Decluttering has been a home-design buzzword for years, and moving is a perfect time to do an intense declutter. Most people have had the experience of getting rid of a bunch of stuff when they move, but it's often a rushed, last-minute thing. Plus, it doesn't always result in you getting rid of everything you can -- it's often just the stuff that won't fit in boxes during the last week or so.

As the moving countdown heads toward the big day, there's a tendency to start tossing more and more. But it's much better to start packing earlier so that you can really evaluate everything you own and do a thorough job of decluttering as you pack each box.

Less Weight and Space

The most immediate benefit of doing a thorough decluttering job as you pack is that you'll have less stuff taking up space. Given that many moving companies base their price on weight, especially for long-distance moves, this reduction will only help you have a more efficient, reasonably priced move.

Better Organization

Once you've gotten the boxes and furniture into your new place, the benefits of that decluttering continue. With less stuff to worry about as you unpack, you'll be able to organize your new home more efficiently. And it's also possible that now that you've gotten rid of a bunch of stuff, you'll find even more that you can get rid of as you arrange everything.

Required Attention

The only real difference between decluttering and just throwing things out as you pack is that a non-move decluttering has to be scheduled. You have to decide that you'll devote some time to going through a part of your home. Since you have to go through everything anyway to fit your belongings into boxes, you may as well just start early and make this a major clean-out job.

None of this is meant to say that you can't have belongings. This is not a call to limit what you have to spartan, utilitarian items only. But it is helpful to get rid of those things that you truly don't have any desire to keep.

Of course, if you've kept up with your cleaning and decluttering over the years, you might get rid of very little. If you find you want to keep a lot more as you pack, you can get extra moving boxes from moving companies and moving supply stores. Turn your move into a time to really find out what you want to keep. For more information, contact companies like Wheaton World Wide Moving.