Even if you are thrilled by the prospect of relocating to a new town, the thought of performing the actual tasks required to move can fill you with anxiety. The angst will be heightened if your house is crammed to the gills with your possessions and you are moving to a smaller home. However, you can ease some of your moving dread by de-cluttering your house and getting rid of anything that you absolutely do not need. Take heed of the following tips if you want to downsize before you move and start anew in a well-planned living space.

Identify What You Do Not Need

Before you begin packing a single thing, you need to go through your house, room-by-room, as if you are on a spring cleaning binge. If you begin to feel wistful, keep a digital camera with you so you can take pictures and video to document each room for times when you are feeling nostalgic after you move.

You need to identify things that are essential in your life and stuff that is just taking up space.

• Set aside clothes that you no longer wear such as t-shirts in the bottom of your drawer, large items like jackets that never see the light of day and trendy garments that have not been in style for years.
• Part with useless memorabilia such as graduation programs of friends and distant family members, boxes of dusty holiday ornaments, cheap commemorative dishes and fan items from sporting events.
• Identify CDs and DVDs that you never play. You can rip music CDs and store the electronic files on your computer. And if you ever want to watch that B-movie gangster flick you love again, the movie is probably available on a streaming service online.
• Other items that you should get rid if you do not use them regularly include old luggage, books, sports equipment, small appliances, dated electronics, kitchen gadgets, toys, garden implements and worn out furniture.

Sell and Donate

Move the items you need to get rid of to a central location like your garage or an unused room.

• Hold a garage sale as soon as possible. The faster you get rid of things, the earlier you will forget they existed. Plus, you can earn some cash while ridding yourself of unnecessary items you have accumulated over the years.
• Sell Online. If you have collector's items that you have owned for years that are too valuable for a yard sale, unload the merchandise via online auction sites.
• Donate to a local free recycling group. These groups provide free online listings so you can advertise your stuff and arrange for those who want the items to retrieve them.
• Donate to charities. There are plenty of community-based organizations that run second-hand stores that accept donations. Call the organizations to find out their drop off times.

Organize the Rest and Pack

Once you rid your home of junk and excess items, you can begin the task of organizing your belongings. Create a written inventory of your possessions so you know exactly what you will be transporting. You should also take pictures of your stuff. If you fear you still have too many things to move, rent a storage space to store the items. Many moving companies also provide storage facilities for customers.

If you are short on time, hire a packing service. You will not have to worry about buying boxes, tape, wrapping paper and other items. In addition, hiring someone else to pack for you will help to ward off melancholia as you prepare to leave a place that has been a part of your life for a long time.

Plan the Layout Your New Home

Moving into your new space will give you a fresh start on living in a clutter-free home. Ask your real estate agent or new landlord to provide you with the floor plan of your new home. Take measurements of the furniture, appliances and other large items that you plan to bring with you. Use the floor plan to envision where you want to place these items.

Use a pencil to draw representations of your furniture directly onto the floor plan. Make sure that you take into account the location of windows and doors that may affect the placement of items.

Filling in the floor plan will give you a good idea on what you can actually fit into your new space and if you will have to do some more downsizing before you move. A floor plan will also be helpful to movers when they are unloading at your new home. They will know exactly where to place furniture and boxes.

For more information, contact a company like Father & Son Moving & Storage.