Tomorrow we are officially moving into our new place.  I am so excited as moving is symbolic for new beginnings, and I LOVE our new place which is pictured above.  The only thing about moving is that it can really feel like a major hassle.  Here are some of the things that I’ve been doing to make this transition of moving as easy as possible.

1. Release Everything That You Do Not Use

If you follow Minimalist Beauty on Facebook you will have seen the post I wrote yesterday about my current neighbors thinking that we were starting to move this past weekend.  I was putting boxes and more boxes in the back of my truck, yet all of those boxes were donations.  They consisted of books, clothing, duplicate kitchen supplies, unneeded lamps, unused office supplies, and any other random thing that I could find that were no longer needed or in use.  We actually have a few more boxes that we will be donating as well.

When moving as a family or with a significant other, you can’t necessarily dictate what others could be releasing even if you know they may not be using those things.  Yet the more that you are honest about your own personal possessions and let go of, the less unnecessary loads you will be hauling to clutter up your new place.  I am actually surprised with how much my hubby is letting go of.  Sometimes just being an example rubs off on others.  You don’t really have to say much at all.  If this is your first time decluttering start this way.  You may also like The 33 Days Declutter Project if you have ample time before you actually move.

I started looking at this process of decluttering the same way one does when going lightweight backpacking.  When you are carrying your life on your back, every ounce of possession counts.  I wrote about my experience and ideal list of personal possessions for backpacking here if you’re interested.  That backpacking trip to the Eastern Sierra Nevadas was my very first time camping or backpacking, so I honestly wouldn’t advise it to anyone if you haven’t even been camping before.  My pack was also way too heavy that it wouldn’t even be considered lightweight backpacking at all but I digress.  My point in mentioning this trip is that every single item that I’m choosing to bring to our new place will add up, so I’ve been extremely careful and selective with this process.

2. Working Through The Miscellaneous Overload

I’ve narrowed down my clothing by creating capsule wardrobes twice a year so my complete all year round wardrobe including coats and formal wear is less than 50 items.  I currently have nine pairs of shoes, and four purses, so it hasn’t been my clothing or accessories that has been causing any strain with this move.  It has actually been sorting through the world of miscellaneous mess and random forgotten or overlooked possessions.  If you are curious on how to easily create your own capsule wardrobe this will help.  You can also see my S/S 2014 capsule wardrobe here.

It’s easy to forget about everything in the back of your closets.  Moving or intensive decluttering is the only way you will actually go through any of it.  Decluttering isn’t to create misery for yourself, but to acknowledge what you actually use on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis, and free yourself of the rest.  There are some things which are strictly seasonal like our tiny Christmas tree, but much of the other things that are stored in the far ends of the closet don’t fit that description.

Going through paperwork by scanning important documents, filing what you’d like to have hard copies of, and shredding the rest is a bit time consuming, but it really helps to catch up on organizing what you may have been procrastinating on instead of doing.  If you are a creative crafty type then really look over your supplies.  I had fabric, yarn, and other craft supplies that I had no intention of making anything with.  I decided to keep the craft supplies in which I loved and let go of the rest.  Sorting through the kitchen pantry and also my DIY beauty supplies was the same thing, the “mundane” excitement of clearing out, but it all needed to be done.

3. Hire Movers

I finally convinced the hubby to hire movers to transport our furniture.  Going through and packing up our kitchen and personal items if you have already decluttered really isn’t the hassle.  It’s actually more exhausting trying to transport heavy pieces like a sectional couch and a bed.  Of course allowing the movers to transport the heavy boxes too makes a huge difference with the overall feel of moving as well.  Because we don’t have too many things, the overall hourly cost of having movers won’t break the bank.

4. Living Light Simplifies The Moving Process

In general not having too many personal possessions makes moving so much easier.  It takes less time to sort through, pack, and organize things.  Although we are moving again after 1 1/2 years, it doesn’t feel as stressful because although we aren’t downsizing our furniture, this time we pared down extensively on everything else.

Every time I have a major decluttering session, I can’t help but have more insight on simple living.  I am clearer on why I keep some things and get rid of others.  We are sold by media and our society that we need so much to look chic, to be accepted by others, and to represent ourselves well for our careers.  Yet I’m discovering that it is our things that bind us to a lifestyle of working extensive long hours to maintain these things that only keep us insatiably wanting more and more.  Our focus on consumerism then has us distracted from experiencing the lives that we truly dream of, and consumes the time that can be spent with those we love.

The process of moving really doesn’t have to be tedious especially if you can lighten up the load before its actually time to move.

Our Move Update

(Image by Dawn Michelle)

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