Decluttering for international moves – why and how

International moves can get quite costly. That is why it is really important to try and reduce the total weight of items that you will be carrying with you. All of us have numerous items that are just “collecting dust” in our homes. These items are clutter and you will do well to get rid of them before you move. If you are hiring the services of a professional moving company, such as Transparent International NYC, you might want to have more money for extra convenience, and lowering your total weight will go a long way towards that goal. But if you don’t know where to start, this article is right up your alley, so to say. We are going to provide you with the best course of action for decluttering for international moves.

Decluttering for international moves – How to do it properly?

Here is what your decluttering process will entail:

• Organize before you start decluttering
• Create an inventory list first!
• Categorize all items
• Give unsold items to your friends and neighbors
• Contact professional mover to assist you with your upcoming international move

Organize before you start decluttering for international moves

The first thing that needs to be on your mind is how to organize your efforts. International moving will require you to jump through many hoops and to spend time dealing with various tasks. You will most likely be really starved for time and proper organization is essential. To start with, you will need to create a moving checklist. This document will have all of your duties in one place, for easy reference. Somewhere in there, between moving boxes overseas and purchasing packing materials will be the decluttering process. The good part is that you are not going to need anything special, you only need some time on your hands. Going through your belongings and figuring out which ones are not going to make the trip is still a lofty (and lengthy) task, though.

Create an inventory list first!

To start with, you will need to create an inventory list of all your belongings. This will help you in several ways. First, you are going to be able to identify which items you have multiple copies of, which can make it easier. Secondly, having a list of all your items handy will serve you well when dealing with shipping companies. It will make it easier for possible insurance claims, and so on. It is a good thing to have. In fact, most international movers USA to UK are going to require you to compile a list before shipping your belongings. This list serves many purposes and you don’t really have a reason not to make it. It really should be the first thing that you do.

Categorize all items before decluttering for an international move

After you have the list in hand, you might want to categorize all the items and put them into distinct “piles”, such as:

• Pack
• Store
• Sell
• Donate

This will form the crux of the decluttering process. You will most likely have another pile that is comprised of all the items you are unsure of. That is fine, you can get to that pile in the following days. Whenever you are unsure about the item, give yourself some time to subconsciously think about it. After a couple of days (or weeks), it will get easier to decide what to do with it. If you are moving with a family, though, the process gets a bit more complicated. What you may believe to be a useless item may be precious to someone else. Thus, it is best if you involve the entire family in the process. Doing anything else only invites harsh feelings and discontent.

And while you are involving everyone, consider holding a yard sale to sell off your unneeded items. This is a great way to recoup some of the costs of your relocation. You can even make it into a competitive event, with prizes for the one who sells the most items. Everyone loves a bit of healthy competition and it is a great way to garner some interest in your sale. Just make sure to do at least some basic marketing for your sale. You are offering great items at low prices and the more people know about it, the better.

Give unsold items to your friends and neighbors

There will be items that you are unable to sell, though. You can simply give these away to your friends and/or neighbors. Of course, provided the items are in a passable condition. You can always donate them to one of the various charities, as well. Giving items away has no downsides, everyone wins. Try to consider who would profit the most from the items, though, before you decide to give them away. If you can make someone’s year with an item that you consider unnecessary, there are few things that can compare. What goes around comes around, as the old proverb goes. You will feel better by giving and you will make someone else happy.

Contact professional mover to assist you with your upcoming international move

Finally, once you finish with all of the preparations, it is time to consider who is going to conduct your relocation. International moves are the domain of professional moving companies for a reason. There are simply too many variables for one person to handle. But there are also a lot of companies that are simply not worth your time and money. If you want to see how a great moving company operates, simply contact us and we will fill you in on the details. You can ask for all sorts of free advice, that is what professional movers are all about. We live by your satisfaction and we work hard to attain it. By choosing us, you are choosing safety, reliability, speed, and efficiency. We offer nothing less.