who would be up to the task.

When friends come to help, give everyone a specific task. This will make sure your moving process is streamlined to go as quickly as possible. If you still have areas you need to declutter make sure you assign yourself to that area with someone else to help. It’s always great to have a few pizzas and waters on hand to share with everyone. Packing, loading, and cleaning take a lot of effort!

Clean as You Go

Cleaning can be the most tedious part of moving. It was hard for me to want to clean before we left because I wasn’t going to get to enjoy my deep-clean sparkle. However, it is also very satisfying to leave your old home better than you found it. As you pack and move through each room, deep clean immediately upon completion. While you will still need to do one last cleaning at the very end you will no longer have to spend hours cleaning after you’re already exhausted from packing.

It can be difficult to know what you will need to clean your home, so here are some of my favorites from my deep cleaning experience.

• Clorox Disinfecting Wipes
• Scrub Brush
• Clorox Bleach
• Magic Eraser
• Paper Towels
• Simple Green All Purpose Cleaner
• Windex Glass Cleaner

Don’t forget to keep out a few rags and the broom/vacuum as well, because you will want to vacuum and wipe surfaces on your way out the door for the last time. We nearly forgot to leave space for the vacuum in the moving truck, but we were able to move a few things around, so it could fit.

Decluttering before you move will not only make the move easier but allows you to have a truly fresh start in your new home. What other tips have you found effective when moving?

This post was written by Meghan Harris at Monkey Bars Central Coast/Bay Area. She enjoys the great outdoors, spending time with her family, and learning trivia facts.