This is a sponsored post from Allstate, but this article was written all by me. Â
Moving can be exciting, emotional, and hard all at the same time. Â When you’re moving to your next place, you’re not just boxing up pictures, toys, books, and clothes. You’re boxing up memories and valuables and it requires you to Handle with Care.
I imagine that most of us have moved in our lifetimes. Â I haven’t done a lot of moves in my life, but in the last 10 years, I have done my fair share. And you know, what? Â Moving is not so fun. Â Making a move is one of those things in life that can disrupt, cause anxiety and it’s just plain hard sometimes.
We make moves for many reasons. People move for jobs, for marriage, for divorce, for family and/or just for change.  Some move because they fall in love with a new house in their current city.  No matter the reason, moving disrupts life in such a big way and we all have to figure out how to deal with those changes in the best way possible. Moving can be one of the biggest life stressors out there.
Back in 2005, I moved from the house I had been in for 20 years to another state and another house. Â It went pretty well, but packing up a house that I had been in for so long was hard. Twenty years of accumulation equals a lot of stuff. Â We all accumulate so much stuff and sometimes stuff is not easy to deal with. Â We tend to get attached to our stuff and it’s hard to let go. As I’m getting older, I’m getting so much better with letting go of my own stuff now. Â I realize that it is indeed just stuff and that I will find more things to bring home and enjoy if I choose to.
I hauled so much to Alabama when I moved there and had a big enough house to hold it all. Â When I moved back to Georgia in 2011, I had moving sales to pare down a lot of what I owned. Â I still ended up having WAY too much stuff. And you know what? I don’t miss ANY of the stuff I sold!
Moving definitely causes us to take a good hard look at what things are the most important to keep.  Sometimes when we move in a new house, the size and scale of what we have works better in one house than another.  Your old furniture can end up not working so well in the new house because  houses are all shaped differently from tall ceilings to smaller rooms.  Â
When I finally moved in my current house 2 1/2 years ago, I was more than happy to pare down even more and get rid of the extra clutter that I had held on to for so long.
Someone mentioned in a comment recently, how do you decide what to keep and what to let go of? Â
My friend, Ruby is going through that right now. Â See above.
We all collect things that make us happy and that mean a lot to us, but there comes a time that we have to decide which pieces are our absolute favorite and which ones can go.
It’s hard to answer that question, but we all have to deal with it. Â I think we all accumulate things we love and collections that we adore. Those things speak to our inner selves and we want to surround ourselves and add things in our homes that are meaningful.
I’m really at a point now where I don’t want to hang on to too many things. Â I’ve only got a small storage room and it will only hold so much extra. Â So, at this time in my life, I’d rather give things to family or friends or get rid of it and not have it take up space in my house. Â I want to live in a more uncluttered space.
So, what are some tips on moving that we can share together?
- If you can, hire a moving company. That is sometimes money well spent. Â I’ve done that before in my first move and letting the moving company move all of the boxes and furniture was a life saver. Â They are experts at packing those trucks and making the most of every square inch. Line up a moving company in plenty of time for your move.
- Be sure to label those boxes as you are packing them up. Â It helps so much! Â As boxes are coming off the truck, it makes it easier to be able to take them to the appropriate room right away.
- The best thing to do before a move is to go ahead and get rid of some of your stuff. Â The hard part is knowing which things to keep and which to get rid of. Â I know I was reluctant to let go of things before I moved in my house because I didn’t know how much I would need until I got in and started arranging furniture and placing things just so.
- Unpacking boxes and getting things in your new house can take so long. Â My friend, Ruby, is experiencing that right now. She kept so much from her bigger house and she knows now that more than half of that stuff will not work in her smaller lake house. That’s part of life, letting go of the old. Â She is accepting that fact and will be happy to let the excess go. Â Her new house will be much better off without the extra stuff and she will breathe easier.
- Enjoy the process of moving in a new home! Â It’s easy to get overwhelmed at all there is to do, but take a deep breath and remember that “home” doesn’t happen in a few days. Â It takes time to truly make a house your home and that’s part of the journey.
Moving is an emotional time of life. Â I sure don’t enjoy moving and I would imagine that I’m not alone. Â But, if you get in the mindset of living in your home with intentionality and not just keeping things just to keep them, then you will probably be able to let go of the extras more easily.
