Let’s be honest: moving is tough. Dealing with the sheer volume of your belongings adds another layer of stress. But what if you could make it simpler? Learning how to effectively declutter is a skill that can transform your moving experience, making it less painful and more manageable. Based on years of apartment living and multiple moves, here’s a practical guide to getting rid of stuff before you pack, including lessons learned the hard way.
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Moving frequently, especially between smaller spaces like apartments, teaches you a lot about living with less and managing your possessions. It forces you to confront the amount of stuff you’ve accumulated. For many, myself included, decluttering didn’t come naturally. It took practice, trial, and yes, some mistakes. Sharing this experience might just help you tackle your next move with more ease.
The Push to Downsize: Why Decluttering Becomes Essential
My real crash course in decluttering came when my wife and I decided to move from a one-bedroom apartment to a studio. We loved our one-bedroom, but a studio in a more walkable part of the city was within reach if we could just fit.
This meant facing the combined belongings of two people who had previously lived separately. Our first move together was about merging lives; the move to the studio required a serious decision about what truly belonged in the next chapter. It was emotional, sorting through items tied to memories and past selves.
This decision coincided with the peak popularity of Marie Kondo’s “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.” While the “spark joy” concept has become widely discussed, the book offered a useful framework for starting the daunting task of sorting through piles of clothes or stacks of books. Starting is often the hardest part, but once you begin, the momentum builds.
Finding Your Starting Point
I’ve found the most success by starting with items I’m least attached to. Moving is stressful enough without immediately diving into emotionally charged collections of gadgets or beloved memorabilia. For me, clothes are usually the easiest place to begin. I keep my wardrobe simple, so it’s less precious than, say, my tech gear or game collection (which, working at The Verge, is considerable). Save the harder categories for later.
A cat sits on a cluttered desk next to a monitor, keyboard, microphone, and various tech devices.
One practical point often overlooked: once you decide what to get rid of, you still need to do something with it. Finding new homes for items can be frustrating, especially when under a deadline. If you’re looking for ideas, we have a guide on how to responsibly get rid of the stuff you’ve decluttered.
The Pitfalls of Over-Decluttering
Getting into the rhythm of decluttering can feel incredibly satisfying. Sorting, finding what you don’t need, and clearing space is rewarding. However, I’ve learned the hard way that you can go too far.
My biggest regrets involve sentimental items. Before the studio move, I got rid of many books that, while not actively used, held significant personal value. Since I read mostly on an e-reader, I reasoned I could ditch almost all physical books to save space and my back. This included my high school yearbooks. My logic was that I never looked at them and they just sat in a box. Now, with a baby, I deeply regret not having them tucked away to share later.
Similarly, I parted with my old, worn copies of the Harry Potter series from my childhood. They took up space, and I wasn’t rereading them. It was a difficult choice, but I felt it was time to move on. Despite recent controversies involving J.K. Rowling, those books hold cherished memories – like staying up late for a midnight release or getting lost in the Quidditch World Cup. I wish I could still pick them up and flip through them.
I’ve even been overly zealous with old hardware and game consoles. I wasn’t playing my Nintendo 3DS much anymore, but now I genuinely wish I still had it to revisit some of my old game saves.
The Lasting Value of the Skill
Even with a few regrets, I can confidently say I don’t miss the vast majority of things I’ve gotten rid of. And building those decluttering “muscles” during that first big purge made later moves significantly easier.
When we moved from Seattle to Portland, we again chose a studio for affordability. This was only feasible because we hadn’t re-accumulated excessive stuff. It also meant we could fit everything into a smaller moving truck, making the cross-state move less painful than it could have been.
We’ve since moved into a larger place to accommodate our growing family. Even in a two-bedroom, we try to maintain a mindset of keeping our possessions in check. This skill is invaluable when dealing with the influx of gear a new baby requires and the general chaos a toddler brings.
If we move again someday, I hope the required decluttering will be as stress-free as possible. Decluttering isn’t always easy, and sometimes it gets a bad rap. But it’s a practical skill I’m thankful to have learned through multiple moves. It makes the process feel just a little more manageable.
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