There are a lot of emotions involving relocation. It’s not something as simple as packing our bags and hitting the road. It’s even more about packing our whole life to move on to the next chapter. The challenge lies in choosing which of our accumulated belongings gets to move on with us. The transition can be as daunting as the unknown waiting for us at the new place, and sometimes with all the stress it entails, we will need all the help we can get.
In Australia, it is common for people to move around due to job location transfers, change of housing preference, making a fresh start, or simply because we’ve reached the end of our lease. Living day by day in the house we’ve grown comfortable in often leads us to overlooking the gradual accumulation of things in every corner, slipping past our awareness.
It is only when the need to declutter do we realize that our once manageable collection of stuff has grown into a staggering pile. Just looking at such a vision will leave us already overwhelmed at the thought of the physical toll it will take to go through everything. The urge to just leave it all there and pack your essentials is very tempting, but not exactly right and poses a great financial cost.
Bringing in the Professionals
If you plan to take the lead of cleaning out your apartment before the lease ends, you will need to bring in the services of professionals down the line. Rubbish removal companies typically offer a range of services, that includes complete removal of your waste, management of your unwanted items, either for recycling or donation, and even cleaning out the whole property. For your convenience, this page has more information on the full rubbish removal process. Their expert help will ensure that no unnecessary damage will be incurred in the process of clearing out the space, keeping that security deposit safe.
Employing the services of a team of expert professionals can save you time that you can otherwise use in planning the layouts and decorations of your new home. Additionally, when the place is all cleaned up with some help, you will still have the time and energy to take care of the other logistics, looking for a suitable moving company. With enough professional assistance at your door, you will not need to burden yourself with the fully demanding task of moving.
Decluttering and Organizing Strategies for Smooth Transfer
Whether we’re ready for it or not, the first step of cleaning up always starts with us. It may be easy to just dial the phone and get the professionals to do it, the decision on which stuff goes and stays still lies with us, thus it is important to have plan out an effective strategy in place, before getting the rubbish removal or moving professionals in the picture.
- Start way ahead of schedule
Most of the time, moving houses is scheduled in advance, unless you are doing it for emergency reasons. Knowing when you will be due to move out will give you enough time and headspace to start sorting through your possessions without feeling rushed. As soon as you’ve signed a new lease to a new location, start going through your stuff and weigh which possessions feel lighter to carry with you.
Here’s a comprehensive list of donation sites in Sydney: https://www.northsider.com.au/post/second-hand-donations-north-sydney
- Start the priority list
As you take inventory of what you’ve accumulated over the years, create a list that separates the things you want to keep, sell, discard, or donate. List them out by priority so you know which of your things are non-negotiable. This way, you have already developed a structure on how you want your things to be organized even before you start with the physical act of moving them around.
- Employ the one-year rule
When you are having a hard time deciding on whether to let go of a well-loved item, use the one-year rule as your guideline. If you haven’t used the item for over a year, maybe it’s time to let it go so it finds a new owner to benefit them.
- Prioritize sustainable approaches to your process
As you sort through your stuff, be very strict about your conditions on what can be discarded to the waste bins. Think of all the different ways an item can be reused, and if you can think of at least one, throw it in the recycling or donation pile. When you’re all out of ideas on how a specific item can be reused or recycled, and you deem them too damaged to ever have other uses, you can place them in your discard pile.
- Use a room-by-room approach to decluttering
Chaos breeds chaos, and when you employ a chaotic structure of cleaning out your house, you are bound to miss out on some things or be too overwhelmed to start. Structure your strategy systematically, cleaning out one room for one day, instead of all at once. This way, you are breaking down the task into actual manageable segments, allowing you to rest and breathe easily every after tacking one room.
- If applicable, involve your family members
If your move involves family members, include them in the process. This will divide the accountability and ease off some of the burden off your shoulder. Let them create their own list of their own belongings on what they will keep, donate, or discard. Give them the guidelines to help them with their decision while maintaining sustainability in everyone’s efforts.
Decluttering as an Emotional Journey
Decluttering is more than just about getting rid of physical objects; it is about letting go of emotional attachments. One reason that will possibly justify your stalling of the process is the challenge of letting go of possessions that hold sentimental value. While it is completely understandable to hold on to them, you must also remember that relocation is an opportunity for a fresh start. Letting go is part of the process, no matter how painful it can be.
Here are some items that will pose to be a challenge to discard, along with some tips to manage your emotions when doing so:
- Photo Albums – No matter how digital the generation gets, there is always something magical about printed photos. Over time though, without meaning to, piles and piles of photographs will accumulate in your drawers as you document every life’s milestone.
To manage clutter effectively, start with a clear goal. Determine the most suitable, non-bulky container for your photos and decide which memories you want to keep. Sort them accordingly and limit the number based on your chosen container’s capacity. You do not have to lose all the memories with the discarded photos, though, considering digitizing the ones you value most.
- Other sentimental items – This includes souvenirs from events and family vacations, trophies, and memorabilia, as well as childhood collections. Keeping all of them can be heavy and demands more space in your new home. Curate the ones you want to keep, and for the things you are having a hard time deciding, ask around family members who want to keep any of them. For items that no one wants to keep, maybe it’s time to look for new owners to take care of them.
- Outdated books and old clothes – Another set of items that are heavy with emotional attachment are books and baby clothes. It is packed with personal value and memories that getting rid of may seem like you are putting insignificance to your family’s past and children’s childhood memories.
However, they will continue to deteriorate being stuck inside boxes and will just accumulate dust in your new attic. Just keep in mind that when you let go of these things, you are allowing them for other chances to be appreciated, and have it restored to their original function, not just as keepsakes you tend to forget in dark rooms.
What to Expect from Your Landlord
Landlords have a shared responsibility with their tenants in ensuring that the moving process is undertaken smoothly. They are expected to clearly communicate with their tenants on their expectations and requirements for the apartment clean up. This communication could be in the form of a checklist or guidelines for end-of-lease responsibilities.
Your role as a tenant, on the other hand, is to make sure that the state of the property is in the same condition as when you moved in, sans the natural wear and tear. Thus, it is also your responsibility to account for any damage or deterioration throughout your stay.
Ultimately, decluttering is not about erasing the life you’ve hand in your old apartment. It’s about removing irrelevant items to give room for new ones, while maintaining a sustainable lifestyle. End-of-lease rubbish removal services, along with effective decluttering strategies, can streamline your moving experience and turn it from a stressful endeavor to a life-changing milestone.
