Decluttering a house – tips for Kiwi movers

We’ve all been there. And we know it can get messy with stuff flying from the keep pile to the toss pile and back again, and arguments over your other half's ‘best’ holey trackies. One of the more labour intensive parts of shifting from one home to the other is what you do with your stuff. It’s a good opportunity to shed a bunch of items that aren’t needed anymore. Decluttering doesn’t mean throwing away everything as junk, though.

Before you fill up a carload and head to the rubbish dump, have a think about how you can repair, re-home, recycle or toss (as a very last resort). Check out our tips below:

That’s the first question...and the maybe pile is always the biggest, right? To help curb the umm-ing and ah-ing, try asking these questions about each item up for debate:

• Why am I keeping this?
• Do I really (really) want, like, use or need it?
• What will I gain by letting this go?
• How many of these do I really need?

If you decide it’s not for you, then it’s time to agree on what’s next for your item. With a bit of time and thought, we can give new life to something destined for the landfill.

There’s plenty of reasons why New Zealand should pause before doing a mass throw-out. That includes the 3.7 million tonnes of waste disposed of in Aotearoa in the 2022/2023 period. According to the Ministry for the Environment Manatū Mō Te Taiao, this was 4.6% more than the year before. And you don’t have to be an eco-warrior to know that making New Zealand’s landfills lighter creates a better country to live in.

Let's get crafty because fixing up is a better option than throwing out and buying new.

Fix and flick on

Even if you’re not keeping it, it’ll be something to donate or sell to help the moving budget. And if you’re not the DIY type, consider the value of the item in its best condition. It might be worth getting some bigger stuff fixed to sell or simply take with you to the new place.

Renewed and resource-kind

Extending the lifespan of your belongings is better for the planet and stops even more things going to landfill. And the process to break things down takes longer than most may think!

A stitch here or a lick of paint there could make your things good as new. Not your forte? Try finding a friend, family member or neighbour who’s handy on the tools or sewing machine. We find a batch of baking or a beverage of their choice helps sweeten the deal.

We might not have a use for that couch, cupboard or t-shirt anymore, but there are plenty of people or places that might. We love the win-win here: clearing space, giving to others and diverting waste from our landfills that are swiftly filling up.

Rehome items to friends and family

Why not have some people over and let them have a rummage through the things you don’t want?

Sell household items online

Consider throwing it on TradeMe, Facebook Marketplace or your local Neighbourly if you’ve got time and think it’s worth a bit of cash. Extra funds in the kitty are very welcome during that expensive moving home process. If you give yourself plenty of time, you could end up with a decent chunk of change to use for the move or towards something you need for the new place.

Donate to those in need

Your local charity shop might be desperate for the ‘heirloom’ salt and pepper shakers kindly gifted by your in-laws. It’s best to check before you drop off, though. These shops are often overwhelmed with goods they can’t sell because they’re in poor condition, it’s not the right season or they’ve got too much stock. Let's remember that they’re not our free landfill and make sure donations are clean and in working order.

Other options in the community:

• Think outside the charity shop too. Your things could put smiles on dials all around the neighbourhood:
• Schools, kindergartens, daycares and toy libraries
• Shelters (e.g. City Mission, Women’s Refuge and local non-profits)
• Community halls
• Food banks and food rescue schemes
• SPCA
• Places of worship

Beyond the standard glass, plastic and cardboard at the kerbside, there are options out there to recycle tricky things like tech, furniture and other household items. If you’ve got something that’s not in good enough nick for repairing or re-homing, see whether you can recycle it locally.

Recycle batteries

Batteries of any kind from AA to lithium-ion aren’t meant to go into general waste each week. They contain chemicals that are toxic and hazardous to both people and the environment. They’re also a fire hazard, especially in the busy landfill environment. A fire in a landfill is a fairly major issue. Instead, collect your used batteries in a container, well out of any child’s reach and then look for your local battery recycling programme. This gives you peace of mind that your batteries will be reused and managed safely.

Recycle electronics

Think that 90s PC is beyond hope? Don’t throw it in the tip just yet. E-waste has so much potential for reuse. There are plenty of components in computers, phones and other electronic devices that may find a new life in something else or be used to repair another device.

While we say don’t throw it into the general area of your landfill, there are locations around the country with a dedicated tip/trash shops you can take your electronics to. A tip shop will help to safely recycle and process these items in the proper way. Or, they may on-sell your donated gadgets in their shop. Just make sure to remove any data on these devices.

Whiteware and ovens

Need to get rid of an old, broken fridge, dryer or other large appliance before your move? Your local transfer station will usually have a designated area where you can leave these. It goes without saying, but we’ll say it anyway – make sure you’ve got plenty of help to shift these heavy items and always secure the load carefully.

Furniture

Second-hand furniture isn’t just reserved for charity shops – it’s big business. And sometimes we don’t even know what we’re ‘sitting on’. The couch you want gone because it won’t work in the new place could fetch good money from a second-hand furniture store. Otherwise, you could contact your local charity shops with information about your furniture. They may ask for photos and more details so they can decide whether or not they can take it. Those tip shops are worth a call too, as there are always bargain hunters looking for furniture to breathe new life into.

It’s the last resort, but some things do belong in the landfill. If you’ve exhausted the options above, put it in the bin and feel good about trying your best to give it a new life. Simply thinking about your clutter with a Marie Kondo-like intensity will make your moving load far less imposing.

Moving house? Now you’ve completed your pre-move purge, it might be time to think about your post-move power. Good news – you can leave that job to us. Just let us know you’re moving and we’ll get the power sorted at your new place, so you can enjoy a cuppa when you get there.

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