Making a Major Move More Manageable

About 27 million people changed primary residences last year in the United States, according to Move.org, and one-fifth of those #moves were out-of-state. With the job market still competitive and real estate activity starting to slow, more people will likely be on the move this season.

A move is rarely easy, and supply chain dirsruptions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic made things more difficult. But you can make a major move more manageable if you make a timeline and spread the work out over a period of days, weeks or months.

If you hire a moving company to transport your #stuff (as 80% of people do) there’s a financial incentive to #packing as little as possible. That’s why the first step in any move is to #declutter and #organize your possessions. “If you don’t love it, need it, [or] use it regularly, or if it’s broken, get rid of it!” says Living Well Spending Less. “There’s nothing worse than unpacking boxes of stuff later on only to realize you don’t really need any of it.”

Edit your stuff well ahead of time to give yourself time to sell some of it, or #purge as you #pack. Either way, you’ll have less to transport and integrate into your new home when the move is complete. Assuming you find lightly used items things that you won’t need in the new home, contact ClothingDonations.org to schedule a free, contactless #donation #pickup — or schedule multiple #pickups during your pre-move #packing period and another in your new location.

Moving long-distance is particularly challenging. While couple of friends with a UHaul may be able to handle small moves, that may not be sufficient for families with houses full of stuff. Architectural Digest offers a guide to the moving companies adept at facilitating relocation across the country or another part of the world.

Near or far, a major move is a great opportunity to reinvent your lifestyle and revisit the things you truly value, use and need. It may not be easy, simple or cheap, but you can start fresh in a new place — without the #clutter that weighed you down in the last one. #MovingTips

Summer Reading for the Dedicated Declutterer, Part 4

If you want to read the de facto bible of #decluttering this summer, look no further than  The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo. Her crash course in #clutter control asks readers to use the #KonMari method quickly #declutter whole categories of goods: clothing, books, paperwork and so on. Follow the book’s guidance, Kondo says, and you shouldn’t ever have to do such a drastic #decluttering again. “The question of what you want to own is actually the question of how you want to live your life,” Kondo writes. “The space in which we live should be for the person we are becoming now, not for the person we were in the past.” #SummerReading

Summer Reading for the Dedicated Declutterer, Part 3

Perhaps the best-recognized proponent of a #minimalist lifestyle, Joshua Becker offers a practical companion to his bestselling The More of Less in The Minimalist Home. The book offers easy-to-use strategies to achieve the mental benefits of #minimalism, including a room-by-room approach that starts by #decluttering the easiest room of the house and ends with the most challenging. Keep only what matters to you most, the book says; not only can #minimalism save you money, it can free up the time necessary to give back and engineer a fulfilling, productive life. (As always, you can give some of that unwanted #stuff back by scheduling a free #donation #pickup at ClothingDonations.org.) #SummerReading

Summer Reading for the Dedicated Declutterer, Part 2

As anyone who has ever moved after a few years in the same place knows, #decluttering often goes hand-in-hand with #downsizing. While its title has the unfortunate tendency to get people singing from the Frozen soundtrack, Peter Walsh’s Let It Go can help people going through a major downsizing resulting from a divorce, marriage, death in the family or move. The book can help readers sort out their feelings surrounding that #stuff, keep only the most meaningful #mementoes and divide up inherited possessions. After #downsizing, Let It Go encourages readers to focus on learning, experiences and helping others. #SummerReading

Summer Reading for the Dedicated Declutterer, Part 1

If you have time for a little summer reading and a desperate need to #declutter, there are plenty of books that can help. For example, Unstuffed by Ruth Soukup offers advice that empowers its readers to “take their lives back” from the stultifying effects of #clutter — not just in the home, but also in finances, relationships and mental outlook. Practical solutions encourage readers to cultivate new habits and make intentional choices about what they buy, keep and do on a day-to-day basis. Unstuffed offers #decluttering ideas for the mind, body and soul, giving readers “permission to NOT do it all and much-needed relief from the constant pressure to perform.” #SummerReading