Moving is often exciting, but it can quickly feel daunting once you start looking at everything you own. Your closets are full, your cabinets are overflowing, and scattered throughout your house are boxes, shelves, and drawers filled with years of items you’ve completely forgotten you own.
That’s exactly why it’s such a good idea to declutter before moving. Reducing the number of things you have to pack can make the entire moving process simpler, faster, and more organized. Plus, it can become a built-in opportunity to reassess what you love, use, and actually need going forward.
In this guide, we’ll cover how to declutter before a move, with checklists, strategies, and room-by-room tips to help you manage the process without getting overwhelmed or burning out.
Why You Should Declutter Before Moving
Decluttering before a move gives you a chance to think carefully about what you use and value. Instead of bringing a bunch of unnecessary items into your next home, you can focus on creating a new space that feels functional and intentional from day one. But there are plenty of other, even more practical reasons why decluttering before a move is worth your time.
Moving Costs Less When You Move Less Stuff
One of the biggest benefits of decluttering before a move is the potential to lower your moving costs.
When you declutter before moving, you’ll likely spend less on:
- Packing supplies like boxes, bubble wrap, and tape
- Extra moving truck or moving container space
- Labor costs for packing, loading, transport, and unloading your belongings
Decluttering Can Help You Keep Your New Home Organized
Another perk of decluttering? It’s much easier to stay organized when you only move items you plan to use in your new home.
Decluttering before a move means you’ll be able to:
- Deal with less visual clutter after moving day.
- Create more intentional room layouts in your new space.
- Have more functional closets and cabinets.
Decluttering Can Improve Your Moving Experience
Moving comes with countless decisions and tasks, and clutter only adds to the stress. Learning how to declutter your home before moving, and long before packing starts, can help you reduce decision fatigue later, spend less time packing and unpacking, and emotionally reset as you get ready for your next chapter.
How to Declutter Before a Move Without Feeling Overwhelmed
Many people avoid decluttering because they think it takes too much time, but it doesn’t have to. The key is to create a simple decluttering strategy so you can make time for all your other tasks leading up to your move.
Start Earlier than You Think
One of the best decluttering tips for moving is to begin early. Waiting until the final week will force you to make rushed decisions and can make the process a lot more stressful.
Instead, start the decluttering process at least 3 to 4 weeks before your move. If you’re moving out of a larger home, decluttering at least 6 to 8 weeks out is an even better idea.
Ultimately, the earlier you start, the more time you’ll have to carefully consider each item you own before choosing to part with or pack it.
Create a Decluttering Plan
Having structure makes a huge difference when trying to keep stress and overwhelm at bay. So, make a simple decluttering plan and stick to it in the weeks leading up to your move.
A few tips:
- Separate items into categories: Create piles or bins for what to keep, donate, sell, recycle, or toss.
- Implement the “One Year Rule”: If you haven’t used it in the last 12 months, get rid of it.
- Decide what to store vs. what to let go of: For things you don’t use much but don’t want to part with forever, like seasonal items, consider self-storage to prevent extra clutter from piling up in your home.
- Schedule short decluttering sessions: Set a timer for 15 to 30 minutes per day to avoid burnout.
- Review one area at a time: Start with one room or area, and don’t move on to the next until that one’s been fully sorted through.
Focus on One Area at a Time
Trying to declutter your entire home all at once is sure to leave you feeling scattered and exhausted. Instead, try focusing on intentionally decluttering one space at a time.
As you’ll most likely still be living in your home while you declutter, it often helps to start with less-used rooms and storage areas. Clearing these spaces first can create a noticeable impact right away and help you build momentum as you declutter the rest of your home.
Here’s our suggested order for decluttering before a move:
- Garage
- Storage rooms
- Guest rooms
- Closets
- Kitchen
- Living and family rooms
- Bedrooms
- Bathrooms
Your Decluttering Checklist: Common Items to Part with Before Your Move
A simple decluttering checklist can make decision-making a lot easier and quicker in the moment. These are some of the most common items people choose to part with before moving, organized by room.
Garage, Basement, and Storage Areas Decluttering Checklist
- Broken tools or hardware
- Old paint cans and chemicals
- Old holiday decorations
- Extra storage boxes
- Rusty outdoor equipment
Kitchen Decluttering Checklist
- Expired pantry items
- Backup utensils
- Unused appliances (use the “One Year Rule”)
- Old food containers
- Mismatched lids
- Chipped dishes, glasses, or mugs
Living Room Decluttering Checklist
- Old, unused electronics
- Stray cords without matching devices
- DVDs and VHS tapes
- Books and magazines
- Extra pillows and throw blankets
- Outdated decor
Bedroom Decluttering Checklist
- Unworn clothing (use the “One Year Rule”)
- Old shoes, bags, and accessories
- Unpaired socks
- Extra linens and pillows
Bathroom Decluttering Checklist
- Expired medications
- Empty toiletries
- Unused beauty, hair, and makeup products (check for expiration dates)
- Old towels
- Duplicate items like hair dryers, combs, and nail clippers
Bonus Decluttering Tips for Moving: Easy Rules to Simplify the Process
Still a bit stuck and interested in more decluttering tips for moving? These simple hacks could help.
What Is the 3-3-3 Rule for Decluttering?
The 3-3-3 rule for decluttering is a minimalist wardrobe challenge designed to help you recognize what you actually wear regularly. The idea is to dress using only 33 items (including clothing, shoes, accessories, and outerwear) for 3 months.
Many people discover they use a pretty small percentage of their wardrobe, and it becomes easier to get rid of the excess. While this method isn’t for everyone, it can work really well if you’re decluttering before a move and want to do a full closet clean-out before packing. It can also encourage more thoughtful shopping habits later.
What Is the 5-5-5 Rule for Decluttering?
The 5-5-5 rule for decluttering is a three-part, time-based strategy that focuses on making small, incremental progress when decluttering.
Here’s how it works:
- Choose 5 small areas.
- Spend 5 minutes on each area.
- Remove 5 items during these 5 minutes.
Even if you’re moving in a hurry, these quick decluttering sessions with the 5-5-5 rule can go a long way in making the packing and moving process more manageable.
What Is the 20-20 Rule for Decluttering?
The 20-20 rule helps remove the mental barrier that keeps you clinging to all your “just in case” items. The rule is simple: If you can replace something for less than $20 and within about 20 minutes, you probably don’t need to keep it.
This 20-20 rule is particularly helpful when decluttering before a move, since hanging on to these items could actually cost you time and money during the moving process.
Make Your Move More Organized
Decluttering before moving makes nearly every part of the relocation process easier: Packing is faster, unpacking feels less stressful, and life in your new home starts with less clutter and more intention.
If there are items you’re still not ready to part with, consider using CubeSmart self-storage solutions to help you get some additional room while keeping your new space organized and clutter-free. CubeSmart offers options for many storage needs and items, from things that need climate-controlled storage to large equipment and vehicles.* Find a CubeSmart storage facility near you.
*Storage unit sizes are approximate and subject to availability. Temperature and humidity levels within any storage space, including climate-controlled spaces, may vary.
