Moving home? Time to declutter!

Since the ease of lockdown restrictions on 13 May, the property market has been allowed to get moving again, albeit slowly and with caution. It means that those who were part way through house sales and purchases when everything ground to a halt on 20 March, are now able to proceed.

This is great news for the many people who have endured the frustration of putting their moving plans on hold for the past two months. Estate agents and conveyancers are now open for business and removal firms are able to operate again to get people moving. All of this will of course have to be undertaken carefully, with social distancing measures in place.

In regards to viewings, online ones will be encouraged first to ensure that only the most interested parties attend physical appointments, keep numbers to a minimum. But even with these additional challenges, it is great that the property market is once again operational.

Clear out before you move out!

When you’re moving house, you’ll have to pack up all your things ready for the removal company – so what better time to have a sort out to ensure you’re not paying to move things that you simply don’t need to take with you?

Garage or garbage?

Instead of transferring one garage load to another without thinking about it, why not take this opportunity to have a good sort out? Who hasn’t got old cardboard boxes, random bits of wood and unwanted items in their garage? Be brutal and dispose of anything that you do not need or no longer use. Fret not – TJ will ensure that everything that is reusable gets reused and everything else will be recycled or go down the ‘waste to energy’ route.

Venture into the loft

The loft is the place that most people store all their items that they don’t really need, but can’t bear to part with. Well, now is the time to part with them! It could be bags of old baby clothes or equipment, old books and games, excess pillows and duvets or maybe even a few carpet remnants! Some of these things can simply be dumped, but for those things that still have plenty of wear in them, why not offer to family and friends, or display on your driveway for passers by to take free of charge. Any particularly valuable items could even be sold online…

Sort your shed

Rusty old garden tools, broken garden chairs, deflated paddling pool… ring any bells? The shed is the perfect place to shove all the things we want out of sight when we have guests over for a BBQ, but the time has now come to open that door and cleanse! Start by completely emptying the shed, then neatly pack all the things you want to keep into boxes and crates or stack neatly if they’re large items. Sort through what’s left; throw away anything that will be of no use to anyone and offer unwanted items to others or again, try to earn a few pounds with an online sale.

Leave the garden ship shape

Although many people choose not to, it’s nice to leave the garden in a clean and tidy condition when you move. Clear away any old items such as children’s play equipment that’s past its best, worn or damaged garden furniture, broken fence panels or unwanted paving slabs/tiles etc. If you’ve accumulated garden waste over the lockdown period – or over the winter months – get rid of it before you go rather than leave it for the new owners to sort.

Unwanted furniture

Have a think about how you’ll use your current furniture in your new house. Are you downsizing? Are you looking to get rid of some pieces to create space or make way for new things? Perhaps some of your furniture is past its best – if so, now’s the ideal time to dismantle and dispose of it to save you the hassle of moving something you don’t really want. If you have furniture that’s in a good condition but simply unwanted, try to find a new home for it. Family and friends, online sales sites or Freecycle are viable options.

Get your paperwork in order

We all have paperwork that builds up over the years. Whether it’s piles of kids’ drawings and spelling tests, holiday or kitchen brochures or newspapers and magazines, moving home is a great excuse to recycle all that paper! You’ll probably have paperwork all over the house in different guises, so go through everything carefully to ensure no important documents get thrown away.

Any papers containing personal information should be shredded or disposed of in the correct way. If you have a large quantity of confidential paperwork that you need to dispose of, you could opt to make use of our confidential waste service, which will provide you with a fully verified certificate of destruction to guarantee your peace of mind.

Cull your clothing

Why not go through your wardrobes while you’re packing? Get rid of any clothes that no longer fit or that you don’t plan to wear again. Any clothes, sheets and towels that are worn or stained can be recycled via clothes banks and consider giving other clothes to charity shops (when they reopen) or offer to friends. Any clothes that are disposed of via TJ Waste will go into the ‘waste to energy’ route, so please rest assured.

Let us help!

We offer a fully comprehensive skip hire service that will make your pre-move clear-out a breeze! Choose from our range of skip size options, which range from 2-yard up to 12-yard and get clearing! Find guidance as to which size you need on our individual skip pages. We can deliver your chosen skip as quickly as the next working day if you wish and you can keep the skip for up to 14 days. You can arrange the collection at time of booking or let us know when you’re done, whatever suits you best.

Find out more about skip hire, as well as the other services TJ provides. Read our blog Skips: your questions answered to ensure you’re fully prepared for your skip’s arrival.