Decluttering your home can be daunting with the prospect of not only selling it but also downsizing to assisted living in Mansfield, TX. However, with a little forethought, planning, and organization, a move to assisted living is manageable. Here are five tips for decluttering before your big move to assisted living.
Set a decluttering goal
Before embarking on the move, it is important that you set a decluttering goal. This can be as specific or general as you like, but it will serve as a guide to help you declutter. For example, if your decluttering goal is to have only one box left of clothing to donate and one box of papers, then that is what you should aim for. If you have no idea where to start, consider taking a look at your home to see what you have in excess. Perhaps you have duplicates of things or other items that can be donated. There are a number of decluttering apps available to help you get started.
Sort by Function and Sentiment
After setting your decluttering goal, things might still seem a tad overwhelming for you. In this case, it could help you by breaking things down into functional items and sentimental items. For example, if you have woolly socks and coats, you could sort these into the functional pile. Supposing you have a lot of mugs in your collection, you might want to sort some of these into your sentimental pile. If many of these items overlap, you could donate them or put them away in a storage facility. This method will help to see what you have in excess and what you don’t have enough of. It will also make it easier to see what items can be donated or if they have sentimental meaning.
Pack Your First Night Bag
Have you ever had the experience where you move into a new home and you need to open a bunch of different boxes just to find your toothbrush and nightclothes? This is why in the decluttering process, it’s important to pack smart and bear in mind the items you’ll be needing on an immediate basis. This will not only make you less hassled but your box organization will not go in vain.
Ask a family member to help you declutter
Decluttering alone is not only physically demanding but it can also get boring really quickly. That’s why it is important to have a family member or a buddy help you out. You could share your decluttering goal with them at the start of the journey so that they keep you on task. This is especially true if you’re the kind of person who gets distracted easily!
Remember Your Why
Decluttering is often a long and drawn-out process so it can be helpful to think about why you’re decluttering in the first place. For some people, this can be because the items in their homes pose a hazard risk while for others it can be a handy source of income. Usually, however, it’s because you’re downsizing or moving to a retirement home.