Packing up your clothes and preparing for moving house is easy when you know how. The trick is to start with the bulkier items then work your way to the lighter pieces. It sounds easy and it is, once you have practised and applied.

Whilst you’re packing, it’s probably time to work out whether some items are worth keeping or donating to charity. What do you really wear all the time? Cut down to the basics and come up with a working wardrobe, casual wardrobe and going out wardrobe. If you have five shirts of the same style, cut it down to two. Two pairs of similar jeans which ones do you ear the most. Having double or even triple of everything will take up more space than making what to wear a simple task. Try paring up outfits if you’re female and like to plan this way or do the big count if you’re male. It doesn’t matter whether you’re fashion-savvy, clothes-obsessed or a bare basics type of person, packing your wardrobe can take longer than other units so grouping items up and teaming them together will work wonders.

Once this is sorted you need to get down to the nitty gritty. Using large bags and fold-down boxes to pack your jumpers, roll your shirts and tuck away your socks. It’s easy to start packing everything, but again, conduct piles of what is staying, what is going and what you’ll consider if you have any space left over. The same applies to shoes and accessories, and even underwear and nightwear. For shoes, whatever you have worn the longest, no matter how comfortable they are, it’s time to let go. You bought that new pair of leather loafers for a reason, to replace the old ones! You’ve had good wear out of those boots but they’re falling apart.

The best part about moving to a new location is having a much-needed clear out and de-clutter rather than taking baggage with you, you can start afresh with key pieces you can rely on. Remember your new place may not have the same amount of wardrobe and drawer space, so it’s vital to check this out before you go to avoid having to cram everything or leave things in boxes.

Remember to organise your wardrobe in small stages. It can be a big project to take on so unless you really don’t own that much, give yourself a few days and plenty of rest to get the job done. You can always ask friends for second options that will go towards your final decision Also, don’t forget clothes can be just as heavy as books. The more you pack the heavier each bag or case will be. That’s why packing techniques such as folding and layering will create much-needed space and a lighter load overall.

De-cluttering your wardrobe and packing it up is an important step towards organising your own life, so the techniques you learn and apply here can be used when packing up other units and getting yourself prepared and packed for future moves.