Downsizing can give you the gifts of new freedom and a new lease of life. But it can be exhausting and it’s emotional.
You can’t take everything with you to your new home and as the strains of moving pile up. Organising and clearing out everything you own seems like an impossible task.
We’re here to help.
Take a deep breath and get started with this checklist of five essentials.
Dumping everything into black bin bags is NOT the easy way out when you’re clearing out.
Overfilling your kerbside Black Bin is a real nuisance, and at your local Household Recycling Centre all waste has to be separated.
That means no dumping recyclables into landfill.
Cardboard boxes are your best friend for sorting everything you want to keep and transport to your new home, and everything you want rid of in advance.
(Make sure they’re sturdy!)
Label, label, label. Simple, but essential.
Keep a trusty black marker on hand for labelling all your boxes in advance so nothing gets mixed up.
This goes for your get-rids as well as your keeps!
Write words like Kitchen, Bathroom, Bedroom etc. onto boxes of things you’re bringing with you for easy unloading at your new home.
Write words like Small Electricals, Batteries, Books, Clothes, Paper, Hard Plastic, Tools etc. for easy unloading at your local Household Recycling Centre.
Label some other boxes for Charity Shop and Family/Friends for stuff you want to gift or give.
Look up your local household recycling centre to find out where it is, what it’s opening hours are, and what items can and can’t be recycled there.
It’s best to do this before you start sorting so you know how best to label your boxes and categorise your waste.
This is also where you’ll need to take larger items like mattresses, old TVs, washing machines and other large appliances.
Wading through years of accumulated belongings and deciding to say goodbye to a lot of them is emotional and physically straining.
Make sure you give yourself time to go at your own pace.
Look at each item and think about where it came from and where it should go next, whether that’s to get a new lease of life as a gift for a friend or maybe younger family member, or to get recycled and put to new use.
Inviting your family and friends round while you clear-out isn’t just a way to get some help with the wrapping and lifting and carrying, and trips back and forth the recycling centre.
It will give you all a chance sit down, have a cup of tea and reminisce, to rediscover some things from your past and give them some attention together before moving on.
Moving is an emotional transition, so don’t deny yourself all the support you can get
Make your visit faster and easier by pre-sorting your waste into different recyclables before you visit the household recycling centre.
Click the ‘Where’s yours?’ button below and find your nearest Household Recycling Centre.