Removing Garbage Before you Move

When you move house there is sure to be a lot of unwanted clutter, trashy items and bits and pieces that you don’t want or need to take with you. To remove many years of accumulated stuff from your home it’s likely you’ll need more than just a council garbage bin.

If you have a great deal of cleaning up to do then hiring a skip bin is your easiest option. Then you can simply throw all your rubbish into it and it will be collected when you are done. This is much easier than making trips to the local garbage dump and it doesn’t cost that much either. Hire a larger one than you think you’ll need as it will be more economical than hiring a small skip and later realizing that you actually need another, and it’s actually against the law to overfill a skip.  

If you have lots of things you don't need at your new home but don’t want to get rid of as it’s either of sentimental value or valuable if not necessarily useful, or are not moving into your new place right away, then contacting a self storage facility is usually the easiest and safest option. You can put all your unnecessary items into self storage for as long as you like and pick it up when the time suits. Sell any items that are not 'rubbish' to help fund your move or pay for the storage unit, or simply give them away to a local charity store so they still go to a good home.

Recycling is another option and a practical one that is environmentally-friendly into the bargain. Most things can be recycled, including clothes and shoes, newspapers and books, bags and plastic, metal objects and toys, whatever it is it’s likely it can be salvaged in some way or another.

The best way to deal with a full house is to sort each room into separate piles, a pile for things you want to take with you, a pile of items to be thrown away, and a pile to be given away. Then deal with each pile, take the items to the charity shop or the recycle bins found at most large supermarkets, give friends or neighbours other things you no longer have use for. Throw the broken bits and useless items in the garbage and don’t look back. And for the rest get some strong sturdy boxes and start wrapping and packing.

There are removal and storage services that will come and clean up for you too if you don’t have the time, or the inclination, to do it yourself. This can take a huge load off your mind and ensure that the house is super clean for the new owners, tenants or for landlord inspection.

Security Checks for a New Neighbourhood

Places you have lived in for some time can feel secure to you because you are familiar with the area and know the faces that live in your vicinity. However, when searching for a new house to buy make sure you perform a security check of both the property and the neighbourhood before investing, as a safe environment is one of the most important elements for a new home.

In every city and town, there are particular areas where burglary and theft is more common. It’s worth checking out the statistics for crimes, as this will also affect your insurance premium, which could be high if the area is a high risk.

Before you make the major decision to buy a new home, make sure you take a good look at the local neighbourhood. Go for a drive or take a walk around the area after you have inspected the property and see if you have a good feeling about the place. It is a good idea to visit the area at different times of the week; the atmosphere will be very different on a Monday morning than a Saturday night for example, and go at night times too.

If you don't feel comfortable or safe then avoid it, even if it is relatively safe. You don’t want to live in a place that makes you feel nervous or edgy as moving house is a stressful enough, and expensive, venture and you don’t want to have to move again in the near future if you aren’t happy there.

Looking at your potential neighbours’ homes and yards will give you a good indication of what the people in the area are like. Avoid poorly maintained areas or places where there may be many graffiti and vandalism as this demonstrates that the community isn’t concerned with taking care of their surroundings or homes and this will affect the value of property in the area.

Check the property for good security features such as fences, spotlights and even alarm systems. 

Don’t let this deter you too much; however as extra security can always be added once the purchase has gone through.

Also check the local facilities and amenities to get a sense of community. A community should have a local shopping parade with convenience shops, grocers and bakers, a pub, and a post office for example. These are the kinds of places where the locals can meet and get to know who their neighbours are, and then they’re more likely to look out for one another and be friendly to the familiar faces they see around.

Change the locks, as you will never know for sure who might still have copies of the house keys. Arrange for a Master Locksmith to come and fit new locks to all the exterior doors just to be on the safe side.

You should take your time when considering a new area to move into, if you have to be out of the old premises before you are ready then put your belongings into a self storagefacility and stay somewhere temporary whilst you look around.

Declutter Your Home And You’ll Also Be Decluttering Your Life

Living in the same house for years can lead to a lot of clutter, and the odds are that a lot of it you never use, never look at and will never need again. Perhaps it’s time for a good clear out, set aside some time to organise yourself and your home and at the end of the decluttering project you’ll be amazed at the difference it can make to the house and your mood.

Is your home full of belongings and furniture collected and acquired over the years? If the house is starting to feel too small for the family and all their stuff, but you don’t have the money or the inclination to move into a larger property, then there is another solution. It’s time to declutter your home!

Most people have far too many bits and pieces and the key to a calm life and a calm home is to minimise how much of that stuff stays around. Now there’s no reason to start hyperventilating at the thought that you have to throw out treasured objects, sort through photos and other memorabilia and discard items that might seem old and worn to others but are precious to you. 

There is another option that can free up a lot of space in your home but still means you can hold on to everything you want to.

Self-storage units give you a place to store all those items not required on a daily basis, and they come in different sizes from smaller options that are suitable for documents or pieces of furniture to larger ones that can fit the contents of a 4 bedroom house in very easily. These are really great for those that have far too many belongings at home but don’t have the heart to throw, sell, or give it away. Accessible every day of the year they can be the solution to your storage problems and charges are very reasonable.

It can help to make a plan as this gives you a schedule to keep to and a system so you don’t get fazed when faced with a whole room that needs a lot of organization. Some people like to start from the top of the house and make their way down, whilst others will want to get cracking on the rooms they live in the most, generally the kitchen or living room, and worry about the rest later.

In your plan choose the room order you intend to sort out first and try to put some kind of time frame to it, it can be a fast process with a room completed every 3 days, or taken at a slower pace with a week allocated to each room. Then make a task list for each room and what needs to go where. Lists can help you stay focused and keep on track.

Consider what items you really don’t have a need for any longer, this could include toys that have been outgrown, clothes from the 70’s that are well out of fashion, mis-matched furniture that’s far too bulky for the room it’s in, and more, more, more! Once you have selected those things get rid of them straight away – give them to the needy or a local charity, give them away to family or friends, or have a car boot sale, whatever it is just get rid of them.

Now you already have some space and you’ve only accomplished the first step. Aren’t you feeling better already? The next part is to have an idea of what you want to achieve in terms of how your home will look. Are you after a minimalist look or something a bit cosier? Get some packing boxes sorted out and start going through all your possessions, this includes opening up drawers and wardrobes, cleaning out closets and tidying bookcases.

You have to be really motivated to go through with this process, there’s no point starting it with good intentions getting it half done and then abandoning the project from lack of motivation. We never said this was going to be easy but the end result will definitely be worth all the hard work involved.

Cameron Robertson writes about self storage solutions for Dee Why