Are you moving to a new home? How do you get your possessions organized to move and get rid of items that you don’t want? Here are some handy hints from New York City movers for getting your belongings organized and decluttering your house pre-move.

Assemble Your Tools

Before you start going through your belongings, gather everything you need for packing. Round up your boxes, some tape, a black marking pen, and some bubble wrap. Buy a large box of heavy-duty garbage bags, for tossing items, too. Also, round up some help that you trust to give you a hand packing and moving. Label the boxes something similar to keep, toss, recycle, and donate. Then choose a place you’d like to start, and get going.

Where Do You Begin?

You may start anywhere in the house when you want to declutter. Start in the areas you use the least, and pack these items. When preparing to move, you have an opportunity to do a thorough purge of unwanted and unneeded items. If you don’t use the stuff in these boxes every day, it will be okay to leave them in the back of a storage unit or moving truck to move out last. Put all the stuff you’ll want and need right away at the front of a moving van.

Decluttering Techniques

• Once you get a bag full of recycling, take it out to your curbside recycling unit or place the bag of recycling in a safe, out of the way place until you can go to the recycling center. Sometimes you can get money for recycling electronics and other items.  
• Reusable items can be resold or donated to local charities. Be honest with yourself, though, and throw worn and broken pieces away.  
• Good used items can be sold in a garage sale if you need some extra cash and have time to set one up.
• If you suspect you’ll have a lot of junk that needs to go away, you can hire a container and someone to help you haul it away.

Specific Sorting Techniques

Many people use an 80/20 rule when they go through their clothing to move. Many people only use/wear 20 percent of their items most of the time. Donating clothing you don’t wear is a fantastic idea. Check with the folks here to help distribute classic work clothing to others. If you don’t wear something frequently, get rid of it.

Sort through your things. They should only be donated and reused if they are in excellent condition. Dirty toys and games, and those missing pieces or parts need to be tossed.

Once you’ve disposed of things you no longer want or need, you can focus your attention on packing:

Keep Similar Things Together

Keeping all similar items together by room remains one way to organize and pack. For instance, pack all the kitchen items you’ll need in boxes labeled “kitchen.” Break these items into categories such as pots and pans, utensils, small appliances, and so forth. You can also pack unperishable foods. Now is an excellent time to toss the outdated food that may have been hiding in the back of a cupboard. Also, make a basic list of some of the small items in the box and tape it to the lid of the box if it will help.

Put Items in the Moving Van in the Opposite Order That You Need Them

You can start packing the heavier items in the back of the storage van. If you have items you don’t use much but need to move, place them in the front of the truck, too. Use sturdy plastic storage bins when packing seasonal items. Label your bins clearly so you can find them when the special holiday or event comes around.

Place the items you’ll use right away at the front of your moving vehicle, so you unpack them right away when you get to your new home. Also, place your medications and the personal items that you need in a carry-along bag and keep it with you.

Before you know it, you’ll be moved. You’ll get a fresh start with less clutter. You’ll find a few treasures that you thought you’d lost. Soon you’ll be in your new home with a clean, decluttered, fresh start.