The Moving Pains With A Tiny Home

So here we are, one week from the move-in date! We're still selling as much as we can on eBay and Craigslist and putting the money into our "Tiny Home Fund". We're donating about a bag a week at Goodwill You would think that because we're just getting rid of everything, moving into a tiny home would be pretty stress-free, but you're wrong.

The moving pains are real, even with tiny homes. Moving into a tiny home requires you to have a more minimalistic mindset. "Do I need this in the tiny home?" runs across my head constantly. Being as frugal as I am, I like to make sure I get the best bang for my buck, even while clearing my life of clutter. We have sold most of our big items on craigslist, typically the stuff that was too hard to ship on eBay: couches, tables, desk etc.. We sold the big-ticket items like old electronics and such on eBay. We went to Plato's closet to get $12.50 for what looked like 100 items. We dropped off bags of clothes at the Goodwill that even I knew I couldn't talk someone into buying. My old Phish shirt with three different cheese stains on it from the garlic grilled cheese in the lot may be valuable to me, but probably only me.

We've scanned our documents such as truck or warranty receipts using CamScanner. We took digital pictures of "memory items" and put them in Google's Cloud and drastically cut down on our consumption and impulse buys. Do I still go through stores wanting things? Yes, of course. Stores are meant to do that to you on a subconscious level. But it's about practicing the mindfulness of asking yourself if this item brings value to your life.

Aside from our camping gear and yoga mats that will be stored in the second loft, we decided to give ourselves a goal of 4 medium boxes for moving in. So far we have 2, which is pretty surprising from the amount of stuff we once had. One of the most positive things about a tiny home is that it forces you to get the clutter out of your life. We have spent years bringing new things into our house. Things we probably thought we needed at the time, but ended up not needing, and now is the time to get rid of it.

We took a hard look at our consumption of stuff. It was no longer a matter of "We'll get this and this at the store for our new place", it was "What do we absolutely NEED in our tiny home since space is limited?" This is a different mindset from what we have experienced on moving day in the past. Typically, the social normal is to keep moving into bigger spaces with more rooms and taller ceilings.

I would say I am a pretty highly stressed guy, just by nature--but even with all the moving stress, I feel liberated in some ways. It feels nice not having all these papers. It feels cleaner with fewer electronics floating around the house. Mornings are easier because I get to pick one of my favorite shirts to wear since I am only left with my ten favorite shirts to choose from. Now I know this is just the beginning and minimalizing my life will take time and practice. But if I'm down to 4 boxes coming from 27 years of collecting things, I think we're off to a good start!

But this doesn't mean we couldn't use the help! Any tips on clearing away the clutter?! Share in the comments below and tell us your space-saving/decluttering tips!

-Tim & Sam

If you found this article useful please check our Facebook and Instagram links at the bottom of this page to stay up to day with our other news!