5 Tips for decluttering before a move

Is your current house a bit of a mess?

Don’t feel bad.

There are plenty of people around Australia just like you, with too many possessions and too little storage space.

Many people have a hard time getting rid of things they don’t really need, while others simply don’t have the time to sort through their stacks of items.

The good news is that moving house presents a perfect opportunity to do some decluttering.

Not only will decluttering make your move a little easier with less items to pack and unpack, but it can reduce what needs to be unpacked and stored at the new home.

Here are 5 top tips for decluttering before a move.

1. Start decluttering as soon as possible

Procrastinating won’t help you to declutter before a move and will only make your move more stressful when you start to run out of time to pack.

Start the decluttering process as soon as possible – even before you have a moving day locked in.

Remind yourself that decluttering is for the better and will free up space and allow you to have a fresh start at your new house.

2. Make some piles

A good way to declutter is to start making some piles in a spare room.

One pile can be for items that you might be able to sell, including through online marketplaces.

Another pile can be for items you plan to donate to a local opportunity shop, which are still in good condition but might not be worth the hassle of selling.

Then you can have a rubbish pile for any broken items or those that are otherwise no good to sell or donate, as well as a recycling pile for paper and other items that can be placed in your recycling bin.

The items which you decide you definitely want to keep can be packed away in boxes as you go, in preparation for your move.

If you plan to send any items to storage, pack these away separately.

3. Get the whole family involved

It might take a little longer, but it can be worth involving your kids in the decluttering process.

Ask them to identify favourite belongings and discuss suitable donations together; do not assume an unchosen item has been agreed for disposal.

Remind them that some of their toys can be donated so that other children can play with them, or some of their clothes can be donated for other children to wear.

4. Think about what you really need and use

In the process of decluttering, you might come across items you haven’t seen or used for multiple years.

That is often a good indication that you don’t need them anymore and they should be sold, donated or disposed of.

When you are packing up your wardrobe, think about the last time you wore each item.

Even if you really like a particular clothing item, consider why it has not been used and whether you still want or need it; a fixed one-year rule does not suit every garment or household.

5. Don’t be too sentimental

We all like to keep some special items which bring back some memories, but try not to be too sentimental when you are decluttering and only keep the things that are most important to you.

For some items, it can be a good idea to take photos of them rather than physically keeping them.

Also try not to get too distracted when you are going through any precious old items.

You have work to do packing up before a move so might not have too much time to spare.

Need help decluttering and moving?

Whether you need the help of some professional packers or just require a moving service to transport all your household items, at Fragile Removals & Storage we can help.

We also offer storage solutions, which can help give you a little extra time to complete your decluttering.

A trusted removalist company with branches in Perth, Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney, we can handle moves big and small.

For a competitive quote, contact us today on 1800 500 584

Make a decision system before making piles

Choose clearly identified areas or containers for keep, sell, donate, recycle, dispose and storage. Leave the main access routes clear. If an item needs another person's decision, mark it as unresolved rather than putting it into a disposal pile by default.

Set a manageable area to work through first, such as one cupboard. Finish the decisions for that area before opening several more. This keeps the house usable while sorting continues and makes it easier to see what has actually been completed. Use the moving checklist to connect sorting with the packing deadline.

Test the keep decision against the new home

Consider whether you use the item, want it, have a place for it and are willing to move it. Measure large furniture where fit is uncertain and use furniture measurements to record the load. A useful item at the current address may need a different decision if the new room cannot accommodate it.

Keep sentimental decisions separate from routine sorting if they are slowing everything down. A photograph may be sufficient for some memories, but it is a personal choice and not a substitute for every meaningful object. Agree who owns or controls an item before selling or donating it.

Do not use decluttering as a reason to discard records without checking retention requirements. Set important documents aside and use the document-storage guide for the questions to resolve. Similarly, identify items needing a particular disposal route before putting them into ordinary rubbish or recycling.

Turn sale and donation plans into collection dates

Photograph and describe items accurately for potential recipients. Give dimensions and disclose relevant condition issues. Confirm acceptance, collection arrangements and the deadline by which the item must leave. An online listing or a charity enquiry is not a completed removal from your inventory.

Use furniture donation guidance to check acceptance and collection. If an item is declined or a buyer does not collect it, use the fallback you arranged rather than leaving it for the removal crew without notice. Tell the mover if the final load changes.

For disposal, check the actual service and rules available through your council or waste provider. Do not assume every council offers free collection or accepts every material. Arrange the timing so disposal piles do not obstruct packing and loading.

Keep storage from becoming an unlabelled holding pile

For goods going into storage, record why you are storing them and how you will identify and retrieve them. Pack them separately from immediate-delivery goods and provide clear instructions to the mover. Confirm the storage format and acceptance requirements before collection.

If an item is awaiting a family decision, note who will decide and when you will revisit it. This keeps a temporary arrangement visible without forcing a rushed choice. Do not assume that keeping an item in storage establishes suitable environmental conditions for every material.

Review the room before calling it finished

Check that kept goods are packed or scheduled, collections are confirmed and disposal arrangements are complete. Mark the room on the inventory and preserve access for the remaining work. Avoid putting new unsorted items into a completed pile without updating its label.

At the end of sorting, compare the actual load with the removal quote. If the quantity or items differ materially, ask the mover to update the scope. The benefit of decluttering is a clearer decision about what moves, not a guaranteed saving or a promise that the new home will never become crowded.

Should anything unused for a year automatically be discarded?

No. A year without use is a prompt to think, not permission to discard something. Consider whether it is seasonal, sentimental, needed for a specific purpose or owned by someone else. Check condition and whether it fits the new home, then choose to keep, sell, donate, recycle or dispose through an appropriate arrangement. Discuss shared or children’s belongings with the people involved. Keep unresolved items labelled for a later decision so decluttering does not become an accidental loss of important possessions.

When can donated furniture be removed from the moving inventory?

Treat the donation as provisional until the recipient accepts the actual item and collection is arranged, then confirm that collection happens. Supply requested condition and access information early. Set a deadline and a fallback in case the service declines the item or cannot arrive in time. Once the item has left, update the mover’s inventory and ask about any effect on the booked scope. A plan to donate is not the same as a smaller load ready for collection.

How should unresolved items be handled?

Give unresolved items a separate labelled place, identify who can decide and set a decision date before packing needs to finish. Keep them out of donation, recycling and disposal areas so helpers do not mistake uncertainty for approval to remove them. If the decision remains open, discuss whether they will move or enter storage and record that on the inventory. Avoid opening many new sorting areas while earlier decisions remain scattered; a manageable process makes the final load clearer.

What sorting system works before a move?

Use clearly identified destinations for keep, sell, donate, recycle, dispose and any separate storage load. Work through one manageable area at a time, keeping exits and walking routes clear. Pack confirmed keep items with destination labels, and arrange accepted handovers for goods leaving elsewhere. Check local disposal requirements rather than treating every unwanted object as ordinary rubbish. Track what is still awaiting collection and update the inventory as those arrangements are completed.

How can I involve the family without losing important belongings?

Ask each person to identify belongings they value and discuss suitable donations or disposals together. For children, use age-appropriate supervised choices while adults manage the final packing and collection arrangements. Do not assume an item has been approved for donation simply because it was not selected immediately. Keep sentimental and undecided goods separate, set a time to revisit them and label what will move. Shared decisions reduce confusion when several helpers are sorting at once.