Chuck it
Published:
ARE you a hoarder? Do you move boxes of stuff from one house to the next “just in case”?
Or perhaps you have a wardrobe full of clothes you haven’t worn for years?
According to George Wimpey, moving house is the ideal time to sort out your belongings, get rid of all that junk and de-clutter your home.
Your Home has teamed up with Wimpey and adviser to the stars Elika Gibbs, aka the Practical Princess, to help house-buyers get their life in order before the big move with the launch of the De-clutter Your Life campaign.
“Moving home is a great opportunity to de-clutter your home and, ultimately, your life,” says Elika.
“The more organised one is, the easier one’s life becomes, and what better time to start than when you’re moving home?
“By planning ahead and getting rid of the excess clutter, you can lighten the load on move day and start life in your new home as you mean to go on, organised and in control.
“Where there has previously been chaos, you will have clarity, and unpacking in your new home will be a pleasure.”
Top tips for de-cluttering your life
1 When you’re getting ready to move home, it is no good just shoving everything into random boxes on the premise that your shiny new house will be a festival of organisation. Use the weeks leading up to the move to collate all your belongings. If there is a toy in the kitchen, make sure you put it in the playroom/bedroom where it belongs and will move to. Put all your safety pins in the sewing box and sort through junk drawers. This way, all your boxes will make sense and unpacking at the other end will be far less stressful.
2 Throw out or give away all the body creams and bath oils you have been given and never used. They are just gathering dust and will only do the same in your new home. Only keep what you actually use.
3 Pack bathroom products up in different labelled boxes (hair, teeth, manicure, and so on) so that it is easier to transport and unpack, and once in your new home, easier to pull out and clean.
4 Storage companies do an acid-free wrapping paper. Use this to wrap all your furniture and delicate items gently and loosely, and then tape up. Cover again with bubble wrap and seal with tape. You’re ready to go without the risk of damage or acid-staining.
5 Sort through all your old paperwork and know what you need to keep, and clearly mark files (car/health insurance/birth certificate/passports, and so on). Once in your new home, put them in a certain place where they always live, and always take the time to put documents back after reference.
6 Use zip-lock bags to store phone chargers and other electrical items such as iPods or hands-free kits.
7 If you don’t have time to sort out your photographs and keepsakes ahead of the move, start by sectioning them into old shoe boxes in years or holidays. You can then decide what you are going to do with them at your leisure. Boxes take up less room in a cupboard and you can easily pull them out to clean inside.
8 Only ever have in your wardrobe what you are actually wearing, and pack away the other seasons neatly.
9 When culling your wardrobe, pack away what you can’t bring yourself to throw away. If you haven’t had it out for 18 months, you are never going to wear it again and it is time to throw it out. Take your old clothes to a charity shop or sell them online – you can also recycle them at various council recycling depots.
10 Duvets and blankets often get stuffed into the top of wardrobes. Take them out before your move and vacuum pack them. This flattens them right down and you can either put them under your bed or in the wardrobe in your new home, taking up a third of the space.
George Wimpey has a range of properties on offer across the north of Scotland. For further information, visit George Wimpey’s information centres, which are open seven days a week from 11.30am until 5.30pm, or log on to www.georgewimpey.co.uk for your nearest development and to check opening times.
