I mentioned a few days ago that I’m doing a pseudo packing party. Mostly inspired by the realisation, after having participated in my step-mums house move, that I most likely still have a lot of stuff hiding in nooks and crannies, even after my decluttering effort the last year(s).
I decided there are a couple of questions I need to add to my regular decluttering rules, questions like;
- If I was to move to a different country or a smaller house, would this item be worth paying good money to have it moved, or would it fit in a smaller lifestyle?
- Would I keep this item if I myself had to physical carry/haul this over to the new place, with no help from anyone…
I don’t want to do a real packing party, like The Minimalists did, as I don’t want to cover up everything I own, and live in boxes (especially after the last few days), but I decided I want to do a smaller version, where I “pretend” I’m moving and therefore have to go through my stuff as if I was packing up for a move. And while I go through my stuff I will evaluate the items according to my regular declutter routine and add the questions above to the mix!
All round better me – one of our fellow bloggers – quickly asked me what it involves, joining my “packing party”!
My original plan was to just “pretend (in my mind)” that I packed up room by room, and while I was going through my stuff I would use the questions above, hoping that that would make a few more things go out the door.
But, All round better me’s question made me stop up and think, that maybe I should do a “proper” job 🙂
So I have made a plan for my pretend packing party. Now! If there are anyone out there that wants to join me, you choose yourself what it is you want to join this “party” with. You can do a room, or a closet, or the cupboards (Therese?), or an area of your house or the whole house. Whatever area you feel you would like/need to give a once over 🙂
The key is – you need to empty the space you have chosen!
Since I’m doing most of the house, I’ve decided I need a plan, to keep it from becoming to overwhelming:
- I will do one room at the time
- I will not touch any of the furniture (the original packing party covered them all up, but I’m not going there)
- As with the furniture I will not touch the TV, cable, stereo ++ as it’s way to many cables to mess with…
- I’m not touching my books, as I’m doing those separately as part of my read a book program
- I’m not touching my photo collection as this is a whole project on its own
- I’m not buying any moving boxes or packing items. The idea is to get rid of thing, not have to buy anything to get that done. I will use boxes, bags, suitcases I already have, and I have “borrowed” some of my step-mums moving boxes. If I have no boxes to use, I will stack the stuff in piles, use plastic bags or whatever I have. The key is, if you are joining me, use whatever stuff you have to pack in 🙂
- I will store my “packed” items in a different room than the one I’m packing – if possible!
Packing:
- I will pull things out of my cabinets and drawers and pack away everything that is not going to be used the first 48 hours.
- While I’m packing I will use my declutter system and ask the questions mentioned above
- I will only keep out the items I know I will use the next 48 hour (e.g toothbrush, clothing, cups and plates and so on)
- Then I will “sit back and relax” and enjoy my clear space for the next 48 hours. Why 48 hours? I’m thinking that that will give me just enough time to enjoy my empty space, and also contemplate on what I really want to put back in, when I unpack!
- Since the space is empty, I figured this is as good a time as ever, to do a proper spring clean! So maybe not so much relaxing after all 😉
Unpacking:
- I will only put back the items I really want or absolutely need in that cleared space.
- Since I’m only putting back the things I really want or need, I’m sure I will have leftover items. These I sort through again
- Items I know I’m keeping that belong somewhere else, I will put where they belong. If that is in a room that is next on the list, I will still put it there, for me to go though again, together with that rooms stuff.
- Items I’m getting rid off, I will dispose of either as donate, sell or toss (recycle off course).
- Items I’m not sure about, I will keep packed up, put a future date on them, and store out of the way until that date and then get rid of anything I have not taken back out by then.
When?
I’m lucky to have some long weekends I can use for this task, and I was planing on packing Fridays and unpacking Mondays!
Saturdays and Sundays will most likely be used in the garden as spring is finally on it’s way, and there are plenty, and I mean plenty of things to do outdoors 🙂
I thought the month of April would be a great time for this job! But, since I have a whole house to do, I will start as early as next weekend, and I’m starting in the bathroom!
