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)
Kisha says
Great post. I realized everything have a place and decluttering is very beneficial to my sanity.
Dawn Michelle says
Thanks Kisha!
Being free of clutter really creates a very peaceful living environment. I LOVE it!
Teri says
Very timely for me! I’ll be moving in a few months. I already live a relatively minimalist lifestyle. But there’s nothing like moving to for you to purge one more time. And you’re right. It makes moving SO MUCH easier when you have less stuff to move. And I’m with you on hiring movers. I think I finally convinced my hubby it’s worth it. 🙂
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Teri,
Hiring movers really does take a major strain off the moving process. We pretty much unpacked our entire apartment in less than two days because we weren’t exhausted from packing and hauling our furniture and the boxes ourselves. I’ve been able to focus on our decor instead. I wish you and your husband a successful and easy move as well!
sandy says
I love your new place; those floors are talking to me.
Wish you many happy memories in your new place.
Thanks for sharing.
Dawn Michelle says
Thank you Sandy! I really appreciate the warm wishes. Have a wonderful July 4th!
Tracy says
I have been looking at my home and decluttering it with the idea of “if I were to move, would I still want this” and its helped a lot. But how do you go about downsizing furniture and decor without making your rooms look cold and uninviting? Thats where Im having trouble. I have furniture thats more for “filling space” than actual use but Im afraid if I let it go then my place will look too empty and cold. Any suggestions oh masterful guru 😉
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Tracy,
Decluttering down to only what you use can really open up your home and create better chi and energy flow. I feel how we decorate can be very similar to how we dress and is very individual. I love streamlined simple clothing so of course I am going to enjoy the same with my decor. Adding lots of candles, flowers, and plants keeps things inviting for my home as well as larger artistic pieces versus tons of tiny ones. This is something that would make a great article. I’ll write more on this soon I think. Happy July 4th!