How to deal with sentimental clutter when moving house

Each household move involves cutting down on clutter that has been accumulating over the years. When you are downsizing one of the biggest issues you may incur is a lack of space. Discarding the pile of old shoes and clothes won’t be nearly as difficult as letting go of sentimentals. Moving from a big home full of memories and items of sentimental value to a smaller place means that unfortunately some of them need to be left behind.

Should you move sentimental clutter to a new home?

The most common reasons why people tend to preserve emotional clutter like old photos, souvenirs, baby gear and toys, children’s handmade craft,… are:

• they got them from a dear person;
• their loved ones made something special and creative;
• some items remind them of certain periods of life, people, events,…

Even if you are forced to get rid of some sentimentals you should know that you are not giving up on your most treasured memories. Whether those items have monetary value or not, by adding emotional connotation, they become priceless to you. Being emotionally attached to some items, you are not able to let go of them. Although handling sentimental clutter when moving house is a real challenge, with an appropriate moving plan, you won’t have to give up on your treasured items in order to save space.

Packing your new home with old items and clutter is not the right way to start your new life. How about trying to make more space for other important and new items instead?

Basic steps for decluttering before moving

– Go through each and every cupboard and drawer in order to identify those items that aren’t worth moving. Damaged, broken and torn items should be disposed of no matter how dear they are to you. Remember, you will be moving only the items that are meaningful to you. In order to determine whether you are going to miss certain items, you should ask yourself if leaving those items behind will make a difference.

– Scan your old photos and have all of them in one place in digital form. Store them on your computer so that you can go through them whenever you feel the urge.

– Arrange your new place so that some features remind you of your old home, events, people,…You can even use some ideas and items from the previous home to decorate the new one and maintain some of the characteristics of already familiar surroundings.

– Dedicate a shelf or cupboard in your new house to all the treasured items you cannot give up on so easily.

Storing sentimentals when moving house

If your new home cannot accommodate all your sentimental possessions, but you want to preserve them at all costs, consider renting a suitable storage unit. Knowing that you won’t have to leave behind your sentimentals and that they will be safely taken care of in the right manner is a huge relief. Get enough storage containers, markers, labels, garbage bags and other storage supplies so as to make sure your objects of great sentimental value are properly protected. One of the positive aspects of putting your sentimental clutter into storage is that you can access them whenever you want, provided that the facility is situated close to your new home. If you are too busy to sort this matter out, have professional movers do that for you, while you are honoring your valuables and saying goodbye to some of them.

Holding onto memories and past events is ok as long as they are not overwhelming your present. It is heartbreaking for everyone to move out from the house full of memories, but you should also make room for some new experiences, people and memories. Bare in mind that you can treasure your memories without moving sentimental clutter whenever you go.