[:en]Relocation can be extremely stressful, and when you’re moving internationally, that stress can be multiplied tenfold. But relocating is made that much easier when you declutter your life like Marie Kondo!

If you haven’t yet heard, Marie Kondo is the author of the bestselling book; “The Lifechanging Magic Of Tidying Up”. The book’s success has been boosted by the Netflix show, Tidying Up With Marie Kondo, and her method has been adopted by the messy (and clean) all over the world, with many claiming that it has been instrumental in changing their lives.

So, how do you declutter your life like Marie Kondo?

First things first; What is the Marie Kondo method of decluttering?

The Marie Kondo method is based on the idea that you need to get rid of anything in your life that doesn’t bring you joy. Every single item you own must spark joy. She uses a methodical approach to cleaning in which you sort things by category, not by room.

Marie also uses the KonMari folding method, which can be particularly useful when packing.

When you’re relocating it can be easy to lose things if you’re not organised. When you’re packing, you may think that you’ll be able to find things when you’re unpacking, but if you’re not organised, it will be a big old mess when you get to the other side.

It’s important to note that Marie Kondo’s method isn’t just about throwing out all your belongings, it’s about only keeping those things that bring you joy.

How to implement the Marie Kondo approach in order to declutter your life

1. Rid yourself of items that don’t bring you joy before you relocate (not after).

The Marie Kondo method is all about respecting your belongings. She asks us to carefully consider each of our items, asking if they bring us joy. Start with the items that you are least connected to; for most people, this is their clothes, then working through items like books, and finally, sentimental items that we are holding onto because they remind us of a time or moment in our lives.

Organise a garage sale at your house, or sell things that might have value to others on eBay. Usually, the items that sell for the most on eBay are well-known brands or rare, unique or sold-out items.

If you’re finding it hard to throw out, not all is lost! You can repurpose your old things to make them new again. Give your old shoes a scrub and polish to freshen them up. Sand, scrub and paint old furniture or add new handles; they’ll look brand new!

Failing that, giving items to friends and family can often make it much easier to get rid of them. If a book means so much to you, give it to someone else and perhaps they’ll find meaning in it, too (and then you can talk about it afterwards!).

The same goes for clothing. Did you know most people only wear 20% of their wardrobe? Someone else might benefit from that dress you only wore once or that jacket that it’s never cold enough to wear.

2. Use the KonMari folding method when packing and moving

The KonMari folding method was devised by Kondo, and can be particularly helpful when you’re packing, in order to declutter your life. This is a simple way of folding, where the item is compacted into a small space. Essentially items like t-shirts are folded towards the centre with the sleeves tucked in so that the final item looks like a rectangle.

You’ll have much more space by folding items in this way, and storing them stacked in drawers (or if you’re relocating, in boxes and suitcases).

3. Leave the sentimental items until last

Sentimental items are the hardest to part with, and, while Kondo doesn’t expect everyone to be throwing out whole family photo albums, it doesn’t hurt to ask yourself if you really need all five of those old teddy bears or your old laptop.

When you’re relocating, if you have a lot of fragile or sentimental items, ensure they are packed properly.

Hire an expert to move fragile furniture or antique items, and make sure they are covered and protected properly. Remember; they may be exposed to dust, heat and humidity during the move, which could reduce their quality.

4. Respect your belongings and your new space

Above all, Kondo teaches that you need to respect your belongings. Instead of leaving clothes in a sad, crumpled pile at the bottom of your wardrobe, hang them neatly with space on either side or fold them neatly in drawers.

Assess your new spaces before you start dumping things everywhere, and, if you need, throw out more things that you don’t need before you get settled.

Consider the size of the place you’ll be moving into. If you’re relocating to Hong Kong, for example, some units are the size of a shoebox! If so, you’ll need to drastically reduce your belongings (and it wouldn’t hurt to read up on Minimalism, either!). Even if you do have a larger space, make room for quality items that have meaning and bring you joy.

Once you are settled, before you go buying more items to fill your space, consider carefully what you need (and what you don’t need), and don’t let the junk pile up again. It can be tempting to buy new things for your new fresh start but resist the urge to go out and buy unnecessary hat stands, vases or pot plants unless you really think they will bring you joy.

Conclusion

Relocation is never easy, but these methods to declutter your life will make relocating a smoother, more seamless process. By having everything tidy and in order, you’ll feel less stressed and readier to embrace your new life in a new city, rather than letting your belongings drag you down.

Relocating is not an easy task. Check out some of the relocation services you may need to ease your move:

What is Relocation Insurance? What It Covers & How To Claim

Expat Guide to Singapore Work Visa, Employment Pass (EP) & Long Term Visa

Instantly Find the Best International Schools with This Powerful Free Tool (10 Simples Steps)

15 Ways to Make Relocation with Pets Easier

Ensure Safety of Your Furniture While Packing and Moving

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Relocation can be extremely stressful, and when you’re moving internationally, that stress can be multiplied tenfold. But relocating is made that much easier when you declutter your life like Marie Kondo!

If you haven’t yet heard, Marie Kondo is the author of the bestselling book; “The Lifechanging Magic Of Tidying Up”. The book’s success has been boosted by the Netflix show, Tidying Up With Marie Kondo, and her method has been adopted by the messy (and clean) all over the world, with many claiming that it has been instrumental in changing their lives.

