People tend to hold onto their clutter because of the emotional attachment that they may have and don’t want to make a mistake and later regret getting rid of something.
Give Yourself Time. The more time you have to organize before you move, the less stressful the process will be. Whether downsizing your home is imminent or a "some-day" thing, de-cluttering is one of the first steps. Everyone holds onto clothes, furniture, and household items “just in case” they might need them someday, not to mention any items that you might have inherited, such as other people’s or the kids’ stuff.
Check with your Family. Let your family know that you are de-cluttering, they might want some of your items.
Sell or Donate. I deal with auction houses, dealers and consignment shops to identify what can be sold, and what items should be donated to charities.
In the “Pitch It” box throw out anything that is broken or not worth fixing, and old paperwork. Clear out and dispose of anything of no value, either at the curb or to charity. I can help you arrange either.
The “Keep It” box is for items that you want to keep. Some people will keep their family heirlooms so that they can be sure that the right people get the treasures, but also to have the joy of giving them to their loved ones personally. When organizing the “Keep It” box, be strict and ask yourself “Have I used this item during the past year, or if I know someone else who can use this item, could I give it away?”
In the “Give Away” Box and Charity the items should be in good shape. When giving to charities, ask for a tax receipt for the donated items.
Have a Sale. If you have sufficient items of value, an auctioneer can be arranged to come in and hold an estate sale of the larger items, or an online auction can be arranged. A garage sale is an easy way to dispose of your “Give Away” items and earn some extra cash. If you don’t want to organize the garage sale on your own, you can ask a family member or friend for help in return for part of the proceeds, or a consignment store may take some of the items. For your antiques and specialty items either contact a local antique dealer, or I can put you in touch with the right people.
Family Photographs. You can start by discarding duplicates, out of focus, and irrelevant photos, then sort the rest by the year, event or group them by family member. You can scan and store them on to your computer which saves space, or you can use a digital photo frame, a great place for your favourite ones
Books Hold onto the books you really love, the rest can be donated to your local library, charity, retirement residence or sold to a second hand bookstore or as part of your garage sale.
