Rid your life of unnecessary belongings before the packing service team arrives

Moving houses can be a daunting and exhausting task, but it can also be a great opportunity to get rid of unwanted clutter. It may seem like extra work at first, but reducing the amount of possessions you have to move can actually lighten your load.

While many movers simply rent a moving truck to schlep their goods from point A to point B, the smart ones call on a full packing service and moving team to make things easier. A packing service team is made up of several professionally trained packers who will carefully wrap your delicate pieces and pack all of your belongings in the most efficient and safest way possible.

But how would you feel telling the packing service workers to help you pack up that pile of old magazines or the broken turntable you'll never use? If you can't explain why you need to hold on to piles of junk to a complete stranger, you probably shouldn't be holding on to them.

The fact is most people have a bit of a tendency to hoard their belongings, even if it's not to the extent we often see on horrific reality shows. But moving houses can be an opportunity to start fresh. You will have a much better outlook in a new house and a new neighborhood if you don't drag all of your old junk along with you. Keep the essentials and certain emotionally important pieces and properly discard the rest.

First, go through your rooms, closets and attic to find everything and anything that can simply be thrown away. Separate your recyclables from the regular trash, and bring them to the recycling bin and dumpster. Preparing to pack and move all your goods is as good a motivation as any to minimize your possessions. Who wouldn't want to have fewer things to load and unload?

Realizing how excessive their possessions are should bring about a charitable spirit in most people. While you are blessed with the problem of too much, there are people all in your community who suffer from the problem of too little. Go through your closets and pull out the clothing and accessories you no longer wear. Many people follow a simple rule: If you haven't worn it even once in the past year, you don't need it. Make sure the clothes are in decent condition and bring them to your local thrift store, homeless shelter, or other place of need. You will feel better not only about reducing your own clutter but also about helping others.

When you get to your new location and begin the unpacking process, you may realize you still have more stuff than you have proper room for. If you find yourself wanting to leave certain things in the box and toss them in the attic, it may be a good sign that you didn't get rid of everything you could have. Unpacking can be just as good a time for assessment as packing.