
Or, you can make some calls on your own and see if a particular organization is interested in what you have. Check out a site like Zealous Good, which allows you to list items for donation that local organizations can request and come pick up.

Get creative with how and what you donate-places like schools, libraries, community centers, animal shelters, and non-profit organizations often have a use for the things you don’t want. For new or gently used items that someone else could get use out of. For each item that you decide not to keep, you’ll want to sort it into one of three piles:ĭonation pile. It doesn’t matter where you start-pick a room, a drawer, or a category of items and get to work. Planning ahead will help you wrap your head around what needs to be done and tackle your minimalist move in the most efficient way possible. The amount of time this initial decluttering process will take depends on the size of your home, how much stuff you own, and how long it’s been since you’ve sorted through all of these things. Categories of stuff you’ll want to consider paring down include:
#Minimalist declutter before and after how to
Some items-for instance, furniture-require a bit more planning if you intend to donate them, so you’ll want to wrap your head around what sorts of items you’ll be disposing of and start looking into your options for how to do so. Your decluttering plan should incorporate a couple of things: one, what types of things you’re going to be getting rid of, and two, what you’re going to do with them. You’ll want to get the ball rolling prior to when you start packing so you can focus on the task, though chances are you’ll find additional items to get rid of while you’re loading up boxes. The minimalist move is all about decluttering, which, if you’ve done it before, you already know can be a pretty time-intensive endeavor. So why not take this time to edit down what you own and get rid of the things that no longer serve a purpose for you? Here’s how to embrace the minimalist move and make your entire moving process easier.

The very act of moving requires that you take an inventory of all of your belongings, handling each item for at least as long as it takes to pack it in a box. It’s about only holding on to the things that bring noticeable value to your life and letting go of everything that doesn’t.īeing a frequent mover forced me to learn this skill early on. While you may have an image in your mind of a bare, stark white room, minimalism doesn’t have to mean living without color and personality. Minimalism is the notion that you can live well with less. The more I do it, the more I realize that the minimalist move is the easiest move.
#Minimalist declutter before and after professional
Whether I’m moving myself or working with a professional moving company, it never fails that less stuff makes everything go much more smoothly. It’s a trait I’m actually rather proud of, and one that always serves me well when it comes time to relocate. This way, you have a little bit of time to get used to the idea of letting go of specific items, and it gives you some time to make up your mind if you're actually willing to let go.I’m a compulsive declutterer. Today was a little mix of both.Ī little tip to prevent becoming overwhelmed while decluttering is to go over some of the items you want to get rid of in your head a few days before you're actually decluttering. Some days decluttering is really easy for me, and other days it costs me a lot of energy and makes me emotional.

I always try to find a good home for my items by selling them, giving them away, or recycling them.

Once you're done with the decluttering process, you're not yet done with the disposing process. The feeling of being wasteful sometimes holds me back a little bit when I'm decluttering, but today that was not the issue. Many items I'm removing from my closet today are borrowed items, which is great because I can just give them back, and I don't have to find them a new home. For now, I'm putting everything I'm decluttering on the floor simply because there's no room for it on the table. We also borrowed a few from family, which we finished and want to return. We went a little crazy buying second-hand puzzles. There are also new things that I need to make space for. I'll start with putting back the bulkiest items first, so I have more space to work with on the table. It makes sure I don't forget to declutter any items, and it's convenient for rearranging everything. This method makes it easy to clean the closet before putting everything back. I'm just going to remove everything from the closet and only put back what I want to keep.
