How To Declutter & Organise Your House Before Moving: A Complete Guide
Moving to a new home is an exciting fresh start, but it can also be overwhelming—especially if you have years’ worth of clutter to sort through. At Your Moving Day, we help people declutter before they move and unpack efficiently once they arrive.
By decluttering before moving day, you’ll save time, reduce stress, and even cut down on moving costs. Here’s our expert guide to decluttering and organising before your big move.
1. Start Decluttering Early to Reduce Stress
Decluttering an entire house isn’t something you can do overnight. To avoid last-minute chaos, start at least 4–6 weeks before moving day, but for maximum benefit aim to complete this process before putting your home on the market.
- Decluttering can help make your home more attractive to buyers, making for a faster sale and even achieving a higher price.
- Without all of the clutter in your home, it will be far easier to prepare your home for viewings.
- Having a thorough audit of what you own will help you to feel in-control and prepared, reducing stress levels.
Focus on progress, not perfection. Every item which leaves your home is another item you don’t need to pay to move or manage at your new house.
At Your Moving Day, we offer pre-move decluttering services to help you keep the momentum and make the process effortless.
2. Categorise to Stay Organised
Before decluttering, empty cupboards and drawers, placing items into categories (think of the categories in a supermarket if you get stuck):
- Categories will help you to see at a glance what you own, helping you to have an audit in the process.
- It will be easier to declutter duplicates or streamline each category to a manageable size when it’s all grouped.
- As you move through your home, these categories will create instant organisation which will help with packing and unpacking once you move in. Instead of boxes being filled with a random mix of items, they’ll be clear and easy to label.
Your Moving Day can help you to categorise everything, and motivate you through the decluttering process so that your new home works perfectly for you.
3. Use the “Keep, Donate, Bin” Method
Sorting through years of belongings can be overwhelming. To make it easier, categorise items into three piles:
- Keep – Items you use regularly and need in your new home.
- Donate or Sell – Items in good condition that someone else can use. Be careful not to obsess about selling everything, it can be time-consuming and frustrating. Mentally agree a timescale for selling and if you haven’t managed to, donate instead.
- Discard – Broken, expired, or unnecessary items that no longer serve a purpose.
If you’re unsure about an item, ask yourself:
✔️ Have I used this in the last year?
✔️ Does it serve a necessary purpose?
✔️ Is this item useful to me?
✔️ Would I buy it again today?
✔️ Can I live without it?
If the answer is no, it’s time to let it go!
4. Declutter Room by Room for Maximum Efficiency
Instead of trying to declutter everything at once, work
room by room to stay organized. Here’s a few ideas to get you started:
Decluttering Your Kitchen
- Bin expired pantry items and duplicate utensils.
- Donate or sell small appliances you no longer use.
- Use up frozen food to avoid waste.
Decluttering Your Wardrobe
- Donate clothes that no longer fit or suit your style.
- Get rid of worn-out shoes and accessories.
- Pack off-season clothes separately to avoid clutter.
Decluttering Paperwork and Sentimental Items
- Digitise important documents and shred old paperwork.
- Keep only meaningful sentimental items—don’t hold onto everything.
- Store must-have moving documents in a labelled folder for easy access.
Want hands-on help? Your Moving Day can help you with decluttering before your move, making it stress-free and efficient.
5. Sell or Donate Unwanted Items Before Moving
Decluttering isn’t just about throwing things away—you can sell or donate unwanted items to reduce waste and even make some extra cash!
- Sell: Use Facebook Marketplace, eBay, or consignment stores for valuable items.
- Donate: Take items to a local charity shop of your choice, or book a charity collection from your door with Anglo Doorstep Collections or iCollect to make this even easier. Check the lists of approved items on their websites before bagging or boxing your donations ready for collection
- Recycle: Properly dispose of electronics, old furniture, and hazardous materials. A company such as Just Clear can collect any such items and recycle/repurpose them responsibly so you have peace of mind (and ease!).
- Clothes Recycling Banks: Worn-out clothing and shoes can be bagged and placed in the textile recycling bins at every large supermarket instead of throwing away.
- Auction Houses: Local auction houses will come out and provide you with a valuation for any items, collections or even the contents of a whole house. This is a real time-saver if you are downsizing and have a lot of antique furniture or art.
Our team at Your Moving Day help you throughout this process, making it as simple as possible so you have peace of mind that your things have gone to the right places.
6. Plan for Moving Day with an Essentials Box
Avoid scrambling through boxes on your first night by packing a dedicated
essentials box with:
- Important documents.
- Toiletries, medications, and a change of clothes. Consider packing a small suitcase or bag for each member of your household as though you are going on a weekend away. If completion day is a nightmare you can just make the beds and get some rest with the essentials to hand.
- Chargers, children’s tech and basic kitchen supplies such as the kettle, tea, coffee and biscuits.
- A hoover, cleaning supplies, toilet paper and a hand towel. Hopefully, your new home will be left spotless, but it’s nice to give everything a once-over before you unpack into cupboards.
Keep this box easily accessible so you have everything you need right away.
7. Get Help from Professional Decluttering Services
Decluttering before moving can be time-consuming and exhausting - but you don’t have to do it alone! At Your Moving Day, we help with:
✅ Decluttering your home before moving
✅ Organising and preparing your house
✅ Unpacking and setting up your new space
Instead of stressing over boxes, let us handle the hard work so you can enjoy your fresh start.
Declutter Before Moving for a Stress-Free Move
Decluttering before moving isn’t just about getting rid of stuff—it’s about making your move easier, faster, and more organised by keeping what you need and love. With the right approach, you’ll save time, money, and energy.
Need professional help? Your Moving Day is here to take the stress out of moving with our decluttering, organising, and unpacking services.
Let’s make your move simple and clutter-free! Contact us today to get started.
