8 Life Events That Require a Major Declutter

Having kids, buying a first house, making a long-distance move, changing careers, becoming an empty nester — major life pivots may not be easy to navigate, but these transitional moments can be great opportunities to make big changes in your home. Read on for tips on using whatever twists and turns life has in store to create more space and declutter your home and life.

Moving into a new house can be a wonderful opportunity to sort through your belongings and let go of the items that you no longer love or need. The challenge: Moving is stressful. If you are fatigued and overwhelmed, it’s easy to give up on big decluttering plans and just throw everything in boxes instead. Get-it-done tips:

Even more so than with moving into a new house in the same town, making a long-distance move is a natural opportunity to really clear out your home’s clutter from top to bottom. The challenge: Take it from someone who’s been there — moving long distance is incredibly challenging. There are new jobs and schools to set up, car sales (and purchases) to handle and a thousand other little details. It’s easy to get swamped. Get-it-done tips:

Whether you are expecting your first baby or adopting your fifth, adding another human being to the household is a major turning point in any family. Use the time before the little one arrives to clear extra space in your home, and everything will run more smoothly. The challenge: When a baby is on the way, there never seems to be an end to the to-do list — and if you have older kids, the chaos and time crunch may feel harder to manage. Get-it-done tips:

Whether you are newly cohabiting, getting married or “uncoupling,” a major change in your relationship status is bound to have an effect on your home. The challenge: Navigating delicate compromises with a partner can be tricky, causing some of us (ahem) to want to stubbornly hold on to things we may not need or even want, just for the sake of winning an argument. In the case of ending a relationship, the challenge is to find your personal silver lining (independence, recommitment to your passions and dreams) rather than focusing on what you have lost. Get-it-done tips:

Shifting from one career path to another can have all sorts of implications on your home and stuff, such as the contents of your wardrobe and the setup of your home workspace. The challenge: Holding on to our past, whether in the form of corporate work clothes or hefty grad school books, can be tempting because it feels comfortable. Get-it-done tips:

Moving from a larger space into a home with fewer square feet can save money and time, and it can allow you to take advantage of a lifestyle you wouldn’t necessarily be able to afford in a bigger place. The challenge: If downsizing is something you didn’t want to do, it’s natural to harbor some negative feelings. And even if you did want to downsize, there’s nothing easy about letting go of a significant portion of your stuff. Get-it-done tips:

For parents, having the last child leave the house signals a major lifestyle shift. No longer does your daily life revolve around soccer schedules and teen drama, and it’s natural to want to make changes around the house to reflect that. The challenge: After what may have been decades of parenting children, you’re finally on your own again — and that can be bittersweet. You may find yourself missing the bustle of a busy household and wondering what it is exactly you want from this new phase in life. Get-it-done tips:

Sometimes when big things happen in our life, whether it’s a major illness or loss or a life-changing world travel experience, we can suddenly realize that it’s time for a change, whether it’s in our career or our living space. The challenge: When you’re craving a major shift in your life, it can be tempting to see it as an all-or-nothing proposition and to get discouraged when putting your ideas into practice isn’t as easy (or as immediate) as you hoped. Get-it-done tips: