Moving house using the revolutionary KonMari Method

If you still don’t know who KonMari is, stop right here and go check out her recent Netflix series. Marie’s pixie personality and zeal to live clutter-free is something we all need to get the much-needed motivation to organise our homes and lives.

But if you’ve heard the name before, then you should know that after Marie Kondo published her best-selling book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, she has become the world’s leading tidying expert. Her revolutionary method of organising by category instead of room-by-room helped thousands of people turn cleaning into an exciting experience that ‘sparks joy’.

In this article, we’ll give you the lowdown on moving house the KonMari way.

How to use the revolutionary KonMari Method when moving house

Working as a professional organising consultant for the past 15 years, Marie Kondo has gained the reputation of a specialist who can help even the most hopeless hoarder. Used to organise living spaces, the KonMari Method can be applied to any aspect of your life, even moving.

Why use the KonMari Method when moving to a new house?

One of the most famous minimalist most eccentric fictional characters of all time, Tyler Durden, once said ‘the things you own end up owning you. It’s only after we’ve lost everything that we’re free to do anything’.

Those who are going to pack up decades of accumulated belongings couldn’t relate more. The more things we own, the harder it is to move them from one place to another. Indeed, a massive pile of clutter creates not only a physical burden but a mental one as well. Fortunately, we don’t have to blow up our apartment to set ourselves free; we can use a much safer and more practical approach instead – the KonMari Method.

Helping you let go of material things that don’t bring joy into your life, the method will free you from clutter you’ve been lugging around for years. If an object doesn’t bring happiness, it’s time to say goodbye and move on with your life.

The fewer things that are in your possession, the fewer boxes you will have to move from point A to point B, it’s a win-win.

The method, in a nutshell

The KonMari tidying method is all about simplifying and organising your home by discarding items that do not bring happiness into your life. To understand if an object makes you happy, Marie Kondo recommends asking yourself a simple yet sincere question ‘Does this really spark joy?’. If not, thank the item for its service and get rid of it.

If you can complete the KonMari process from start to finish, you should be able to keep your home tidy and organised for a long time. In addition, less clutter means cleaning your house becomes a lot easier. According to Marie, she has never had repeat clients.

The main rules

Before we get to the fun part, we need to take a quick look at the six basic rules of tidying up:

1. Commit yourself to tidying up.
2. Imagine your ideal lifestyle.
3. Finish discarding first.
4. Tidy by category, not by location.
5. Follow the right order.
6. Ask yourself if it sparks joy.

Now that you know the most important rules, you can start freeing yourself from clutter.

How and where to start

Marie may seem different. She likes to greet houses and give socks a break after supporting your feet all day. But if you don’t feel comfortable talking to inanimate objects, feel free to jump straight into action.

KonMari advises to organise by category and follow a specific order. Here’s how you should be KonMari’ing your house before moving house:

1. Clothes.
2. Books.
3. Papers.
4. Komono or miscellaneous.
5. Sentimental items.

To start organising your wardrobe, you need to pull out every piece of clothing you have and put it in a big pile. This will give you the reality slap. Seeing with your own eyes how many items you possess, you’ll realise that you don’t need as much. Go through the pile, taking one article at a time. If the piece of clothing doesn’t spark joy, put it aside to donate or sell. You don’t want this item in your life.

When it’s done, you can proceed to the next categories. The hardest is to discard sentimental items. But after some practice, it will become a little bit easier. Marie doesn’t say you have to throw away every important thing – only those that don’t speak to your soul.

Time to pack

Try not to be wasteful – sell unneeded items online, donate to charities or give them away as gifts. Remind yourself if the item doesn’t bring you happiness, it might serve someone else. There are a number of ways to make some cash when moving to consider.

When it’s time to pack the objects you have decided to keep, fold them using the KonMari hack. To see the exact instructions, you can watch this video. But remember one box = one category. You didn’t spend hours discarding and organising to stuff everything in one moving box. Labels will help you when it’s time to unpack.

If you’re moving bigger items like furniture, put them in the back of the moving van, so they are not in the way when you’re unpacking. To make a move smoother, take as little as possible. Keep only the furniture and stuff you really need.

When it’s finally the time to go through all these boxes, you’ll see how it easy it will be! You can take out your clothing and put it straight into your wardrobe without refolding. Having only the items you love, you will feel like you’re genuinely about to have a fresh start.

Keep an open mind

We might hang on to clutter because we feel guilty for throwing away someone’s gift or something expensive. Tossing cinema tickets, you’ve held onto for ten years might be tough, but if it doesn’t evoke joyful memories, why keep them?

If you still have a couple of months left before the move, you might give the KonMari method a go. It’s not for everyone and requires a lot of time and will power. However, if you complete the process, you’re likely to have a smooth move and live a long, happy life free of clutter in your new home.