Moving house with less hassle – Part 2

There are several things which, similarly to reading material, can be easily dispensed of at the packing stage of the relocation process. Attack kitchen cupboards. This room is another good place to find a miscellany of objects that have been sitting hidden away uselessly for quite some time.

Most people hoard kitchen utensils and gadgets which stopped working and were never fixed, plastic containers which looked pretty but were never really useful, chipped crockery, hopelessly soiled napkins and dishcloths…..these are all items which can be easily replaced with nicer things if necessary, and which, once removed from your home, will make the packing process that much lighter.

When packing breakables make sure you pack well, using old newspapers and magazine pages to wrap each item individually and use crumpled paper to provide that extra cushioning to avoid breakages. Fill up boxes well and comfortably without cramming in things and once full, tape up and seal also the bottom, using those markers to indicate to yourself and to whoever is helping unpack, what the boxes contain. Do not simply write ‘KITCHEN’ on a box belonging to the kitchen. Be more specific. ‘KITCHEN – SUGAR, TEA, COFFEE, MUGS’ for instance will make it easier to sit down and have a cuppa in between unpacking.

Enter the bathroom. One might think –‘what on earth could be hoarded inside a bathroom?’ You’d be amazed. For one thing, there are all the old, worn, faded towels…. Then there is the medicine chest. Check each item for its expiry date, throw away old bandages that are not sealed, old creams, cosmetics and other products which definitely all have a ‘best by’ date which you never bothered to check. If you are unsure where to throw expired medicines, pack them in a bag and give them to your local pharmacist who will know how best to dispense of them safely.

The bedroom is where clutter is very neatly cloistered inside cupboards, wardrobes, armoires, fashionable looking trunks and fancy boxes. We all possess clothing clutter , if anything because we generally change shape over the years, we all soil or tear clothing items occasionally, we all make bad purchases and we all get given gifts we never really liked. So, the ultimate decision is what to keep and what not. Look at what you have not worn for this past year or two and unless it has a very strong sentimental value (as in the case of a wedding dress or your father’s old tuxedo which you inherited) then you really don’t need to keep it.

Last of the lot is the garage. Most people are very disciplined about keeping garages neat and proper. Many others are not, and their garage gets loaded with old computers, unwanted furniture, boxes of all appliances and gadgets purchased over the last decade, broken down fans, old shoes….. Be ruthless and if need be get somebody to help you lift the heavier items to sort through things. Phone your local council to check when the next Bulky Refuse Service truck passes through your neighbourhood and book it.

This part of the re-locating process is definitely not easy but once it’s done, you will be able to proceed with your life in new premises with a fresh mind, ready for a clutter-free start in life. Good luck.

This article was written by Marika Azzopardi, a freelance writer and journalist. A frequent contributor to national English language papers and magazines, she writes about a bevy of topics including art, people and life in general. She is also the author of children’s books and short stories, delving into adult fiction from time to time.