Moving Tips For Packrats: How To Declutter & Relocate Smoothly

Planning Ahead & Taking Small Steps For a Stress-Free Move Without Hurting Feelings

Moving is stressful enough, but helping someone with years of accumulated belongings (known as “packrats”) can feel overwhelming and an almost impossible task. Fortunately, there are ways to make this move a bit easier and manageable without hurting anyone’s feelings. 

From planning ahead and starting with small steps to organize donations and get help from professional movers, we’ve created this guide with some of the best packrat declutter moving tips. With the right approach, what may seem overwhelming can turn into an opportunity for a fresh start and a smoother moving experience.

Plan Extra Time For Sorting & Decluttering

Make sure to leave a good amount of time dedicated to sorting, especially if you’ve accumulated a lot of things. Your moving plan will definitely take longer than just a few hours and a couple of boxes! Whether you’re moving to a tiny apartment or a big house, the big amount of things to organize can feel never-ending. That’s why we emphasize planning ahead and allowing extra time. 

Emma Gordon, a storage expert at Clutter Storage, says: “A studio apartment stacked to the ceiling and filled with stuff from wall to wall can take a week or more to organize and clean.” Therefore, you’ll need more supplies than usual; having boxes, bags, gloves, and cleaning stuff handy will be a huge help.

Extra tip: Break the process into manageable steps, like tackling one room each week, and use a calendar or checklist to stay on track. 

Begin With Small Steps To Avoid Overwhelm

One of the biggest challenges when helping a packrat move is knowing where to begin. That’s why our professional movers insist on our previous tip: instead of trying to tackle everything at once, start with small, manageable areas. You can start with a single drawer, closet, or corner of a room instead of a whole room at first. 

This approach helps build momentum without causing overwhelm. Avoid jumping between rooms or projects, as that can create unnecessary stress. By focusing on one task at a time and celebrating small wins along the way, the process becomes more organized and less intimidating.

Here are some practical examples:

• Tackle a junk drawer first – it’s a small space, but sorting it gives an instant sense of accomplishment.
• Sort through one bookshelf instead of the whole living room. Pick out books to keep, donate, or recycle.
• Clean out a single closet shelf—don’t worry about the entire closet yet.
• Go through one box at a time in the garage or storage area rather than trying to unpack everything at once.
• Pick a category of items, like old shoes or kitchen utensils, and focus only on that before moving on.

Use Smart Decluttering Strategies

Decluttering can feel overwhelming without a clear system, which is why having a strategy makes all the difference. Our local movers have shared here some of the most helpful:

Three-Box Method

One of the most effective approaches is the Three-Box Method. It consists of creating separate boxes labeled Keep, Donate/Sell, and Discard. This simple setup provides structure and helps avoid second-guessing later.

Essential Box

Another helpful tactic is preparing an Essentials Box. For this one, you only need a small container with the items needed immediately after moving, such as toiletries, a few dishes, medications, and important documents. This prevents unnecessary stress when settling into the new place.

Taking Photos Of Sentimental Items 

For sentimental items that are difficult to let go of, consider taking photos before donating or discarding them. This way, you preserve a good memory without adding to the clutter. 

We recommend combining these strategies to make the moving process as efficient, organized and less stressful as possible. 

Address The emotional Side With Compassion

Decluttering isn’t just a physical task—it’s an emotional one. For many packrats, belongings carry memories and a sense of comfort, which makes parting with them difficult. 

That’s why compassion is key. Instead of criticizing or pushing too hard, offer gentle encouragement and listen to their feelings. Remind them that keeping everything can make moving harder, while letting go creates space for a fresh start in their new home.

A helpful strategy is to focus on what truly matters: saving items with real value or strong sentimental meaning, while releasing duplicates, broken objects, or things they no longer use. Reassure them that donating items allows those belongings to bring joy to someone else. 

With empathy and patience, the process becomes less about losing things and more about moving forward with clarity and peace of mind.

Organize Donations & Disposal For a Smoother Move

After sorting all the items, it’s time to make a clear plan for where unwanted items will go. If you use the Three-Box Method, then the work is mostly done since you’ll already know what items will be donated or discarded.

Avoid leaving all the items just piling up. Piling everything in the garage or leaving it until the last minute only adds stress to moving day. Instead, schedule donation drop-offs or pick-ups with local charities, shelters, or thrift stores (many organizations even offer free collection services for larger items).

For belongings that can’t be donated, consider hosting a quick garage sale or listing them on online marketplaces to lighten the load and earn a little extra cash. Broken, outdated, or unusable items should go directly to recycling centers or bulk trash pickup to avoid clutter creeping back into the home.

Keep Momentum Through The Moving Process

Staying consistent is one of the hardest parts of helping a packrat move. Once the initial energy fades, it’s easy to stall or slip back into old habits. To prevent this, set realistic daily or weekly goals, such as clearing one closet or packing three boxes at a time (you can simply follow our second tip from this guide). Remember that these small targets create a steady rhythm and keep progress visible.

It also helps to track accomplishments—crossing tasks off a checklist or seeing boxes pile up provides motivation to continue. Celebrate small wins along the way, whether that’s enjoying a favorite snack after finishing a room or taking a short break to recharge. 

If the process becomes too overwhelming, invite friends, family, or professional movers to lend support. With steady effort and encouragement, momentum builds naturally, making the move feel less like a burden and more like a fresh start.

Motivational Tip: Focus on progress, not perfection. Every box packed and every item sorted is one step closer to a smoother, lighter move.

Simplify Moving Day With These Tips

After all the planning and decluttering, moving day should feel as stress-free as possible. The key is preparation. Start by labeling boxes clearly with both the room name and a short description of contents (this saves time and frustration when unpacking). Keep an inventory list of boxes, especially for valuable or fragile items, to ensure nothing gets lost along the way.

It’s also smart to separate essentials, such as medications, important documents, chargers, snacks, and a change of clothes, into an overnight bag that stays with you during the move. This way, you won’t have to dig through boxes on the first night. 

Finally, if you’re working with professional movers, communicate ahead of time about heavy, fragile, or unusually shaped items to avoid surprises. These small steps make the day smoother, quicker, and far less overwhelming.

Why Professional Movers Can Make Your Move Easier

While these tips are helpful, don’t forget to contact our experts if you think there’s still a lot of things to do for your next big move. With a professional approach you can make part of the project easier and less stressful. Contact A to Z Valleywide Movers today for professional moving services to make your move smoother.