Downsizing All Our Stuff in Just 7 Days!! - Extreme Minimalist Living
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 มิ.ย. 2018
- Downsizing Our Stuff in 7 Days - Start your 30 day trial with Audible www.audible.com/exploringalter... or text exploringalternatives to 500 500 to get started :)
We've downsized our lives and our stuff several times so that we could embark on different adventures. But we've never done it all in just 7 days. This was by far our most intense and extreme downsizing experience yet.
We had an apartment for 6 months this past winter so that we could be near a friend who was sick. It had been a few years since we'd had a place of our own and friends and family generously gave and loaned us furniture, cutlery, lamps, a tv, a blender - the list goes on! We also accumulated a few more things than we needed but we couldn't help ourselves. It had been so long since we'd had a place of our own.
But now that we've bought an empty Ford Transit cargo van to convert into our next home, we had to downsize our stuff and hit the road to start working on it.
We decided to make piles of all the stuff we were keeping, and piles of all the stuff we had to return to people. After that, we posted our furniture for free online (pick up only) and also contacted thrift stores to see if they'd come pick up our furniture (they said yes but then cancelled because they were too busy).
Watch the video to see how we did it all! We're back to being nomadic minimalists and are excited for our new van home to be ready soon.
Thanks for watching!
Mat & Danielle
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VIDEO CREDITS
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Music & Song Credits:
All music in this video was composed, performed, and recorded by Mat of Exploring Alternatives.
Editing Credits:
Mat and Danielle of Exploring Alternatives
Filming Credits:
Mat of Exploring Alternatives - แนวปฏิบัติและการใช้ชีวิต
I am in month 5 of total downsizing/decluttering/minimalism journey. I had a huge estate sale and made enough to pay for a surgery schedule in January. That was 1/3rd of what I'm letting go of. It's a journey. I am away from my home several days/weeks at a time and I am moving eventually to a very small place so I don't waste so much money each month. I am giving myself 3 years to get this totally handled. Your journey is inspiring.
My favourite way to get rid of old things that I don’t need to recoup any costs for is to set them outside (in nice weather, of course) with a “free - please take” note. I started realizing this was an option when I moved into an apartment where it was a standard practice that you set furniture out by the dumpster if you wanted someone to take it. Only if it was broken did you actually put it in the dumpster. I both acquired and got rid of quite a few separate pieces this way. So simple and useful, and especially appreciated in an area that was full of students and young immigrant families!
I hate it when people cancel picking up free stuff. That's why I usually don't bother listing it and just let the thrift store pick everything up.
I wish I were younger. Here's a tip which may still help? I borrowed my best friends vacuum and ducked all the air out of my garbage... ER... I mean my designer storage bags for seasonal cloth items so they'd store flat. It worked very well... once flattened I closed them with duct tape. Maybe just a tip for next time. Hugs to you both to repair your stress. You did it and you are STILL TOGETHER! Hats off to you both! You are doing your experiences RIGHT!
Downsizeing is extremely stressful! I can't begin to tell you how much 😭 I have cried and adult beveraged🍷🍾 myself through the stress! Moved from a 2 bedroom house to a studio apartment. I am now down to the sentimental stuff. 😭
Exciting times for you; I can't wait to see more of the van.
Thanks David😀😀 We can’t wait to share it with everyone too!
Hi you two. Wondering if you’re coming to Nova Scotia. I have property about 10 minutes from Truro that you can use if you like. I unfortunately don’t have power or water hooked up yet. But if you want a place to park overnight if you’re down this way it’s all yours.
Can't wait to see the van. I hope you do a video on how you did the build out.
Good luck with your new van can't wait to see the finished product
We don't live in a small space but we are downsizing what we own in order to do a long distance move. It's amazing how much stuff we've accumulated and never really use. We're donating two boxes today. We've gone through clothes, kitchen utensils and dishes. Next we'll be tackling decorables and other random things that have floated into our lives. It feels so much more comfortable living with less. I for one have no regrets with downsizing and this channel has been inspiring this transition. :)
Wow, it never gets easier. Shows you how quickly things can add back up even after only 6 months. Wonderful job!!! This helps gives me some ideas on how to clear the bigger furniture. Having a deadline does force your hand, which might be good in a way.
