I’m aiming to remove at least 100 items from our home before moving day, whether by donating, selling on Craigslist or eBay, or posting on Freecycle. The number sounds high at first, but when I think about it, there are easily that many things we don’t use or need, and that simply shouldn’t take up time and energy in a move. I’ll be tracking everything on paper as a simple list — weird, I know, but it helps me stay accountable.
To kick off the decluttering process, I started with my shoes. It was surprising to discover how many pairs I haven’t worn since leaving New York City and settling in Richmond more than four years ago. Some of them have been sitting untouched, taking up space and collecting dust.
After sorting, I pulled together ten pairs to donate or sell. That came from a total of 28 pairs I examined, with 18 pairs designated to keep. I did exclude one pair of Puma sneakers that I consider definite keepers, so in total I ended up parting with just over a third of my footwear. In other words, I was ready to say “hasta la vista” to quite a few shoes.
Sidenote: The blue-gray bedroom wall looks much greener in this photo — I’m still learning how to use the new camera.
Counting shoes as single items rather than individual shoes, this purge reduced my tally by ten items. That leaves 90 more to go to reach my goal of 100. I plan to move through rooms systematically: clothing, books, kitchen gadgets, decor, and miscellaneous items that have accumulated over the years. My strategy is to focus on function and sentiment: keep what I use regularly or what has true sentimental value, and let go of the rest.
When you’re decluttering with a move in mind, the benefits stack up quickly. Donating items lightens the physical load and reduces moving costs. Selling things online or through local classifieds can offset moving expenses. And giving usable items a new home is more sustainable than tossing them into the trash. For those reasons, I’m prioritizing donation first, then selling, and finally recycling or responsibly disposing of anything that can’t be reused.
I’ll keep the list of purged items organized so I can track progress and avoid counting duplicates. Writing each item down helps me be mindful about what goes out the door and gives a satisfying visual record of accomplishment. It also creates momentum: once you start clearing out easily replaced items like shoes, you gain confidence to tackle harder categories like furniture or sentimental collections.
If you’re planning a similar purge before a move, a few practical tips that have worked for me: set a realistic target and break it into smaller milestones, sort items into donate/sell/recycle/trash piles right away, and keep a running list so you can see progress. Take photos of items you plan to sell to make listing faster, and schedule donation drop-offs in advance so things don’t linger.
Is anyone else streamlining their home in a big way right now? I’d love to hear how you decide what to keep and what to let go. Share your strategies, challenges, or small wins — commiseration and encouragement are welcome as I work toward that 100-item goal. Stay tuned for updates to see how many items I actually manage to part with before moving day.