I’m still in the process of decluttering my house after my move 2 1/2 years ago. Â I’ve got extra stuff in the laundry room and my garage and I really want this to be the year that I finally get it all uncluttered and feeling and living so much better.
How about you? Â Have you moved recently and do you find it hard to get rid of extra stuff?
This post was written as part of the Allstate Influencer Program and sponsored by Allstate. All opinions are mine. As the nation’s largest publicly held insurance company, Allstate is dedicated not only to protecting what matters most–but to guiding people to live the Good Life, every day.
I happen to be an Allstate customer with my car and home insurance, so working with Allstate is easy for me. Â Allstate has a moving guide if you are in the process of moving, with printables, checklists and more. Â
Ron says
Moving is not an easy task at all, but it does allow one to purge a lot of clutter. Tastes change and styles change so purging is like cleansing the soul.
Beth says
Thank you, Rhoda! This post came at a perfect time for me. It’s about 5:30 am. I’m sitting in my dining room surrounded by a mountain of books that I’m trying to downsize for a near future move to Southern Alabama. I love my stuff, but we to, want a more uncluttered lifestyle in our new home. More time to enjoy retirement. I need and appreciate all the encouragement I can get. It’s hard to decide on what to keep & what to let go of. You contine to be an inspiration. You are helping me to realize the brighter, lighter side to my Traditional style. Continued thanks.
Rhoda says
HI, Beth, I’m so glad! I’m still dealing with clutter and can’t wait to continue to get rid of more of mine. Each area that I’ve decluttered feels so much better. WE just don’t need all the stuff that we hang onto.
Alison says
I recently read a book by Japanese author Marie Kondo about decluttering your life. She said that when you’re deciding whether or not to keep an item, hold it up and ask, “Does this bring me joy?”. If you can’t answer “yes”, then thank the item for bringing you joy at some point in the past, but also realize it’s time for that item to move on, maybe to bring joy to someone else. It may sound a little silly, but it can be a helpful question to ask yourself when paring down. It helped me clean out my closet.
tara dillard says
Moving, after 30 years in my home. Too many trips to count, taking things to the thrift store. Feels good.
After taking a lot of things from rooms, it’s easier to go back in, and find more stuff to remove. Don’t think there is a name for this process. Overwhelmed?
The hard stuff to get rid of, I know, “Someone else will enjoy this.”
Haven’t moved yet, but the loads of stuff already taken away? Do not miss, instead, it feels liberating. The new chapter has begun.
My realtor brought is wife to the house last nite. Wanted her to see some things in my house, heart of pine flooring etc, and the conservatory in the garden. They are building a home this summer.
Someone left a note on my blog yesterday, to the effect, “It is hard to leave if you are living right”. Must be living wildly right. The grieving is deep with this move.
Have enjoyed your last move, and how you’ve shared your parents helping you. Let us know how your dad’s vegetable garden is this year.
Come have lunch with me in my Conservatory, before I move. Call me, 678-933-1514.
Garden & Be Well, XO T
Rhoda says
Tara, we need to do that, let’s plan a time to get together!
Janette @ The 2 Seasons says
Moving is a lot of work, but when we down-sized and got rid of half of our stuff, it was soooooo liberating. I love opening drawers now, and there is nothing in them. Freedom!!! The hardest part about moving was that my 88 year old mother couldn’t understand why I was getting rid of things and moving to something smaller. She said, “Why would you have something big and then want something small”? I think that was the influence of growing up during the depression.
Rhoda says
That is a good feeling, Janette. The old saying “you can’t take it with you” is more real to me than ever. When I look around at my parents house here and their mountain house, full of SO MUCH STUFF, it’s overwhelming. They’ve talked about decluttering and getting rid of, but I know it will probably fall to us eventually. Less is more these days!
Debra says
Thanks for sharing.
Noelle says
Your posts are so timely for me! From Atlanta to moving, that’s me!
Bonnie says
We moved 2 years ago and bought a smaller home which we will sell hopefully in 4 years and buy a more up to date, alittle larger place so we can pay cash again. Moving from 3000 sf down to 1800 plus moving from a home that we built in 2004 almost killed us but Johnny’s work changed locations. No , it wasn’t fun at all. We had to redo like you each and every room and took time. My stuff is still everywhere…….some at my Mom’s, some in the attic , rugs rolled up in garage on a shelf and my daughter sold alot on her resale board and kept the money, ha! You are so right about paring down…..nothing ever fits either. Great advice on a positive note. Glad I have 4 years here, ha!