So excited for your new chapter in your van!!!! :)
Good video, and so true about the moving/downsizing/stress of it all!
Getting ready to do the same once my mom’s house sells and I hit the road again!!!
Looking forward to seeing the new van build!
Thanks again for the sticker,
Kari
Can’t wait to see the van as you build it and especially once you move in to your new home!
I love the grey chair, sofa and small dining table set
Good luck on the van life! Excited for you new chapter, I'm also in the process of moving my life to a new country, this is super helpful I needed a jump start!
I can relate to this. The emotional experience, and how when you are downsizing you end up making a huge mess as you sort through things and it feels very counter-productive!
So happy you guys got a sprinter van! What a nice upgrade from your old van! Can't wait to see how it turns out! Will you be filming the build? Now that you've moved out of the apartment, where will you guys live while you're building the new campervan?
I was gonna ask the same, as to where they're going to live until the van is complete.
Sorry. I was gonna write sprinter-type van because I wasn't exactly sure, but thanks for the clarification.
You two are amazing and this is really motivating.
Joined Audible through you. love it ! Can`t wait for this months. Thank you
That's awesome! Happy you'er enjoying it. We really like it too. Thanks for your comment and have a great day :)
Danielle and Mat this is SO exciting! Congrats on getting all of that done in 7 days (and for recording it!) Can't wait to see the Sprinter Van all finished and hopefully roll to the West Coast ;)
i wish there was a final van tour to see how you were able to store everything in your van
I remember the stress of downsizing. We've done it a few times and it is very stressfull. Organization defiently helps thought. : )
I love you guys! I watched one of your videos before a short trip to Guatemala and helped tremendously. Thank you for the great vids, I’m in the process of moving as we speak and you’ve sparked some great ideas on how to downsize. Much love!
Super excited for you guys! love you from the Phils!
I'm a full time housesitter and currently three months into a year-long housesit, so this is what I'll have to do early next year. Thanks for showing the process and I like how you showed the hard day too when you didn't make as much progress, its very relatable :)
Mobile Minimalist So you plan on living the van life after the house sit?
Sorry, I meant the downsizing after being in one place for awhile. I wouldn't mind trying living in a van or a car, but at the moment I don't own either, just a bike. Vans and cars are an expense I don't need at the moment, but who knows in the future...
Kurt M. Yes, it's fantastic, especially for doing projects and making youtube videos.
where does one come across a gig like that? :)
Dan Becker Thanks, yes I feel very privileged to be doing it. I had done two short housesits for them previously and as a cleaner I made sure I left the house cleaner than when I came which they really liked. So, when they had long service leave they offered me to housesit for them :)
An excellent reputation has been key to housesitting for me :)
Cant wait to see your van finished! I have the book
goodbye, things
by Fumio Sasaki
You are going to love it!
That's cool! Yeah, we're really looking forward to the book :) Thanks for watching!
My minimalist tip:
Don't sweat the small stuff. Most of it you may need and it takes up very little space.
Getting rid of most of the larger things is a much better approach.
7 days- quite the accomplishment! Looking forward to your travels in your new van.
Ditto...looking forward to checking out your van build!
I have always just put big pieces out on the curb with a huge sign that says FREE and it is all gone in 24 hours. Or sometimes 1 hour lol
We will be doing this in 3 years..super excited
Nice! Best of luck :) Thanks for checking out the video :)
I've been looking forward to this van build for months! So excited to see what you guys create. =)
Great work you guys! I hate moving !!!!!! But it looks like things went relatively smoothly.
I'm so excited to see your new van when it's all finished! I hope the build goes well :-)
Going through a similar process this week. Wish me luck! I opted to switch to things that I know I wanted to keep and things I wanted to let go. As for my books, I opted to get rid of books that didn't wow me to a used book store in my area that purchases used books, which helped me with packing. The few books I kept were books I couldn't either part with yet or couldn't find a good digital copy of. I also opted to do a flash sale for bigger items and as the days get closer, the discounts get deeper as traveling with money is easier than traveling with things. I'm always concerned about going too far, which you've helped me to understand during my travels and I cant thank you guys enough. Legit travel heroes!
