Most families in Toronto/Mississauga or other cities who are moving from a home after living there for a period of time, will admit to having too much stuff. If you look in the basement, garage, attic or even some closets you will find things that people have hung on to even though they no longer used them or worse case that were beyond their useable life.  

Most people will say things like… “it might come in handy someday”; or “we paid good money for it so it seems a shame to dispose of it” or “I actually forgot we had it” or “I just haven’t had time to get rid of it”. Regardless of the reason, moving is the perfect time to take a good hard look at these things.

One good reason, reducing the size or weight of your shipment will save you money. Long distance moves are charged based on the scaled weight of the shipment and local moves are charged based on the number of hours it takes to move items. Moving fewer items means a lower cost move.

Another good reason is the peace of mind that comes from having a clutter free home. Imagine how organized your new home will feel when you don’t have old furniture, boxes of old magazines, excess china, out of date clothing, outgrown toys or other things you no longer you need or use. Even worse are broken items that could be classed as “junk”.

So where to start. Below are some practical tips that will help you declutter for your upcoming move:

  1. Take a tour of each location in your home where you have items stored. Give yourself adequate time in advance of your move to do this task.
  2. Divide items into three categories. Items to keep, items to sell or donate and items to discard.
  3. Consider if your family wants to hold a garage sale.
  4. If the answer is yes, ask your professional mover from Premiere Van Lines for one of their “Holding a Garage Sale” brochures to assist you in organizing your sale.
  5. If you have more valuable items, consider selling them on consignment. Contact local consignment stores to determine if they handle these specific items to sell.
  6. If you decide not to hold a garage sale or sell them, make a list of charitable organizations that accept items for donation.
  7. Contact these organizations by phone or review their web site to determine what categories of items are accepted for donation.
  8. Contact the chosen organizations to determine if they pick up items or if you must deliver donations to them.
  9. If you have a lot of items that should be discarded, consider renting a small dumpster or a disposal bag.
  10. If you have a smaller quantity of items to be disposed of find your local municipal disposal location. Check their web site to determine how to dispose of specific items. Most locations have separate drop off sites for general garbage, appliances, electronics and paints or other hazardous goods

You will be very happy that you took time before your move to declutter. Now you can start out fresh in your new home. For more information contact Premiere Van Lines Mississauga at 416-679-1100 or your local Premiere Van Lines office at 1-877-671-6683.