Moving is a hassle no matter what light you shine on it, but moving with excessive stuff and unnecessary clutter can make your move into a new home even more difficult.  Moving junk from place to place takes up your energy and clutters up your new home before you even get settled in and can lead to some frustrations when you’re trying to find places for your belongings.

That said, why make moving any more challenging than it already is?  Minimizing your belongings before you move will make things so much easier.  Here are our tips for minimizing for your move.

Take it from the Experts for (Almost) Free

For whatever reason, humans have an insatiable desire for organization and decluttering.  Whether it’s the satisfaction of the end result or the romance of having quite literally everything you own “in its place”.  To that end, it should come as no surprise that when Marie Kondo’s show, Tidying up with Marie Kondo, launched on Netflix, it was an instant hit.

From Kondo’s signature show and trademarked method of decluttering and organizing to another acclaimed home organization show, The Home Edit, aspiring home organizers such as yourself can get a wealth of information for nothing more than a Netflix subscription.  Additionally, both Kondo and The Home Edit have dedicated websites full of useful tips to help you declutter and organize before you move!

Dedicate a Single Day to Decluttering

One thing that tends to deter any homeowner from decluttering or organizing is the simple procrastination of the task.  We all know what needs to be done and probably how to do it, but the task seems so monumental until you actually get your hands dirty and start sifting through stuff.  One thing that can be helpful is to dedicate an entire day to decluttering and getting the job done!

While this may seem simple at first, the reality can be someone muddy depending on how big your home is, how many people live in it, and just how much stuff you need to go through.  For smaller homes, decluttering can happen in a day while for larger homes with more household members, it may be better to break the process into rooms or sections of the house over the course of a weekend or two.

No matter the case, make a plan and dedicate time to the cause.  You’ll thank yourself later.

Sort by Items to Break Things Up

Instead of trying to tackle an entire room, perhaps it’s better to sort your belongings by type.  For example, dedicate a day to go through clothing only or spend some time sifting through your books, memorabilia, memories, etc.  Don’t be scared to be ruthless either!

Part of what keeps us attached to items is the sentimentality we place on our belongings.  In reality, those sentiments are purely emotional and many times we can do without items or at least can live with a highly pared-down version of what once was a much larger memory box.  In any case, sorting your belongings by type or group of items can give you some perspective, peace of mind, and can help you see the redundancy or necessity of everything you own.

When in Doubt, Use the Three Pile Rule

Perhaps the best way to go through your things is to use the three pile rule.  Make a pile each for things to keep, things to donate, and things to throw away.  You’ll likely find that you actually have been hoarding plenty of things that could easily have been thrown away.

Doing this on a space-by-space or room-by-room basis can also help you better visualize and conceptualize what you’ll be moving into you new home.