We are aggressively downsizing now to change our life to move to a sailboat. Great advise.
Wow! Great effort. Looking forward to seeing your new build.
Great job. I look forward to seeing how you guys build your van. How exciting to travel around that way.
Congrats on the new van! I'm going through the same process myself. Really enjoy your channel. Take care..
Thanks for your comment and best of luck with your downsizing process :)
Exploring Alternatives Thanks! Then comes selling the house and buying a van. This is all much harder than I thought, but exciting at the same time! Hoping to have the van on the road by the fall and heading out from Ottawa to Vancouver for the winter months. Then back and hoping to spend the summer months out east. Time to really get to know this beautiful Country! 😊❤🇨🇦
I wondered if I could could be a minimalist.... But then, I figured it is the least I can do.
Hi Mr H, Have you downsized and
become a minimalist yet?
A high top Transit !
Think you will be so much happier in something you can stand up in especially in rainy , snowy or just blah days when you don't feel like exiting the van to stretch your legs .
For me personally I would put no windows in mine , you can't believe how many nosey folks there are who try to look inside your van even if you have curtains , my reasoning is if you have no windows then it greatly curbs their curiosity with no way to see inside and all the light I need comes through the skylight vents and LED lighting.
Good luck with the build , remember measure twice and cut once , though you can still get it wrong on occasion so I've learned Lol .
🙋😅👍👌
We just sold everything to slow travel with our kids! It feels so good to declutter!
That great! Best of luck and enjoy your time together :) :)
I have been in the process of downsizing, by myself, my 4 bedroom 8 room 2 bath home that I raised my 3 children in. The most frustrating part is when people that express interest in free or almost free items just do not show up. Not even a message. Just no show. I have put so many beautiful items on my curb. They are always taken away. Good luck to you.
Where will you stay while you build out the van? You don’t have any other vehicles anymore? I am moving out of my apartment to an RV by the end of this month. Very timely!
I'm looking forward to see your van life videos. That's awesome!!*
Brilliant. You’ll find being able to stand up in your van a huge difference to your other van, even though that was awesome. 🙂 BTW..I’m hooked on Audible now! 😘
Yeah for sure standing up will be so much better!! Thanks for watching :)
I love your personal videos. You guys are so lovely the way you explain things. I hope you make more!!
This video was so helpful! We are moving our family from a four bedroom home into our Tiny House.
This video is right on time! My home is in escrow (downsizing significantly so I can travel more & work less) and I have a lot more stuff than I care to keep/store. Ugh!
It was stressful even on only watching. All your preparations will pay off and this will be an amazing adventure.
So it seems you'll be living with relatives while doing the van build. Wondering how long you anticipate it will take. Good luck with it, eager to see your new ride to freedom :-)
This is sweet! I'm sure you have a van build video coming down the hatch and I'm looking forward to it! You guys should do some meet-ups as you drive across Canada! Would love to meet you guys and hear more about you in person. Would you ever consider it?
Wow. 7 days. So funny I have just given myself 7 days to do my final give sort donate keep stuff. It soooo overwhelming looking forward to the finish
I love your videos.you are both so honest and ii love what you share and ideas
OH WOW... UPGRADED VAN!! WOW!!
Life Happens. Increments Of Funny. Ahhh Relief. Sign Up. 😇 Happy about your Van Upgrade. Looking forward to you sharing the van build. Creative Matt.
Will you be sharing the build? Good luck on this new chapter!
Hi, yes I think we will be sharing the build in a few upcoming videos. We're going to try to do one video showing all the steps from start to finish....it should be coming in the next couple months. Thanks for watching :)
I would like to here more about your van new or used, will you be working from any plans to convert it make & model auto or stick how long have you had it how long will you keep it etc.
