If you are moving from your home to one of our beautiful lifestyle retirement villages, or moving within the village from a villa to an apartment, you may be wondering, “What’s the best way to pack and declutter before I make the move?”
If you have too many boxes and erroneous items to deal with, packing can feel like a daunting prospect! Luckily, with the Marie Kondo Method of decluttering, anyone can pack and sort out years of accumulated belongings. Let’s dive in!
What is the Marie Kondo Method?
The Marie Kondo Method is, at its core, a philosophy based on the idea that every item in your home should bring you joy. By narrowing down your belongings to only the ones that are truly necessary or add value to your life, you’ll deal with much fewer boxes during the move. On top of this, you will also have more space in your new home to focus on the important stuff.
Step 1: Visualise your new home & know your limits
Before you move into your new home, the first step in the Marie Kondo method is to visualise the life you want to lead there. Imagine how you want your decorations to hang, the pantry’s contents, and how you’ll spend your afternoons. She emphasises that by crystallising the visual image of our ideal life, we can gain a clearer understanding of what brings us happiness and sparks joy.
Another important point is that by doing this, we can more clearly know the limit of our new home. If you know how much room you have to work with, you’ll have a better understanding of how much you can bring with you and focus on letting go of the rest with gratitude.
Step 2: Rid yourself of items that no longer bring you joy
Before you even start packing, this is the best time to rid yourself of the items that no longer add value to your life. Declutter by category, starting from the easiest to the hardest, such as clothing, shoes, and books first, and then moving on to documents, miscellaneous objects, and lastly, personal mementoes.
Start by picking up each item and then asking yourself, “Does this bring me joy?” If the answer is “yes”, then you can keep it, but if the answer is “no”, or if you’re hesitant, then you should thank it for being in your life, and then let it go. By separating the things that you value from the things that no longer serve you any purpose, you will be able to feel lighter and freer to enjoy life anew.
If you’re thinking, “Wait, my financial documents, passports, or toothbrush don’t bring me any happiness”, that is a different matter! The Marie Kondo Method is only applicable to the non-essential items.
Step 3: Leave items with sentimental value until last
Leaving your mementoes with the most sentimental value until last is an important step. After all, they’re the hardest things to part with. Keeping the items that are truly important to you is fine; you’re not expected to part ways with precious family photos, heirlooms, and the like. However, don’t let nostalgia or guilt keep you from moving forward with your life! If you have old clothing or presents that have been stored in the closet for the last ten years, but you feel reluctant to let go of them, think about if there a way to repurpose it. If there isn’t, it might be time to let it go. Remember, good quality items can always be donated to spark joy in someone else’s life!
Step 4: Use the KonMari Folding method to pack with care
When you are ready to pack, use the KonMari folding method! By folding your clothes as if they were origami (Japanese craft paper), you can end up saving more room in your boxes and bags. This compact and efficient method makes it easy to transport your clothing to and from your bags to the draws in your new home as well. Learn the basics of this method and get a visual image from this folding demonstration video.
Step 5: Say goodbye & greet your new home
Before leaving your old home, remember to thank it for housing and protecting you. This parting farewell both shows respect for the place you called home, as well as for all the memories you’ve made in it.
When you arrive in your new home, Marie also suggests greeting it in a similar fashion. By doing so, you will be able to feel more connected and appreciative of the space you are about to live in.
Enjoy your retirement with Fairview
Follow these tips for packing and you’ll be ready to move into our Albany retirement village with ease. Whether you’re moving into our villa homes, townhouses, or apartments, all of our retirement properties are designed for ultimate comfort, equipped with everything you’ll need to live your life with us to the fullest. Contact us today with any queries you may have or visit Fairview online to learn about independent senior living opportunities and services available to residents!
