Do your belongings want to move with you?

This particular question arised after a recent and very interesting conversation with a client who was in the process of moving. She was applying the popular Marie Kondo de-cluttering technique while moving her family into their new home, and her whole moving experience was made much better for it. She even described her move as joyful! We hope you find some useful tips here to assist you in moving house conciously.

Moving house with The KonMari Method

The KonMari Method has been around for a few years now and is still hugely popular mainly due to Marie Kondo’s tv show currently screening on NetFlix. If you are yet to hear of Marie Kondo, she is a Japanese consultant who has successfully de-cluttered and organised the homes of many around the world through her tidying and de-cluttering tips as found in her books. The basis of her method is that if a particular item does not spark joy in your life, then it is no longer required and should be re-homed or recycled.

Today, more and more people are seeking happiness and fulfilment in every aspect of their lives, and moving house is a perfect opportunity to start afresh. We’ve included some conscious moving tips within this blog in hope it brings you and those you live with much joy.

Pack only items that spark joy
A simple and effective de-cluttering tip when moving house is to pack only things that bring you joy. Necessities are just that and these need to be taken with you, but what about everything else? Hold each item in your hands, look at it, feel it, and if you sense that it brings joy to your life, then pack it into that moving box. We dare you to try this! There are many benefits to this method aside from moving into a home which only contains the things you truly love and things that contribute to your life. The other major benefit is this technique can really save you money. Moving fewer items means less time moving - which equates to a reduction in removalist fees. You can also make money by selling items that will not be moving with you. Donating items which are no longer wanted is another wonderful benefit as this can bring joy to others. Pretty cool hey?

Share the workload when moving
Create a spreadsheet of things that need to happen before, during and after your move and ensure everyone in the home is given tasks. Keep the spreadsheet somewhere accessible to everyone (the fridge is a good spot for this). When you get to tick off the completed task, the feeling of accomplishment brings - you guessed it - joy. This is a great way of getting the kids involved too and having them de-clutter all their toys.

Unpacking can spark joy too
Once you have the keys to your new place and before move day, give each space a thorough airing and clean, and while you are working in each room think about which of your items will go where and how the item can contribute to your joy in it’s newly designated spot. It will make cleaning more enjoyable and will also save you money as less time is spent shuffling things around once your items have been delivered by your favourite Sydney removalist. Once all rooms have been aired and cleaned, walk through each room in your new home and consider how you can organise the room so it brings your life joy. This is easier to do before each room is full of furniture and boxes.

Settle in and relax
So you’ve moved in, unpacked and everything is still looking tidy and de-cluttered. Sit back and soak it in. Really soak in this feeling of joy. Look closely at what you’ve created in your new home and concentrate on the feeling it brings you and everyone who lives and visits there. Also, remember to acknowledge your efforts as it was a big task but a rewarding one. By focusing on these feelings, you will appreciate what you’ve undertaken and this will also add to your joy. Your time and effort is valuable and you may never go back to your previous way of living.

Think about what else might add to your joy? Consider the impact of how you light each room as this brings joy too. Lamps and candles give off beautiful light effects and affect our moods. Consider whether indoor plants will add to your joy, as they will clean the air you live in.

Enjoy every aspect of your new place, and change what does not bring you joy. Change doesn’t need to happen immediately as that’s not always possible. But with the intention that something needs to change, it will happen eventually. Live with the joy, be kind to yourself and acknowledge everything you do to make your life and your home wonderful.

These principles by Marie Kondo can still apply after move day too. When shopping, consider if the item you are thinking of buying will bring joy to your life before you purchase it. This will present cost savings to you and less goes to landfill. The environment will be joyful too!

The most joyful aspect of all this is that anyone can do it and remember that moving is a wonderful opportunity to change the way you currently live.

To many more joyful moves,
Vesna & Danny.