Rhoda says
Bonnie, I know you know about moving too. So not fun!
Cynthia LeBlanc says
Loved this post! I have moved many, many times as a military “brat”, and as a pastor’s wife. Yes, tiring and stressful, but so refreshing also. We’ve been in our current home for six years, and I still get the “urge to purge” (as my hubby calls it) each spring. Tastes change and needs change in as little as a four season cycle. I’m currently reading a book called “Minimalist Living” that has really motivated me this spring. It talks about all the time and emotional energy put into caring for things and homes that do not serve our life purpose. My MBR closet is currently on the “to-do” list, tomorrow in fact, so this post has spurred me on. The attic gets attacked next week!
Pat@Back Porch Musings says
We are still in the process of moving. We lost time, when J was hospitalized the week we closed on both houses, then I became ill with a gastric virus the following week and ended up in ER. That definitely put us behind in ordering new flooring and shutters. This week, our third in the process of settling in, I finally have time to concentrate on one room that isn’t getting new floors. It will be another month before the floors are installed, so things are staying in storage until after that. We are moving small items, we can handle, from storage. However the big furniture etc. will need to stay stored.
I have moved over 30 times in my life, due to military, divorce, etc. When we left the farm in 2003, 20 years after we moved into our home in the back pasture, I cried. J had lived on the farm almost 60 years. There were no tears this time.:-) I was too tired!LOL Anyway, we neither one miss the big house we lived in for 12 years. Our daughters helped with the paring down and I’m sure there will be more when we bring things here in May or June…whenever. I know we did donate a lot of stuff. The kids took several pieces for their homes. The buyers of our home bought lots of the big furniture…upholstered things mainly. That has helped so much. We neither one want to do this again. It gets more difficult with each move.
We love our new smaller home and we are enjoying settling in, even though we are camping out at the moment.
Brenda says
I bought my first house ayear ago went from renting a 650sq ft home to a 1469 I had no problem bringing all my things but I have found a year later that I have too much stuff even i the bigger house. It seems like my house is cluttered so this is the summer I am decluttering also, having a yard sale in 2 weeks then again the community I am in has one in June what doesn’t sell is going to a local non profit that has a store that supports the homeless shelter in my town I am hoping that I will be more comfortable with a;l the things gone I don’t need or use. If its in the back of my closet or piled in the garage since a year ago I don’t need it.
Nancy says
I should be an expert at moving. My husband and I have moved 27 times in 51 years. Some by choice and some when he was transferred by his company. Some of those more than once a year in college days were with few belongings thankfully. We have moved ourselves and we have been moved totally by a moving company being packed and unpacked. But we’ve been in our retirement house for 12 years and I freak out to think about moving again! I think I’ll just die here and let my daughters deal with all the stuff!! LOL!
Tricia says
I once moved twice in two months due to my husband’s job. That was almost twenty years ago & now our home is up for sell & I have been purging. I don’t like clutter but my husband has a hard time getting rid of “stuff.” We have had some of our biggest arguments over this. I have already staged the house getting rid of the extra things & feel good about packing up the rest that we want to keep. The containers are neatly stacked in the basement & I feel good about how well the house looks. Once we find another house I never want to move again.
Sheila says
I hear you! We lived in our house 20+ years and the move was a nightmare. Went onto a furnished rental, to a small house, to our current purchase. I am done with moving! But I still have two storage units to clear out. Yikes! Too much stuff. Sheila
Peggy Schomaker says
I haven’t moved in 35 years! We didn’t have enough furniture to fill the rooms when there were just 2 of us. Over the years we have grown to a family of 5, our parents passed on, and we acquired more stuff. Additional space was finished in our basement, and we added a garage with a second floor for storage. Every room is well furnished, and we’ve “gifted” our children with some hand me down furniture as they have moved out. The last one will leave the nest this summer, and we plan to pare down during the next year or so. Glad we are not alone!
Teresa says
Rhoda,
Great post! There is no better time to de-clutter than during a move! Usually its only then we realize how much “stuff” we have accumulated over the years.
However, it didn’t take a move for my husband and I to realize this. After witnessing first hand the stress we went through when our parents and grandparents had to go into care homes or passed away leaving behind years of accumulation it prompted us to start the process early.
