How to Declutter Your Home Before a Major Remodel

Remodeling your home can go very smoothly if you do the right things before you begin. Decluttering helps you to get rid of things you don't need and reduces the load in your home. It is also important for you to create space for the remodeling to occur, so you get the best results. In this guide, we will discuss the best way to effectively declutter your home before a major remodel.

The rooms where the remodeling will have the greatest impact should be decluttered first. These places will either be demolished or renovated, so you won't have to pack or unpack twice.

It also helps keep the project area clear and allows contractors to move around safely. The rest of your house will also feel less chaotic as you focus on decluttering from the most affected area to the least affected.

All items in your house should be sorted into one of four categories without exception: Sell, donate, discard, and keep. This simple system lets you decide on each item as you arrange them. This stops you from moving items around aimlessly and prolonging your work.

Only keep what you genuinely use or items that you love and sell, donate, or discard the rest. Ensure that duplicates or broken items are accounted for and treated accordingly. Donate items that are no longer useful to you and sell items that you think are worth something. Expired, damaged, or unusable items should be thrown away.

Decorative and interior pieces come in different shapes and sizes and would be placed throughout your house. Rugs, curtains, wall mantels, and fragile items should be removed from around the house. These pieces can get damaged, dusty, or scratched once the remodeling work begins.

Even if these pieces are not in the direct area to be remodeled, it is better to have them removed as a preventive measure. Taking them down preserves the items and frees up contractors to do their jobs without tiptoeing around fragile items. Wrap decorative items carefully and store them upright. Large rugs or drapes should be cleaned and folded before they are stored in a dry place.

Countertops, shelves, and floor areas should be completely cleared. Surfaces can quickly get cluttered, so it is important to keep them clear. Clearing the surfaces in your home makes them instantly more manageable and reduces the risk of dust collecting on your belongings during remodeling. Keep items you use frequently accessible on your surfaces while the rest should be put away. The clearer the surface, the easier it is to clean and for your contractors to prepare for work.

Labeled boxes allow you to easily find your stuff when you look for them. All items should be labeled by room and their content. This saves you time when you need something during remodeling or when you are rearranging after. The room and a short description of the items inside the boxes will suffice.

For example, “Living room: decorative pieces.” You should also keep a list of inventory in your phone or on paper as a back up. Clear labeling helps anyone assisting you to know where each item goes without making mistakes or slowing down the process.

Items that you rarely use should be kept safely away in self storage units. Seasonal and rarely used items such as sports gear, spare linens, holiday decorations, and off-season clothing. These should be prioritized because you do not need them right away. Moving these items out of your home and into storage creates visual progress and gives you the mental boost to finish the decluttering.

Additionally, it frees up storage space for the remodeling and gives your contractors space to execute. Use labeled boxes and clearly labeled bins so that you can locate things without reopening all the packed boxes. This also allows you to see how much storage space you have in your house after all the non-essentials have been taken off-site.

Ensure that you choose a reputable contractor for your remodeling job. Choose a timeline that allows you to declutter your space before work begins. Ensure that you take delays into the project completion deadline so that you have a realistic schedule for when your house will be fully functional again.

When choosing a storage unit, ensure that it is a decent distance from your house and has friendly rates since you are going to be having your stuff there in the short to medium-term. Finally, get help with decluttering if possible for support and to speed up the process.