7 Steps For Decluttering The Marie Kondo Way: Moving Tips

Mar 16, 2021 Getting rid of unwanted items before moving out is a practical solution for reducing your packing and moving load. When leaving a property you have lived in for years or even one where you resided for a few months, you need to sort through your belongings. When your packing and moving load is less, it is easier for your hired removalists in Sydney to handle and transport the property contents. You can sort personal and household items using various methods, but an efficient and effective one is the KonMari Method. Developed by Japanese organiser Marie Kondo, the method and its details are in her book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. If you want to sort your belongings before moving, here are seven steps for decluttering the Marie Kondo way.

1. Take Pictures Room by Room

Before you start the process of getting rid of unwanted items in your house, take pictures of every room to notice the difference. The pictures can serve as great motivators after you declutter a room as you can compare the before and after scenarios. You can keep them as reference materials to know what items you removed and what things you kept.

2. Resolve to Tidy Up

After taking the pictures, it will be easier to resolve to tidy your home and get rid of unwanted items. For decluttering, you not only have to be prepared physically but also mentally. Making the resolve to declutter is equal to winning half the battle, which is why you should do your best to motivate yourself and your family members to tidy up.

3. Hold Things to Know if They Spark Joy

To declutter items, take out all the items from a room and stack them in a pile. Go through the pile by holding each item in your hand and see if it sparks joy and you want to keep it. Items that you don’t want or don’t feel the need to keep are the ones you need to remove. Only keep things you want for categorising. You will be surprised at how many things you need to get rid of because you were holding on to them unnecessarily.

4. Bid Farewell to Unwanted Items

According to Marie Kondo, you should respect each item you own and say thank you plus goodbye to it before discarding it. Whether you are throwing something in the trash or donating/reselling it, make sure you bid it a proper farewell. Ask all household members to declutter their rooms by holding each item, analysing which ones spark joy/happiness, and saying goodbye to things they don’t want anymore.

5. Categorise Things

Once you have separated items you don’t want to keep, the next step is to categorise items to store or pack them effectively. All your belongings can be broadly categorised into five groups – clothes, paper, books, miscellaneous items and sentimental items. By categorising, you can sort your packing load and feel less stressed because the piles when divided look smaller than when you try to pack things as one bunch.

6. Sort Through Sentimental Items Last

Letting go of items with sentimental value or attachment is extremely difficult for most people. Therefore, you should sort through such items last because the process can take time and drain you emotionally. After all necessary and important items in your household are sorted, categorised and packed, go through photographs, heirlooms, gifts, etc. See if your new home would have the space for sentimental items you want to keep. Alternately, you can rent a storage unit or locker to keep your belongings securely. By renting additional space for sentimental items, not only do you keep them safe but also reduce the packing and moving load for your hired removalists in Sydney.

7. Follow the Correct Order

While decluttering using the KonMari method, make sure you follow the correct order to streamline the process and ensure every task is completed on time. While moving, you have limited time to complete various tasks, which is why following the correct order is crucial to avoid delays. The sooner you declutter, the better since packing can be done before your hired removalists in Sydney arrive to load and transport your belongings.

Takeaway

Decluttering before moving is a crucial activity anyone planning a move to a new home should perform. You can sort your belongings in various ways, but the KonMari method mentioned above is a tried and tested one. It is an efficient and effective way to declutter your belongings and ensure your hired removalists in Sydney aren’t hassled by having to handle and transport huge boxes unnecessarily. Decluttering is useful when you are moving yourself because there is less to pack, and you can load all your belongings in one moving truck which will save you a lot of money.