You’ve taken the next step in your relationship and are moving in together. Congratulations! Now... what do you do with all those double items?
Are you going to keep your couch or theirs? Are you going to combine your coffee mugs or buy all new ones? Here are some tips for staying organized when you move in together.
Step 1: Declutter
There are several reasons to declutter a home before moving in with your loved one. These include:
- Saving Money: Getting rid of unwanted goods will save you money in the long run. Moving companies charge by the trunk space, hourly rates, and sometimes even weight. By only moving items you absolutely intend to keep, you guarantee you’re not wasting space, weight, and money.
- Saving Time: Packing eats up a huge chunk of your time. Decluttering ensures that you’ll only pack the items that have space in your new home. This allows you to pack more quickly and efficiently!
- Saving Space: Why move something to your new home if you’re not going to use it? This is especially important if you’re moving in with another person. Instead of packing up things that no longer have any value to you, call Junk360 to haul it away. We’ll either find a new home for it or find a way to recycle it.
When you’re decluttering, set up a space, bag, or box for the items you’re getting rid of. At the end of each day, go through those items and organize them into three sections:
- Sell: If there are items you want to sell, contact your local consignment store. Craigslist and eBay are also great ways to sell your stuff online.
- Donate: Less valuable objects make great donations. Call your local charities to find out what items they need. Some of them will even pick those items up themselves, saving you a trip!
- Junk: At the end of the day, throw out everything in your junk pile. Don’t give yourself a chance to rethink it. It’s worthwhile to hire a professional junk removal service for larger items, such as furniture and old appliances.
Don’t add any more options! Make sure you’re taking care of things immediately that way you’re not bringing your old clutter with you as you move forward in your relationship.
Step 2: De-Double Your Belongings
When most people move in together, they each already have dishes, kitchen utensils, couches, wine openers, mugs, beds and more. So how do you determine who tosses what?
Here are a few suggestions:
- Keep the Heirlooms: Getting rid of heirlooms when you move in together isn’t the best way to deal with your family treasures. Make sure to keep the items that have personal value no matter what.
- Toss the Gross: Old, broken, moldy, and rusty items has got to go. That goes for everything - from furniture to cooking pots. If your partner doesn’t have a set of their own then it’s the perfect time to buy a new one together!
- Sort Through Electronics: Should you get rid of your TV or should they? Depends on who has the one with the best quality! Sort through the double electronics and pick which ones say and which ones go.
- Junk Bathroom Junk: Bathroom storage is a huge issue when moving in together. Get rid of anything you haven’t used in one year, especially toiletries and cosmetics. Then, figure out if you have any doubles - such as hair dryers - that you can sort through.
- Deal With the Furniture: If your new home doesn’t have enough room to store 2 beds, 2 couches, 2 coffee tables, and 2 lounge chairs, you will have to make some tough decisions. Discuss what stays and what goes. Be prepared to make some compromises.
Figure out what stays and what goes by asking each other the following questions when a miscellaneous or duplicated item came into question:
- Will you both use this?
- Will you use it in the next few days?
- Does it fit the look and feel of your shared space?
