Spring cleaning; words that excite the most organized person and completely exhaust the routine hoarder. When coupled with thoughts of moving, it can be a truly overwhelming experience—regardless of your afflictions toward spring, or cleaning. However, with proper planning and a little patience, our tips for spring cleaning your home can be a pleasant beginning and peaceful end to your moving experience.
Tip #1: Spring Cleaning Your Pack Rat Personality
In any move, you need to get rid of the fluff that will weigh you down. If you have to ask yourself if it’s fluff – aka, something you do NOT need to live, then it probably is. Clothes, toys, shoes, even furniture – if you don’t use it, rip the Band-Aid off and get rid of it! Take this time to be intentional and methodical; pre-plan your purge and go in with an idea of where to start. For all of the pack rats out there, if this is the first time you’ve stepped into the back of your closet, your fluff purge may take a little longer. It’s scientifically written somewhere (we’re pretty sure) that getting rid of the things you don’t need will drastically make your move easier and lessen your stress when packing and unpacking. In the end, all the more space in that empty drawer you’d otherwise be stuffing junk in for years to come. Right?
Wondering what to do with your extra stuff? Donate it! Clothes, toys, furniture, dishes – just about anything is accepted by Goodwill, Salvation Army, local shelters, and more. Research the closest location to you, call to ask what items they accept and make the trip – it’s worth it, we promise. This will likely add time to your spring cleaning, but in the process, you’ll be doing a good deed and you can also receive a tax deduction for donating your old items. There’s no reason to not get rid of the fluff now!
For canned food items that you don’t foresee using and that are still within expiration, donate to Austin’s Hope Food Pantry. Remember – only take the essentials with you. For food that’s not quite expired – or maybe almost expired (hey, we don’t judge) plan a group or a solo (back to the no judgment promise) Netflix and binge session.
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Tip #2: Spring Cleaning In the Most Literal Sense of the Word
In any move, thoroughly cleaning your home before your move in is not only important for aesthetics, it can also help you find things that you thought were long gone. For example, you may find that extra house key you hid on the back porch underneath that one potted plant. Or, if you’re anything like us, you may discover your old cookie stash that you forgot about when you were hiding it from your kids. Either way, giving your home a thorough, deep clean can help the selling process become easier by showing buyers a pretty space. Taking the advice from tip #1 and purging before you list your home can show interested buyers what they’re working with.
Additional tip: Getting rid of old furniture ahead of time and giving your home a deep clean can really make that listing picture *sparkle*.
At this point, you’re probably going to be tired. Even the most seasoned organizer with an incredible cleaning stamina needs a little bit of help. Not to fret, Capital Movers can custom tailor a packing and labor plan for you! You’ve done the first leg of work, let us help you finish the race.
Tip #3: Spring Cleaning Your Future Home Before Move-In
It can be challenging to see the whole picture when countless boxes are in the way. Take a day if you’re afforded one, go to your future abode and give it a light clean before all of your stuff is moved in. This will make your life easier and let’s be honest it’ll give you more time to plop down on the couch and stare at the behemoth of stuff you’ve acquired and brought into your new home.
Post-move, you’ll want to finish that deep clean your house so that your new home can truly feel like it’s yours.
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Spring Cleaning can seem like a very daunting task, but our cleaning tips are designed to make your life easier – you’ll thank us later. At Capital Movers, we can even do you one better and split the workload with you. Follow our Spring Cleaning tips and we can help with packing AND the big move.
Give us a call to find out how you can receive a FREE residential moving quote today!