With Spring’s arrival, the moving season is ready to begin. After months of cold, dreary weather, cabin fever can make us especially ready to dive into a moving project. However, while a new move can be exciting, it may be wise to take that enthusiasm and put it into spring cleaning, first.
Before you try to turn your home into a maze of cardboard boxes, cleaning out all your unwanted items first can help to make less work for yourself and reduce the stress of dealing with all that extra clutter. Believe us: once you move all of your things into your new home, the last thing you’re going to have energy and motivation for is making Goodwill runs!
Where do I start?
This can be an overwhelming question, but thankfully, there are many ways to tackle the problem. Depending on your motivation, you can choose to start with either your most difficult room, or your least. From there, slowly work your way from room to room, assessing and cleaning as you go. Don’t try to tackle your whole home at once, or you’re likely to burn yourself out before you even begin!
Can you part with it?
A huge aspect of spring cleaning is decluttering the home. Since you’re moving soon, this is a perfect opportunity to get rid of items you don’t need or use anymore. If you’re struggling with an item, ask yourself if you’d be willing to pay to ship or move it to your new home. If not, it might be time to huck it.
Craiglist, Yardsales, and ‘Free’ Signs
Since you’re going through all the trouble of getting rid of things, you might as well earn a couple bucks to help fund your move. Websites like Craiglist have become a popular avenue for selling secondhand items, though it can be intimidating if you’re not familiar with this kind of sale. (Read up on how to sell online here!) You may prefer to stick with a traditional yardsale, or if you just want your big, bulky things gone, slap a ‘free’ sign on it and put it on the curb. You’ll be amazed how quickly it’ll disappear!
Don’t over-do it!
It may be tempting to try and take on your spring cleaning all at once, but it’s good to remind yourself that the dirt and clutter didn’t arrive overnight. Pace yourself and recognize your limits, so you’re not left exhausted and disinclined to continue your process. Use tasks to help break up your day, like vacuuming a floor or cleaning out a closet.
Ask for Help
It doesn’t hurt to have some help, especially if your home is large or especially messy. Enlist the aid of friends or family, so you’re not left having to tackle this project all on your own. It can do wonders for your motivation to have an army of helpers at your disposal!
And if you just can’t stop yourself…
If you’re just itching to put things in boxes, packing as you go might be more your style. Think about things you won’t be needing between now and your move, and pack those items up first. Make sure you have a spot that these boxes can live out of your way while you’re doing the rest of your spring cleaning, so you’re not having to work around them.
Spring cleaning may seem like unnecessary work, but we promise, it’ll make your life easier in the end. Good luck!
