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Phone Number

732-748-1200

Call Us Now! 24/7

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Spring Cleaning Before Your Move – Part 2

With summer just a day away, countless people are in the thick of their annual spring cleaning activities. Many people find the physically taxing, time-consuming work of spring cleaning to be well worth the refreshing end result – a clean, decluttered home. But for those planning to move in the spring or summer, spring cleaning is an even more critical, time-sensitive task.

In “Spring Cleaning Before Your Move – Part 1” we explored the different reasons spring cleaning is important for individuals and families preparing their home for sale, as well as renters and those who have already sold their home and are getting ready to move. To recap, for those putting their home up for sale, spring cleaning and decluttering allows them to present their home in the best possible light to attract the interest of prospective buyers. A decluttered space can not only make a home easier to sell – it can also command higher bids in a competitive market!

For those moving, a major motivation for spring cleaning is decluttering which makes for an easier, more cost-effective move and decreases the need for additional storage space. Decluttering can also allow movers who sell furniture and belongings they no longer want or need to generate some extra cash! Spring cleaning also decreases the dust and grime you will bring into your new home. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the cleaning and decluttering process allows you to organize your belongings in a strategic, sensible way. This ultimately not only increases the likelihood of a more seamless moving day, but also makes unpacking and getting settled in your new home immeasurably easier and more efficient.

In Part 2 of the series, the moving experts at All Jersey Moving & Storage will share practical spring cleaning tips to help the spring cleaning process go as smoothly and as stress-free as possible.

Clean Room by Room

The idea of cleaning your entire home can be daunting to say the least. To help the project feel more manageable, try approaching your house room by room rather than looking at it as massive giant project. Create cleaning checklists for each room to help you get organized. Make note of areas that require extra attention and tackle those first. Feel free to skip areas that have been cleaned recently and focus on rooms that were largely neglected during the winter, especially if you are pressed for time due to a fast-approaching summer move. Some people choose to start with the most challenging rooms, as once they have cleaned one or two, the other easier rooms feel easier to conquer in comparison. Conversely, some people clean the easiest-to-tackle rooms first to build momentum and confidence to tackle the more challenging rooms.  

Organize and Clear the Clutter

One of the most important parts of spring cleaning is decluttering. Before you can clear out the clutter to create more functional, aesthetically pleasing living spaces, you first need to organize the clutter! Begin by sorting your belongings into five categories – keep, throw away, sell, give away/donate, or put into storage. Move the clutter out of your home as soon as possible. Action steps may include throwing unwanted belongings in the trash, posting items for sale on online marketplace platforms, having a yard sale, dropping off items for donation or arranging for a donation pick up, or calling friends and family to see if they may want items you no longer want or need.

Get the Household Involved

Spring cleaning an entire home on your own can feel daunting. If you live with family, be sure to include everyone in the spring cleaning process – even young children! Assign everyone age-appropriate cleaning tasks. Remember – many hands make light(er) work! If you create the right atmosphere, the cleaning process can actually be fun, or at least more tolerable. Try playing music while you clean, having “ice cream” breaks between rooms, or having rewards for accomplishing the household cleaning and decluttering tasks on your To Do list.

Make Sure You Have the Supplies You Need

Before diving into spring cleaning, make sure you have the cleaning products you need. You don’t have to break the bank purchasing every cleaning product under the sun. In fact, too many cleaning supplies can – in and of themselves – create unnecessary clutter. Instead, make sure you have the basics. For instance, make sure you have garbage bags, a good all-purpose cleaner, microfiber cloths, paper towel, plastic gloves, etc. Those items will cover most of surfaces in your home. Purchase specialty cleaning supplies only as needed.

Clean from High to Low

When you begin cleaning, make a point to clean from the highest points of a room to the lowest points of the room. This way the dirt from up above will fall to the next level down, and you can clean that area next. This will ensure you avoid making a mess on an area after you’ve cleaned it if you work your way from lower to higher areas.

Have a Spring Cleaning Checklist

In addition to declutter, deep cleaning is another important aspect of spring cleaning. This is important if you are planning on putting your home up for sale this spring or summer. But if you already have moving plans, it’s also important in order to avoid bringing dust and grime into your new home.

