Toss It Or Store It? Three Questions To Ask Yourself When Deciding What To Do When Decluttering

If you are preparing to sell your home, your real estate agent may have recommended that you declutter your home. Many people who declutter their home rent out a self-storage unit to store the items that they want to keep and take with them to their new home. But one of the mistakes you can make is not using this time to properly declutter and get rid of its that you will not have any use for in your new home. This minimizes the amount of time you spend packing and moving belongings and the size of a self-storage unit you get. If you have items that you are not sure whether to toss or store, here are three questions you should ask yourself to help you decide:

Does the Item Get Used? 

The first question you should ask yourself is whether or not the item actually gets used. Unless an item has sentimental value, if you have no use for it, it should be gone. For example, you may have an old hand mixer that works perfectly well. But if you have a stand mixer, you may never pull that old hand mixer and use it. In this case, there is no reason to hold onto it. It just takes up cabinet space. Instead, toss it or donate it. 

Will the Item Fit In the New House? 

The next question to ask yourself is whether the item will fit in your new home. You may have a huge sectional couch that you love, and that is in great condition. But the sectional may not fit in your new home or your new home may not have the same layout so the piece won't work. If items won't fit in the house or do not fit in with the new style and decor of the home, there is no point in storing them in moving them to self-storage only to have to get rid of them when you make the move to your new home. 

Is The Item Nearing the End of Its Lifespan? 

The last question to ask yourself is whether an item is nearing the end of its lifespan. Moving is rough not only on you but on your belongings as well. They may go from your home to a storage unit to another home. If the items are already in rough shape or nearing the end of their lifespan, they may not survive the move, or they may not have much life left. It simply may not be worth moving them. 

It can be hard to let go of items that you think you may someday want to use again. But this is what creates clutter in homes. When you are removing clutter from your home to help it sell, don't move all of the clutter straight into a self-storage unit. Instead, take the time to really declutter and donate or dispose of items that you don't have a use for, that won't fit in in your new home or that are already nearing the end of their lifespan. 

For more information and assistance, contact a local household storage facility. 


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