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DIY moving might seem an easy-going process, that can save you your hard-earned money but this is far from the truth. It can become challenging when you have a million things to take care of when moving.
However, you can make it easy by getting rid of the unnecessary items and objects that you no longer need. A minimalist move will require you to lighten your load before you start packing. Consequently, you will also need to plan ahead so the necessary items are organized.
You should not be gathering your valuables the night before the moving day and losing your sanity in the process. To make your move to your new home as smooth and efficient as possible, we have compiled a guide to walk you through the minimalist moving process.
The best way to pull off a minimalist move is to start preparing for it at least a week or two before the actual date. You can divide your items into three different types – Kitchen Items, Bathroom Items, Bedroom items & other furniture.
The first type that needs to be sorted is your kitchen items. There is a high probability that your kitchen has become a junkyard for unused items and crockery. Most people do not throw away chipped crockery but they also do not use it because it is not presentable. You can throw these away because they will only add up to the heavy load of items that need to be moved.
You can go through the kitchen shelves and cabinets to find items that haven’t been used in an eternity. Any kitchen appliances that are excess such as two coffee makers or multiple toasters should be given away to friends or family.
Other than that you should throw away the kitchen towels or dish towels and any other old cleaning product because they can be bought at any grocery store.
While shortlisting the kitchen items you are going to take with you, go through your pantry and refrigerator as well. You can get rid of the long-life items from your pantry because they might have run stale. You can either throw them or donate them to a food bank. You can also get hold of perishable foods from your refrigerator and cook them to avoid wasting them.
Your next stop after the kitchen should be your bathroom. Start by looking and going through all the bathroom cabinets and drawers. Collect all the items and objects from the cupboards and shelves. You can now start sorting them.
Remember to sort out the essential daily used items first, it will make your judgment clearer regarding unnecessary items. You can organize the essential items and pack them into a box that can be easily identified once you are in your new home.
You can further sort your items into categories such as bathroom electronics, essential toiletries, beauty products, and cosmetic products, medicines, and cleaning supplies. Sorting these things can declutter your packing procedure and lighten the load.
Additionally, you can get rid of expired personal care items such as shower gels, shampoo bottles, or aftershave lotions. It can also include appliances or accessories that are broken and should be discarded.
Once you are done with the bathroom and kitchen items you can move forward to bedroom items and furniture. Sorting them out can be relatively easy because they are large and you already know that if they are to be packed or they are to be left behind.
However, you might have some furniture or items that are in a flimsy state. You should give it a thought and decide whether you are better off giving them away or not. For example, an old iron stand that has bent legs or a piece of wooden furniture that is withering. You can either donate them or throw them.
With our emphasis on the minimalist move, it is important to think about the things you need in your new home and the things that are unnecessary. Sometimes when moving across the state or to a new city or town, the cost of moving a certain item is more than the cost it would take to buy a new one.
So you can get an estimate of the transportation cost of a certain item to make the decision. For example, the average cost of a dining table is around $400-800 while the transportation cost can vary between $300-$700, making it cheaper to sell the current one and repurchasing a newer one in your new home.
If you really want to save on moving costs and move as few items as possible you can sell your current items and objects and repurchase newer ones in your new home. This way you will not only save money but have new and latest items (furniture, appliances) to keep in your new home.
Once you have given away or thrown away or sold all the unnecessary items you should start packing your things. You can follow the same procedure by starting with the sorted kitchen items, then move towards the bathroom and finally to the bedroom and other furniture.
You should get packing supplies such as packing paper, packing sleeves, tape, markers, bubble wrap, plastic wrap, padding, and fragile stickers. These will be required to pack the things safely and securely.
While you might be able to fit your items and objects into cardboard boxes it is recommended to use plastic moving bins offered by Bin it. They are sturdy and strong, allowing you to pack your things safely and move them with peace of mind.
The moving bins can also be labelled so you can easily locate your items once you are at your new home. And since there will be lesser items left after following the above-mentioned steps you won’t need many of these plastic moving bins. Just remember to add padding in these bins so the items do not get damaged.
Bin it can also help you with your moving process because not all of us have the time and energy to pull off a DIY move on our own. Contact Bin It to avail their services in North Bergen, NJ: https://bin-it.com/