When we both retired a few years ago we tackled our whole house and began the de-cluttering process. We started with the attic and got rid of anything we no longer wanted, used or loved which we either sold (consignment/yard sales) or donated. I don’t like clutter anyway so it was very liberating! When it came time to clean out our walk-in closet in the master bedroom we went through all our clothes and donated everything we no longer wore or liked. My husband installed a closet system so now its much more organized. I stored everything we kept in the attic in large container tubs and labeled them so its easy to find things since much of it is seasonal.
I think baby boomers have a much different attitude toward “stuff” than their parents or grandparents. Most of us have come to realize that our grown children don’t want every possession we ever obtained.
I know talking to elderly parents and family members can be difficult and you have to tread gently when suggesting de-cluttering and down-sizing but start the conversation casually and hopefully they will come around on their own terms.
Most elderly family members want to age in place if possible but that doesn’t mean they cant de-clutter. Excess clutter and furniture can be trip hazards and twice a year try and go through their pantries and refrigerators. You wouldn’t believe how many trash bags of old and expired food we had to throw away out of both my husbands and my grandmothers homes. In fact, it can be very dangerous as my mother in law got very sick from eating expired food because they don’t like to throw anything away!
Pat Dowd says
Hi Rhoda, I guess I’m in the vast minority – I LOVE moving! I know it’s a lot of hard work, but I view it as an opportunity. I look forward to the new space and decorating it. I weed out all the old junk and everything is fresh and clean and new and shiny! I moved cross country and the weight of things was the major factor, so that’s how I decided what to leave behind. Fortunately I had a sister and her family to help me by taking what I didn’t want. And then there was the gigantic yard sale! What fun we had. So, as you can see, it’s all in the attitude! Moving sometimes ROCKS!
Letitia O'Lane says
Hi Rhonda,
I am in the process of a move at this very moment, my 30th move in my 50 yrs. It is not easy no matter how many times you go through one. 4 yrs. ago I moved from the Alabama to the PNW Coast of Washington. That was definitely the hardest move I have ever done. I had to get rid of so many things by giving them away to dear friends whom I like to think treasure them as much as I did. The most important thing I have come to grips with is styles change and if you don’t take the opportunity to purge your new home will look cluttered and dated. I am the type of person who loves the hunt for just the perfect piece to make a room. Lord knows I have drug home more than my share of what I would call stuff or another persons treasure! Now while I pack to make the move back South it is a struggle again to decide what to keep and what to discard. I am amazed after moving here with just clothes how much we have accumulated in such a short time. And once again I am reassuring myself that someone else will enjoy the things I leave behind. The most import is the memories and experiences we gained in this chapter of our life on the shore. Yes, it is about attitude and looking forward to new adventures!
Wendy Cooley says
Hi, Rhoda! If you’re still wanting to get rid of some stuff, let me know if there’s anything I can take off your hands! 🙂 I love your decorating style!
Sandy says
I love this post Rhoda because it’s good to know I’m not alone….with unpacked boxes everywhere. It is a little over whelming with so many decisions on where to put all of our stuff. Yes, we just moved about a month ago…across three states. We initially packed some boxes ourselves to de-clutter our previous house for showing but ended up not showing it until after we moved. We just realized we couldn’t deal with having to “stage” it and have people in and out while repairs going on and having to make several trips to the new home. Now I’m going through waves of boxes. I no sooner unpack the stuff for example our china cabinet and cleared out those boxes and then I have to bring in another set to go through. We cleared out one storage unit by our new home and still have another one completely filled. I’m tired of having a messed up home. I try to clean the new dark, hardwood floors and then they are all dusty and dirty again from the moving boxes. Right now I’m putting stuff away just to get it out of the boxes and out of sight with the full knowledge I will have to rearrange the stuff later. At least the packing and the move are done and behind us. I know I can take my time unpacking but I have a reason why I’m trying to speed up the process. I’m glad we made the move now and didn’t wait until we were even older. We do plan to de-clutter more and not keep so much. We decided to move most of it and wait to see what works or doesn’t work in the new home. Add to the stress the fact that our new home isn’t completely finished. We have a long punch list of items that need attention or need to be finished. So several times a week we have workmen or suppliers in our new home for long periods of time. I could go on and on with all the details but I’m sure everyone has been through this at least once in their lifetime. Forty years of marriage brings a lot of stuff along and this is our sixth move. Thanks for sharing your post it made me feel better.
Rhoda says
Sandy, you are definitely not alone. I’m really at the point that I want to live more simply and with lots less clutter.