Molly Maid has some helpful recommendations of what to include on your cleaning list. They recommend beginning with cleaning tasks that apply to all rooms, then tackle each room one-by-one for more specific cleaning.

*Spring Cleaning Checklist for All Rooms.

  • Dust ceiling fans and light fixtures
  • Clean windowsills and window tracks
  • Vacuum curtains and window blinds
  • Wipe down baseboards and dust corners for cobwebs
  • Test smoke detector batteries
  • Disinfect doorknobs, cabinet handles and light switches

*Spring Cleaning Checklist for the Kitchen.

*Spring Cleaning Checklist for the Bedroom.

*Spring Cleaning Checklist for the Bathroom.

  • Organize cabinets and drawers
  • Properly dispose of old medicine and toiletries
  • Scrub the shower and bathtub
  • Wash the shower curtain and floormat
  • Scrub the toilet and tile around the toilet

*Spring Cleaning Checklist for Smaller Areas.

Home Office

  • Clean your keyboard with canned air
  • Disinfect your computer mouse and phone

Living Room

  • Remove furniture cushions and vacuum crevasses

Laundry Room

  • Clean behind the washer and dryer
  • Thoroughly clean the lint traps in your dryer AND washer

*Spring Cleaning Checklist for the Outdoors.

  • Remove everything from your garage reorganize
  • Pressure wash your deck and outdoor furniture
  • Hose-out your garbage can and recycling bins
  • Remove window screens and wash them with a soapy sponge and water
  • Wash the outside of your windows before replacing your window screens

Home Staging

Are you planning to sell your home this spring or summer? If you’ve answered yes, make sure you’ve decluttered the home, deep cleaned everything, removed all dirt from overhead, and cleaned each room down to the small details. Last but not least, once you have wrapped up your spring cleaning tasks, strongly consider staging your property to help attract the attention of buyers and even increase the sale value of your home. Stage your home with belongings that are not overly stylized or sentimental to the family, as these items make it harder for prospective buyers to imagine themselves living in your home. A well-staged home invites prospective buyers to visualize themselves in your living space with their furniture and décor.

Preparing for Your Spring or Summer Move

*Hire a Professional Moving Company. The best thing you can do to ensure a successful move is to hire a professional moving company. Professional movers have the equipment and expertise necessary to execute your move safely and efficiently. Knowing that your home and belongings will be safe as a result of your movers’ knowledge and experience will give you much-needed peace of mind. This is especially true if you move with an insured moving company. All Jersey Moving & Storage has helped many thousands of individuals and families move during the busy summer months, and is dedicated to providing a smooth, secure and stress-free moving experience.

*Secure Your Moving Dates ASAP. Are you planning on moving in the warmer months? You aren’t the only one! It’s important to be aware that the spring and summer months are the busiest season of the year for moving, so reputable, fairly priced professional movers are in high demand and fill up quickly. If you want to secure a specific professional moving company that has come recommended or that has a great reputation, book them as soon as possible. This is even more urgent if you want or need to move on a specific date during. 

All Jersey Moving & Storage recommends starting to look for a moving company and getting estimates six to nine weeks before your move. We encourage clients to book their spring and summer moves as soon as possible to ensure they can move on their preferred moving dates, especially if they need to move between Memorial and Labor Day. Scheduling your move date early is also very important if you need to move at the very end or beginning of the month, or on a Saturday. While we do our utmost to accommodate last minute moving requests, doing so during the height of moving season is more challenging. 

*Don’t Leave Packing until the Last Minute. In addition to hiring professional movers, if you want to ensure a successful move, make it a priority to begin packing as early as you possibly can. If you are like most people, you have probably accumulated a lot of belongings over the years. Do not underestimate how long it will take to pack these belongings in an organized manner. Packing early will help you avoid the stress of scrambling to get ready for your move. Packing in this chaotic fashion leads to disorganization, which will make moving day much more stressful than it needs to be. Rushed, disorganized packing can also make unpacking in your new home nightmarish, as you struggle to sort through a jumbled mess and find missing items. 

Beginning to pack a month prior to your move, having sufficient packing materials and using a logical packing system will help make the moving process more seamless. Check out the All Jersey Moving & Storage team’s expert packing tips!

Residential Moving