Minimalism is a way of living applicable to many different aspects of your life. It is the art of living with only the things you find the most necessary. What we find interesting is that it is applicable to relocation as well. Minimalism in relocation – tips and tricks, is useful when you try to achieve an easy and efficient relocation. Just with a couple of simple steps, you can greatly reduce the number of your belongings you need to move. Therefore, making your moving process a piece of cake.
Minimalism in relocation – tips and tricks
There is one difference between minimalism and just simply reducing your belongings before moving. In minimalism, you don’t just store your stuff temporary for future use, you get rid of them completely. What’s the point in paying storage for that old bed if you are not going to use it in your new home? What’s the point in taking up the garage or basement space if it’s just going to lay around? There is no point. Many of us often fail to realize we are saving a lot of unnecessary stuff for “maybe I’ll need it later” case, which never arrives. The next list is just a small list of ideas, tips, and tricks for minimalism in relocation:
- Start by examining your belongings
- Make a list of “must-have” items
- Try to keep only high-quality stuff
- Purge your belongings even after the move
- Pack a bag with essentials
- Use your clothing for packing
- You can pack plates vertically
- Make use of drawers
- Use stretch wrap wherever you can
- Sandwich bags for small parts
Start by examining your belongings
That would be the first step in minimalism moving. Examine your complete household, every room and all of your items. Try to plan to live in your new home with only bare necessities. The good thing would be to make a checklist of items while sorting them out at the same time. Imagine you are going to live in a smaller place, even if it’s not the case. Be objective about what you will keep and what not. Also, spend some time in each room and think about how it will look like with half of the current items. If you start marking unnecessary items from the beginning you will soon realize your list is growing large. You will ask yourself how many of those end up there in the first place.
Make a list of “must-have” items
While doing the first step you will start to realize how some items have greater priority over others. Make yourself a plan to move those things first and get rid of others. For example, you will need a set of dishes in your new home, but you don’t need four different colors of plates. Pack just one set you will most likely use and start thinking about what to do with the rest. The same goes for everything else. If you don’t know what to do with extra, you can always donate them, make a yard sale, or just simply give them away to your friends.
Try to keep only high-quality stuff
If it is a choice between a couple of similar items, choose the high-quality stuff. In particular, one of the easiest examples is your shoes. You have five pairs of winter boots and you are going to relocate to a warmer climate area. Keep just one or maybe two pairs, with the highest quality, and ditch the others. Investing in quality means you won’t have to shop for the replacement so often. Thus, looking at the big picture, you will save money, time, and in most cases nerves.
Purge your belongings even after the move
Even after you move to a new home there might be some unnecessary items you overlook when packing. It won’t hurt to do another seek-and-destroy round while unpacking. It may require that you find additional storage for the moment but better that than to clutter your new home. In minimalism, it is common to do these purges from time to time. At least once a year.
Pack a bag with essentials
You will need a bag with only essential things to get you through the first couple of days. It usually contains some clothes and toiletries. The bag has to be at your hand’s reach so you don’t have to roam through your still unpacked belongings. A good way to have your working suit ready for the next day. Also, consider bringing some basic food so you don’t have to prepare anything after a tiresome trip.
Use your clothing for packing
In order to save on some packing materials, you can make use of your clothing. There is no better example of minimalism that this. In general, you can use your towels and shirts instead of plastic wrappers and fillers. Even hats and socks can be useful. That way you are packing both your clothes and dishes at the same time without spending money.
You can pack plates vertically
Packing your plates and similar items vertically will reduce the weight on the central part of the plate. In other words, it means the difference between a broken and a safe plate in transport. You never know if the truck is going to drive over a bumpy road while moving. Fill the empty space in the box with clothing and you are safe to go.
Make use of drawers and promote minimalism in relocation
Just take a look at your dresser drawers. They are already made as boxes so it would be a waste of space not to use them. If you fill them with clothing the way you would pack them upon arrival to your new home, you will save significant time when unpacking. Just don’t try to move your furniture with full drawers. Load the cabinet on the trunk, then bring the drawers in. Secure them with ropes or stretching wrapper and you have them already prepared for your new home.
Use stretch wrap wherever you can
Just like with the drawers, you can use the same principle with stretch wrap. Group similar items together, wrap them tight and you have them ready for safe transportation. In addition, you can use a stretch wrapper to group smaller boxes together inside the moving truck to make the content safer. Also, it is a good thing to protect furniture with sensitive surfaces from scratching.
Sandwich bags as a way to promote minimalism in relocation
Sandwich bags are great packing for small parts. They will prevent the loss of small items in transport and are useful for grouping similar things. Also, they are good for cables, caps, and connectors of your electrical devices. For example, you can tape the sandwich bag with cords to the back of your TV so you don’t lose track of them.
