Decluttering and Downsizing Before Moving

When I moved to Boston for college more than a decade ago (!!!), I brought a carry-on suitcase and a backpack. As Miley Cyrus would say, I brought "a dream and my cardigan." I'm not going to lie, I wish that I had decluttered my room and possessions before I left for college.

Years later, when I joined the Peace Corps, I brought the same suitcase and a backpack. The Peace Corps allows you to take two checked bags up to 50 lbs. Packing up your most important possessions for 27 months can be such a challenge but it really forced me to focus on what was most important to me. I also wanted to recognize that some of my stuff could be bought in-country, or left at home, because I didn't want it to be ruined. However, again, I wish that I had decluttered my room and possessions more thoroughly before I left!

Getting evacuated from the Peace Corps due to the COVID pandemic with only a few months left to go was heartbreaking. All of a sudden I was quarantining in a hotel for two weeks before I moved back into my parents' house. When I got back home, I was confronted by my childhood possessions - with no job and nowhere else to go for the time being. Armed with Marie Kondo's KonMari Method, I made my way through my possessions.

I write all this out to talk about how my experiences can help you downsize before you move. It can be a really overwhelming experience to move homes, but downsizing and making decisions about your possessions can reduce your stress, save you time AND money in the long run. Downsizing can mean fewer boxes (or suitcases/bags if you're packing!) to pack - as well as a smaller moving truck or fewer movers to hire. If you're using a storage unit or a pod, this can also mean less square footage that's needed overall.

Declutter and downsize as much as you can before you move - it makes the process much smoother!

I encourage you to use an upcoming move as an opportunity: an opportunity to start fresh and re-evaluate the role of your belongings in your life. I encourage you to read over my blog post about Your Ideal Lifestyle. If you're moving in with a partner or roommates, it can be a really good time to talk about your collective/new life together - what do you want to see in your daily life with this person? 

Some Tips for Downsizing Before Moving

1. Start today! Ask your future roommate or partner about their Ideal Lifestyle. If you're living on your own, take the time to journal or make a vision board or a Pinterest board about what you want to see in your new home. Reflect on photos of your new home to help you envision your future self.

2. Write out your timeline and additional considerations. Do you want to hire a professional organizer? What moving company do you want to choose? What utility companies do you need to contact? Don't forget about redirecting your mail!

3. Start collecting moving boxes and packing supplies and thinking about where you want your discarded items to go. If there are big items (especially furniture or appliances) that you want to sell or give away, start making those listings or contacting the relevant parties. Your local Buy Nothing group can be a great place to give away items. If you're in the Kansas City area, make sure to take a look at my blog on Where to Donate.

4. Go through the order of KonMari categories: clothing, books, paper, komono (miscellaneous), and sentimental. Start making those "mountains" or piles of each category to sort. The whole goal is to be able to see exactly what you own. Off-season clothing or hobby items can be packed up now.

5. Make sure you have a clear separation between decluttering and packing. It can be stressful to do both at the same time, so make sure you give yourself plenty of time to start the process.

6. Pack up - write the category/future location on more than one side of the box (top and at least one side).

7. Make a list of your absolute essentials. What will you need for the day of the move? (Toilet paper! Box cutter! Chargers! Cleaning supplies! Medications! Small set of dishes and cutlery) What will you absolutely need to be able to access during the first few days in your new home?  And don't forget about your finishing up your perishables - we don't want to be throwing away a ton of food when we move out.

8. Say thank you! To your new home and to your old one.

A bonus: Lastly, once you're settling into your new home, re-evaluate as time goes on - just because you moved it doesn't mean you have to keep it!