Moving Out and Moving Up

Moving has unfortunately been a part of my life recently.  I think that a lot of people about my age can sympathize.  We just aren't quite settled yet and our lives can be a little bit turbulent.  And I know that I'm not the only one.  I know lots of military families and bloggers who have lived in more place in the past 10 years than most people have in their entire lives!  I know I'm going to be happy to have this advice when I get ready to move into my new place at the end of the semester!

The following is a guest post written by Alecsy Christensen from Extra Space Storage.  They are based out of Salt Lake City, Utah.   I hope you'll enjoy these tips about preparing to move! 

How to Get Organized and De-clutter Before Moving

Before starting your moving process, a great step is to de-clutter your current personal belongings so you can make room for a fresh start in your new home. Take some of these tips and suggestions to organize your belongings, de-clutter your space, and purge your old items from your home to make your move that much easier.

How to Go Through your Clothes

Do you find yourself looking at all your clothes and thinking "I will probably wear that one of these days" and then putting it back in your closet and forgetting about it? When deciding what clothes to keep and bring into your new home, use the one year rule. If you have not worn it in one year, give it to Goodwill, DI, or have a bunch of friends over for a clothing trade.  By giving items away, you are making the opportunity for someone else to create new memories with them they will cherish.

How to Purge Old Items

Get rid of multiples. Do you have two DVD players, and not use either one because you have a PlayStation you use to play all your DVD's? Put your unused DVD players on Craigslist! Get rid of your old computers and laptops, and anything you have two of. For kitchen pots and pans, if you are really adamant about keeping as many pans as you can, keep a maximum of 4 each, because you only have room on your stove-top for a maximum of 4 pans, no need to store the rest!

The Importance of a Friend or Family Member

Is it too hard to de-clutter, because you cannot seem to throw anything out? Ask a friend or family member to help you with the process, they will have an objective view on your items, and be able to help you logically make the decision whether it is important to keep certain belongings or not. They do not hold the emotional charge you might hold with some of your most prized possessions, and they will be able to make sense of your items with more clarity.

Once your de-cluttering process is complete, it is time to move on to the next steps of moving! Check out the moving guide Extra Space Storage provides viewers with great dos and don'ts for your local move, how to pack and unload your moving truck, how to hire a moving company, and more.