I am in the middle of doing this only exception is I have a spouse, 4 kids another on the way and a cat. The countdown is on!
Finally watched a video that gave a good review of the sponsor. Good job!
Thanks Cath :) :)
We did something similar 5 years ago....thankfully we had very little stuff/furniture so it only took a couple of days to get rid of everything and be moved into the van.
You bought a new van! Nice. I watched your video on your Solar installation and it is coming up on 3 years. I am wondering if your are still happy with what you did? Will you be using the same type of solar panels (flexible) on your new van? Thanls/
Does this mean you will be doing a van build series?!? Yes please.
People like you are awesome !
Cheers from France 🇫🇷🙋🏼♂️
I am so excited for you guys with your new van! Can't wait for it to be completed! Good luck with your new van!
So you have a bathroom & shower in the vehicle? What about a sleeping area? Kitchen? Laundry?? 😳
Thanks for watching :) In our new camper van we do plan to build a kitchen with running water and a toilet with no shower. W'ere going to have an outdoor shower with a portable stall and for laundry we go to Laundromats :)
Kurt M. Was going to say the same thing. Amazing how many people younger and older, singles and couples with pets even are doing it comfortably and happily and loving the freedom and community as well as the cost of living. Compare how mainstream the idea is now to the period a few decades ago when Chris Farley got big laughs for his pathetic character who " lived in a van down by the river"
Really like your channel ! Really nice project ! What is the main camera you're shooting with ?
Stressful downsizing? You have no idea. Have you ever visited a jam packed antique store? That's what my four bed room house resembled. All the clutter was stressful and restrictive. I've gotten free of most of it and am working on what remains. I'm beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel and catch tantalizing whiffs of freedom.
Can't wait to see more of your build out!
Wondering why you didn't convert the van first. Where are you storing your stuff that you kept while you are working on the van?
I just started watching your videos. Cool videos. I enjoy watching them. You used to live in another van before right? What's happened to it? Why you start over now with a new van now?
Thanks for watching :) Yes we did have another van before but since we spend a lot of time in it we decided to upgrade to a van big enough to stand up. So we got a used Ford Transit......we're just working on the conversion right now and hoping to have it done soon! Have a great day :) :)
impresive down-sizing!
My only suggestion is to use clear bags when putting stuff in bags so you can see what's in them!
I don't understand why you don't just by an rv travel trailer, it's already converted and has a bathroom.... where do you go to the bathroom and where do you cook if you live in a van?
U can get vans that have a toilet, stove/oven, fridge ect x
I just noticed you have chosen a Ford Transit, hope you tell us why, I have also been checking them on kijiji for the last 3 months... I’m in the downsizing step it will take more time and I have to sell my condo.
I’m a big fan love all your vlogs Thanks Natalie
Congrats for the downsizing in 7 days! So you moved out, but the van isn't built yet? How do you guys manage that?
what did you do with all of the art?
What about cleaning the floors,
windows and..... In Switzerland,
you cannot move out and leave
a place dirty or anything broken.
You are great guys! BTW. Mat where did you buy the pants? I like it.
This is so simple to solve, take the "stuff" over to your adult? "children" and let them deal with it. Period, no excuses, it's theirs to decide. We did for both of our sons, and surprise they got rid of most of it as they really did not want it!
In Texas you just sit it by curb....people always carry it off....lol. Im always intrigued to what people do for work while remotely working from travel vehicle.
Hi. First time writing. My question is what advice would you give someone that wants to downsize books, some read some unread and is having a hard time getting rid of them? Thx. Happy travels to you.
Move out! 😄. That's the easier way to departed with your book..because moving out are so overwhelming. U have hundreds of more important things to bring to new place. Books are heavy..and u dont have much energy to deal with it..and need lots of space. I downsize from 3 bedroom apartment to 1 bedroom. I have around 500 hundreds book before..and love book so much..its hard to imagine to let go any of my books...but i move out last year.. I passed all the books to my daughter(stay another place)and donate some of it. I only bring with me around 30 books
I am so satisfied..and never regret or miss my books. 😃
A one bedroom apartment is nothing compared to approx 3000 square foot house with walk in attic space and two storage sheds full of stuff!
i would like to build a van one day, i think it would be a fun project to do.
interested in van build videos. Where are you heading first? Goodbye Things is an awesome book. I kept the hard copy in order to flip through a page or two on a regular basis. Very dog-eared for sure :)
Just watching stressed me out - flashback! wow! I can't believe the effect this has on a minimalist by just watching! Weird..
