My boyfriend is a former Army man, so he likes things neat and tidy. While helping him declutter in preparation for the upcoming household move, I realized neat and tidy can be deceptive.
The closets of his condo turned into the likes of Mary Poppins bag. I pulled out one box then another and another until there were upwards of fifteen large boxes in the middle of the floor. And all of the boxes were filled with “very important stuff” even though none of them had been touched since the last time he moved.
Item by item we went through his household goods. Mr. Sentimental had a story for everything. “This is the t-shirt I got at a Dave Matthews concert in 1997. And, look, it still fits…kind of.”
He never officially asked me for moving tips and advice, but I offered it up anyway. “Take a picture, it’ll last longer,” I said as I laughed at the holes in the t-shirt he’d been storing in a box for years.
While I was being a bit facetious, I was also quite serious. Taking photos of cherished items that have no real value — other than the memory — is a great way to save money and space, especially during a move.
Moving cost estimates for long distance household and corporate relocations are based on two factors — weight and distance. One you can control, the other you probably can’t.
If you’re preparing for a move, or have extra time on your hands, take an afternoon to sort through all of those boxes you never open. Hold up the coffee mugs from your 1984 trip to the Bahamas and snap photos.
Continue through the house snapping photos. Once you’ve collected the photographic evidence, get rid of the items. You’ll have more space in your home and will save money when moving.
