Criteria for Decluttering Right Before a Move
Why Right Before a Move Is the Golden Time to Declutter
Moving is the one time when you touch every item by hand. Since everything has to go into a box anyway, deciding right before packing whether to take it or let it go cuts the mental cost in half. Reducing your belongings by even one box can lower average moving costs and shorten unpacking time in your new home.
| Section | Key summary |
|---|---|
| Why Right Before a Move Is the Golden Time to Declutter | Moving is the one time when you touch every item by hand |
| Four Simple Criteria for Letting Things Go | Short key point |
| A 14-Day Decluttering Plan | D-10: Clear out your wardrobe |
Four Simple Criteria for Letting Things Go
The process gets faster when you simplify the criteria. If the answer to any one of the four questions in the table below is “yes,” classify the item as a decluttering candidate. If you hesitate, put it in a “pending box” and move on to the next item within 30 seconds, as if stamping a document.
| Question | Example | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Have you not used it once in the past 12 months? | Outdated clothes, unused exercise equipment | Donate or sell secondhand |
| Do you have two or more items with the same function? | 4 pairs of scissors, 12 mugs | Keep only the 2 in the best condition |
| Is it broken or missing parts? | A charger that will not turn on, one earbud | Sort for recycling |
| Is there no place for it in the flow of your new home? | A large plant, an unused bookcase | Give away or dispose of it |
A 14-Day Decluttering Plan
- D-14: Prepare two 100L standard waste bags, three 50L bags, packing tape, a marker, and A4 labels.
- D-12: Start with smaller areas such as the bathroom and kitchen, and throw away all expired consumables.
- D-10: Clear out your wardrobe. Hang all clothes facing the same direction, then turn around only the clothes you wear so you can identify the ones still untouched after 1 year.
- D-7: Make one “pending box,” put only uncertain items inside, seal it with tape, and write the date on it.
- D-5: Photograph and list items for secondhand sale, and if they do not sell, deliver them all to a donation center on D-2.
- D-2: Move the pending box to the new home without opening it, and if it is still unopened after 3 months, let the whole box go.
- D-1: Gather bags into three color categories for recycling, general waste, and donations, then put them out according to the collection schedule.
Documents and cables in particular may look small in quantity, but they can take over an entire drawer. If you photograph statements and manuals for storage and clear out the paper, one or two whole boxes can disappear.