Jump on in, any time, from now through April 🙂 And why not blog about it? Let me know, I’ll add your links to my posts 🙂
And remember! A great rule when you are trying to decide what stays and what goes:
Choose what to KEEP, not what to get rid of!
Minimalist Sometimes 
Yay, I don’t even have to pretend, the move is happening in May 🙂 and we *will not* take anything along we don’t need. So I am week by week going through a cupboard or drawer at the time: It is amazing what you find, and still we have only lived here for 3 years. E.g. I still had some breast feeding tops in the back of my wardrobe. How lucky I found them just when a same sized friend had her first born, so she didn’t need to hunting for the tops with a tiny one. I’ve also sold loads of things on Fb flea markets. It actually feels quite good to just have more space around, and to be able to have an overview of things.
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Oh, my.. that’s soon. I wish you luck with your upcoming move, and good job, you getting rid of loads of stuff 🙂 its kinda what I’m hoping I will do as well, with my pretend move, even though I’ve already decluttered quite a bunch… Keep us posted on how the move is going, will ya 😉
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I most certainly will 🙂 next week we’ll get stackable boxes for all my crafts stuff. Will be a heart breaking job to go through those and not take all “maybe this will some day turn into…” stuff along.
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Crafts stuff, is hard. I get that.. I have a couple of those project myself I could do with clearing away…
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Sounds like a good plan for your packing party ~ especially the 48 hours to enjoy the space.
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Glad you like it, I thought 48 hours is a nice little window, as it gives a chance to “recover” from the shock of the empty, and time to enjoy the empty 😉
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I’m in! Going to Stockholm this week for work but I will join you next weekend, with my bathroom cupboard, which I’ve been thinking about for ages but haven’t gotten around to. I think I’ll follow your lead since I most likely have a cupboard in every room that you will go through as well. Just let me know the order and I’ll join in!
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Cool, we will start in the bathroom.. and I’ll let you know what room is next when I post my bathroom post 🙂
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I don’t think I can get my mind around doing this whole thing, since I just went through my whole house. However, I really love the idea! I do thing I will go through each room with your questions in mind, just to really clean everything out 🙂
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I wouldn’t want to do the whole thing either if I had just done my whole house, like you. I have slowed down a bit on my decluttering lately, so I’m thinking this is a great opportunity to get back up on “the wagon” 😉 I’m happy you are inspired to go through with the “moving house” question in mind though! I believe that at least for me, those question should wield a little extra in the out-the-door pile 😉 You can always “join” in with your “light” browse.. you know.. the more the merrier 😉
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I always think it’s good to get rid of more stuff 🙂
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You’re my kinda girl 🙂
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Love it. I will try to participate… I’m going away for work for a bit here, but will try to participate upon my return.
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Great 🙂 you are welcome to join any time.. no pressure..! It’s fun being more than one doing this 🙂
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That’s a great idea! I’ve been really into the tiny house movement lately so I’ve been asking myself, “If I moved into a tiny house, would this item make the cut?” I have a blog post about it drafted too! It’ll be up later this week.
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Yeah, me too.. I really like the tiny houses, I’ve even drawn up some tiny house plans… if I ever… 😉 thats where my question “would it fit in a smaller house/lifestyle” comes from… thoughts about someday living in a “tiny house”
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We have even more in common! Who knew?! 🙂
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Ooh, I love this idea! I’ve been thinking that we have a large number of kitchen utensils we don’t really seem to use very much, so I might give this a go in the kitchen first. Just off to read your post about the bathroom…
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I’ve struggled with the utensils myself.. I think I managed to clear quite a few of them away during my last years purge.. but I’m sure, that by the time I hit the kitchen on my packing party, I’m bound to find a piece or two to shed 😉
How fun to have you along on this…
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What a great idea. I may do a belated packing party this summer when school is out 🙂
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That is great 🙂 Can’t wait to see what stuff you come up with. I didn’t really think I would find that much to get rid off since I’ve been going through my stuff several times the last few years… but wouldn’t you believe… this pseudo packing party seem to wield a few more items that can go out-the-door 😉
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