Are you guys going to insulate the van to make it suitable for all seasons?
Yes for sure. We're insulating the floor with cork and the walls with hemp. We did a bunch of research before deciding what products to use and so far we're really happy about our decision. Thanks for watching :)
Yeah!
Thanks for your video. You have a inspiring lifestyle :-)
“We still managed to accumulate quite a bit of stuff.”
Ummmmm...girl please, my driveway has more stuff in it than your living room 😂😂😂
Disclaimer: I’m a hoarder but can find the humor in my habits as I clean it up!!!
#HoarderHumor
#TryingToBeMinimalistLikeYou
#AllLoveHere
What Happened to your previous van ? Did you sold it ?
We sold the old van last year and got this used Ford Transit. We've been working on the conversion for about a month now....it's taking more time than we thought but we should have it done by the end of the summer! We'll definitely make a video about it.. Thanks for watching :)
Good luck!
A new van.......sweet❤
How are you guys going to handle basic hygeine out of a van?
Caleb Wilson
There are thousands of videos on this issue. Try cheaprvliving.
We just did this last week, moved into a rental to build a small house.
Where did the old van end up?
We sold it and got this used Ford Transit last December. We've been working on the conversion for about a month now.....it's a LOT of work but it's slowly coming along, can't wait to have it done!! Thanks for watching :)
Ummmm. I was with you until the end - when you said we didn’t want to store stuff at our parents house (as in plural?) this time around. Does that mean you still have stuff at your parents houses - both of you? How can you claim to be minimalist if you give other people the job of storing your stuff. Please take responsibility and get yourself a storage unit or something, or get rid of it. I think it is selfish that you want the benefits of minimalism for yourself and yet deny it for your parents…
Sorry, I don’t mean to be rude or negative, but that’s what it sounded like you said? As an older minimalist 50+, many of my friends have kids that treat their houses like storage units and hotels. And even though they’re not minimalists - they complain endlessly about this behavior. I have heard them many times saying how they’d like to turn those “storage rooms” into offices, gyms, or meditation rooms but can’t because their kids are using it… Just a heads up on how the other half feels. And the sad thing is, they would never dream of saying anything to their children?
From one “older” minimalist to all of you wonderful younger minimalists: Please remember that parents have dreams and goals too.
Again, sorry to rant. :)
Jane Doe I agree with you, I have boxes of stuff of my son's as he is waiting to move from renting to buying, I have moved the boxes dusted them despaired over them now he says he doesn't need all of it as he's a minimaalist, So am I son, so am I!
I totally can relate. Both of my brothers are married and have their own house but their stuff are still at my parents place collecting dust.
It sound to me as if they had stored stuff at their parents but not any longer and not with this move. So they are maturing and taking responsibility for their own stuff. Also her points in a later video about donating or giving away and reusing responsibly sounds pretty nice to me. Not just taking it to the dump. Yes kids sometimes want to hold on to things when they are starting out but as they mature they can learn how to let it go and if that means I store it for a while then I can live with that. Giving our kids wings means sometimes holding the parachute for a bit. Being a soft place to land but then after a bit of self care you have to push them out of the nest again.
Did you guys get a new van? I thought you had a different type of van.
Mat has GOT to be a franglophone. Oh the ever-so-slightly queb accent!
I think you should start your own business around this and help people downsize or organize their clutter.... " Organize your life by Exploring Alternatives"
Hey! That's not a bad idea! Thanks for your comment :) :)
I moved away from my parents about 17 years ago. My mom calls me like once a year asking me about when I'm going to come and get my stuff I've been keeping at her house all these years ...
That's horrible 😞