Relocating provides a great opportunity to streamline your possessions and eliminate items that have not been used since your last move. Cleaning out your belongings can help give structure to the move process, as well as lighten the load. Especially if you are doing your own preparation, the tendency is always to begin packing immediately in anticipation of your coming move.  As is often the case however, a little advance planning and cleaning can save you both time and money.

Tips to Cleaning Out Before a Move

  • Find Things to Purge: Once you have established a move date, go through your entire residence (including basement and attic spaces) and identify items that you intend to purge or donate.
  • Save Time and Money: Purging/donating items will not only decrease the overall moving costs, it will also save you time as you prepare for moving day.
  • Organize Items Not Moving: Set aside a specific area of the house for all items you will not be moving.
  • Use Salvation Army: Contact the Salvation Army or a local charity in your area to have belongings picked up from your residence well in advance of the move.  Many of these organizations have capacity limitations, so do not wait until the last minute to contact them.  Aside from the tax benefits of donating unwanted items, you will also reduce the amount of time required to move into your new home.
  • Donating Canned Goods: Consider donating canned goods to Move for Hunger or a local food pantry.  It is often more expensive to move canned goods on a weight-based interstate move than it is to replace these items.
A household recycling bin issued by the local ...
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Additional packing and Moving Preparation Tips

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