Also Read: How to Sort and Get Rid of Stuff Before Moving

So, how do you declutter your life like Marie Kondo?

First things first; What is the Marie Kondo method of decluttering?

The Marie Kondo method is based on the idea that you need to get rid of anything in your life that doesn’t bring you joy. Every single item you own must spark joy. She uses a methodical approach to cleaning in which you sort things by category, not by room.

Marie also uses the KonMari folding method, which can be particularly useful when packing.

Also Read: 7 Savings Tips Before Moving Abroad

Also Read: The Ultimate Checklist: Packing Tips for Moving

When you’re relocating it can be easy to lose things if you’re not organised. When you’re packing, you may think that you’ll be able to find things when you’re unpacking, but if you’re not organised, it will be a big old mess when you get to the other side.

It’s important to note that Marie Kondo’s method isn’t just about throwing out all your belongings, it’s about only keeping those things that bring you joy.

How to implement the Marie Kondo approach in order to declutter your life

1. Rid yourself of items that don’t bring you joy before you relocate (not after).

The Marie Kondo method is all about respecting your belongings. She asks us to carefully consider each of our items, asking if they bring us joy. Start with the items that you are least connected to; for most people, this is their clothes, then working through items like books, and finally, sentimental items that we are holding onto because they remind us of a time or moment in our lives.

Organise a garage sale at your house, or sell things that might have value to others on eBay. Usually, the items that sell for the most on eBay are well-known brands or rare, unique or sold-out items.

Also Read : 10 Most Expensive Items Ever Sold on eBay

If you’re finding it hard to throw out, not all is lost! You can repurpose your old things to make them new again. Give your old shoes a scrub and polish to freshen them up. Sand, scrub and paint old furniture or add new handles; they’ll look brand new!

Failing that, giving items to friends and family can often make it much easier to get rid of them. If a book means so much to you, give it to someone else and perhaps they’ll find meaning in it, too (and then you can talk about it afterwards!).

The same goes for clothing. Did you know most people only wear 20% of their wardrobe? Someone else might benefit from that dress you only wore once or that jacket that it’s never cold enough to wear.

Also Read: 35 Things You Really Don’t Need & Should Get Rid Of NOW

2. Use the KonMari folding method when packing and moving

The KonMari folding method was devised by Kondo, and can be particularly helpful when you’re packing, in order to declutter your life. This is a simple way of folding, where the item is compacted into a small space. Essentially items like t-shirts are folded towards the centre with the sleeves tucked in so that the final item looks like a rectangle.

You’ll have much more space by folding items in this way, and storing them stacked in drawers (or if you’re relocating, in boxes and suitcases).

Also Read: Everything You Ever Need To Know About KonMari Folding 

3. Leave the sentimental items until last

Sentimental items are the hardest to part with, and, while Kondo doesn’t expect everyone to be throwing out whole family photo albums, it doesn’t hurt to ask yourself if you really need all five of those old teddy bears or your old laptop.

When you’re relocating, if you have a lot of fragile or sentimental items, ensure they are packed properly.

Hire an expert to move fragile furniture or antique items, and make sure they are covered and protected properly. Remember; they may be exposed to dust, heat and humidity during the move, which could reduce their quality.

Also Read: The Ultimate KonMari Guide and Checklist

4. Respect your belongings and your new space

Above all, Kondo teaches that you need to respect your belongings. Instead of leaving clothes in a sad, crumpled pile at the bottom of your wardrobe, hang them neatly with space on either side or fold them neatly in drawers.

Assess your new spaces before you start dumping things everywhere, and, if you need, throw out more things that you don’t need before you get settled.

Consider the size of the place you’ll be moving into. If you’re relocating to Hong Kong, for example, some units are the size of a shoebox! If so, you’ll need to drastically reduce your belongings (and it wouldn’t hurt to read up on Minimalism, either!). Even if you do have a larger space, make room for quality items that have meaning and bring you joy.

Once you are settled, before you go buying more items to fill your space, consider carefully what you need (and what you don’t need), and don’t let the junk pile up again. It can be tempting to buy new things for your new fresh start but resist the urge to go out and buy unnecessary hat stands, vases or pot plants unless you really think they will bring you joy.

Conclusion

Relocation is never easy, but these methods to declutter your life will make relocating a smoother, more seamless process. By having everything tidy and in order, you’ll feel less stressed and readier to embrace your new life in a new city, rather than letting your belongings drag you down.

PERKS & GIVEAWAY

By the way, if you ever need home services for your home remember to hire services on Kaodim.

Kaodim is a web/app platform where you can make easy bookings for move-in/out cleaning, thorough cleaning, laundry, home repairs and more.

Complete your move and chores with these great services now.

Read: Expat Guide to Singapore Work Visa, Employment Pass (EP) & Long Term Visa

Read: Permanent Resident (PR) in Singapore | Pros & Cons

Read: Moving to New Zealand | The Ultimate Guide

Read: Best List of Relocation Companies in Singapore

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By the way, if you ever need home services for your home remember to hire services on Kaodim. Kaodim is a web/app platform where you can make easy bookings for move-in/out cleaning, thorough cleaning, laundry, home repairs and more. Complete your move and chores with these great services now.

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