Professional organisers share 8 time-saving tricks to declutter fast before moving house
Speed up the decluttering process before a move with these handy tips
Moving house can be stressful, and adding decluttering the whole house to your to-do list can quickly feel overwhelming. In an ideal world, we'd declutter months before the move, but life rarely lets us be that organised.
Fortunately, decluttering before a move can be quick with the right know-how. Professional decluttering techniques are great for adding structure, but there are specific handy tips that make a world of difference to how efficiently you work through the process.
Because when moving day is looming, saving time becomes essential. With that in mind, I asked professional home organisers to share their top tips on decluttering quickly before a move – and they had lots of helpful advice to share.
8 expert-approved tips to declutter fast before moving house
The key to decluttering quickly before a move is to minimise the work. If you're wondering how that looks, the eight tips below will get you there. Follow the experts' advice and the decluttering process will suddenly become a whole lot easier.
1. Declutter and pack at the same time
Instead of viewing decluttering and packing as separate, the best thing to save time is to do them simultaneously, says Maria Delia, APDO member and founder of Dare to Declutter.
"Rather than emptying an entire cupboard or wardrobe onto the floor, tackle one shelf or drawer at a time," she advises. "As you go through your belongings, make a decision about each item and pack the things you’re keeping directly into their moving boxes."
This way, you don't have to handle everything twice, and you save yourself heaps of time during the move.
Maria is an APDO member and the founder of Dare to Declutter, a pro decluttering and home organising business born from a lifelong love of creating order and helping others. Maria helps people take control of their homes and their belongings, showing them that decluttering isn’t simply about getting rid of things; it’s about creating a home that works for you.
2. Create a portable decluttering station
Another of Maria's top tips is to have a grab-and-go decluttering station that you can easily move throughout the house. When we're decluttering before moving, we can waste a lot of time going back and forth to get what we need; this solves that problem instantly.
"Before you begin, gather everything you’ll need in a laundry basket," Maria suggests. "Include bin bags, donation bags, packing tape, labels, a marker pen and any other packing essentials. Take this from room to room as you work."
It sounds simple, but it will work wonders for speeding things up.
3. Start with the easy decisions
One of the best tips for decluttering in a way that feels manageable is to start with the easiest decisions. This helps you build momentum and prevents you from stalling on items that require more thought.
"Start with the obvious things you know you no longer need or want – broken items, clothes that no longer fit, things you've been meaning to get rid of for years or simply don't like anymore," says pro declutterer Rebecca Crayford.
"You'll make progress quickly without getting bogged down in difficult decisions, and seeing things leave your home can be a great motivator to keep going."
Rebecca Crayford is the founder of RCLM, a business that helps busy, midlife women reclaim their time by decluttering, getting organised, and putting simple systems in place to make daily life run more smoothly.
4. Prioritise key areas
One of the easiest decluttering mistakes we can make, especially before a move, is trying to tackle everything at once. We might think this is the quickest approach, but it's actually counterproductive, because we're more likely to end up feeling overwhelmed and less able to make decisions.
Instead, identify the areas that will make the biggest difference and prioritise those. "If you’re decluttering before downsizing, for example, consider which room in your new home will have the least space and start thinking about what you genuinely need to take with you," advises Shannon Murphy, founder of Simpl Living Co.
It's also helpful to think about which rooms you want to unpack first when you arrive. "Working out your priorities will help you focus your time and energy where they’ll have the greatest impact," Shannon says.
Shannon Murphy is the founder of Simpl Living Co, a minimalist-minded professional organiser based in West Sussex. Her mission extends beyond merely assisting individuals in decluttering – her overarching goal is to empower people to adopt a life free from the societal stereotype that buying more will make you happy.
5. Don't create more work for yourself
If you're worried about having enough time to declutter before moving day, it's important to decide what's actually worth your time. Selling items on second-hand platforms may be a great way to make a bit of extra money, but it can be a time-intensive process.
"Photographing items, listing them online, answering messages and arranging collections can take up a lot of time," Rebecca says. "If you're moving in a few weeks, ask yourself whether the money you're likely to make is worth the time involved. For lower-value items, donating them might be a much quicker option."
6. Think about your new home instead of your current one
You can dramatically speed up the decision-making process by focusing on what your new home actually needs. This is the essence of the move-out declutter method, where we're encouraged to look beyond what's in front of us and think about how we'd actually use items in our new home.
"Ask yourself whether you even knew you owned the item, and if it were hypothetically lost during the move, would you buy it again?" Shannon says. "These questions can help you make quicker, more considered decisions about the things you own."
If you can't think of a use for something or imagine it in the new home, it's probably time to let it go. This will help short-circuit any decision paralysis and make the process run more smoothly.
7. Try a professional decluttering method
Professional decluttering techniques are great for adding structure to the process, helping save a lot of time. There are loads to choose from, but for speedy decluttering before a move, I recommend starting with 'decision fatigue' decluttering, where you set a clear framework of what you'll tackle and when, so you can avoid overwhelming yourself and ultimately slowing the process down.
"You could also try the four-box decluttering method, where you take four boxes and label them: keep, donate, relocate, and rubbish," suggests Can Önal, interior designer at BoConcept. "The trick is to stay objective, try to set your emotions aside and decide based on what you actually use and need.”
And if you're really looking to curb the clutter, try the 'didn't know' method. It'll force you to instantly get rid of items you didn't know you had.
8. Give yourself a deadline for getting things out of the house
As Rebecca says, "Decluttering isn't finished when you've decided what to get rid of. "It's finished when those things have actually left your home."
This becomes even more important when decluttering before a move, as we need the items to be out of the house before moving day. Set a clear deadline for when you'll actually get rid of everything, and make sure you factor in trips to the charity shop and recycling centre.
Decluttering before moving doesn't need to be stressful. Try these expert tips to speed up the process and you can look forward to breathing a sigh of relief once it's all done.
