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How Swedish Death Cleaning Helps You During a Move

August 02, 2023

Reading time: 5 minutes 

Today's story features insights from MaryKay Buysse, co-executive director of the National Association of Senior and Specialty Move Managers (NASMM). We're so grateful to her for sharing her perspective and insights! 

The new show streaming on Peacock, The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, has returned author Margareta Magnusson’s concept of “Swedish death cleaning” to the headlines. The idea she outlined in her book is deceptively simple: Continuously organize and declutter your home to reduce the burden on loved ones of sifting through hundreds of objects to decide what is significant and should be kept, and what needs to move on out, “to make the later years of our lives as comfortable and stress-free as possible.” (Did you catch last week's piece in ARTIcles on Swedish Death Cleaning a Marriage? Check it out, too!
 
Artifcting is a means to continuously and easily practice Swedish death cleaning: Keeping track of and acting on “what’s next” for the items you Artifct, while also preserving the memories and stories. As August is Make-A-Will Month and a very popular time for home moves, we think it’s important to bring you matter-of-fact tips and perspective to help you deal with all that stuff!

“You Just Need a Moving Truck and Dumpster”

We know that some people say, “Oh, don’t worry, push comes to shove, in just two days you can clear out a house of all the stuff.” That sounds great – but you might struggle to imagine how that would exactly get done. There’s a good reason for your disbelief. 
 
“Haste equals regret!” emphasized MaryKay Buysse. “No one’s life should be so marginalized that we believe it can be downsized in 48 hours, start to finish. It’s not just rent a dumpster and a van. It should be done thoughtfully and intentionally. You must honor that life, that home" ... and Artifcts can be the tool move managers use to get it done! Listen in > 
 
“That’s why we think Artifcts is transformative for the move management industry. It has the power to change how a move manager works and speaks with their clients for this very reason – honoring the history and memories. Artifcts has so much value.” 
 
What she said! You stand to lose so much history, so many memories, and maybe even provoke family arguments over heirlooms lost, not to mention the potential financial value to all that you toss. Do you know that sometimes people give up on moving altogether because they don’t want to deal with the stuff? Don’t let that happen to you!

Top Tips for Accelerating Your Moving Process

There’s a better way to get through all the stuff. First, bring Artifcting into the process to recognize and record what you cherish and hold onto those memories, even if you do not keep all the stuff. Because, as MaryKay also emphasized, when it comes to sorting and decluttering for a move, “Every object has to have its moment where the client and move manager discuss it.”

For all the rest, the reality is few of us really knows what lurks in every drawer or closet, “And despite the popularity of all these new approaches to organizing, decluttering, and minimalism, people still seem to have the same amount of stuff,” said MaryKay. 
 
Professional move managers have time-tested strategies to accelerate the process and reduce the physical and emotional stress on you while setting in motion your intentions for all your ‘stuff.’ Here are a few of our favorite tips from our conversations with MaryKay: 
 
Bite size to-do list.

Tactical lists really will help make you more efficient. There’s a reason why science-backed research on habit formation as well as professionals with decades of experience in downsizing and decluttering recommend starting with smaller (and maybe less emotional, too!) tasks first. You score some wins, find a process that works for you, and get stuff done. Wins building on wins.  
 
The move manager you hire will consult with you and then prepare a customized list to keep you on track for your move goals, whether the move is in one year or three months, upsizing or downsizing, domestic or international. Action lists will include sorting, space planning, and more! 
 
Group items.

Listen in to MaryKay's take on "grouping" to help make more rapid progress:

Here are a few examples, so you can get the idea of how grouping can help:

  • Perhaps with your move you want a reset on all linens (towels, pillows, sheets, etc.). You can donate those to better use and start fresh. A whole category, done!
  • If moving to assisted living and there’s no oven in your suite because main meals are provided, then you have no need for any of your baking or cooking tools. Done! Well, except for an item or two that is sentimental or becomes decorative. Aprons and muffin tins anyone?
  • If you are no longer in love with a collection, have dropped a hobby, or are changing lifestyles, you may let friends, neighbors, loved ones, collectors groups, or fellow hobbyists (or aspiring) know, so you can sell, donate, or rehome these items.

Work with a specialist.

Digitization and organization of legal, financial, and other documentation – family research, artwork, and photos, for example – ideally saves you from moving all of it, provides secure storage and backup storage, and make these resources available to you whenever, wherever you need them. We are not saying toss every hard copy. But digitization is your ally and creates a personal archive for you and your family to last generations.

For the physical copies you keep, professional archivists can help ensure the items are protected from the elements and remain accessible to you, like the recipe card from Grandma you’ll need the next time you want to make her famous spanakopita or when you want to redecorate and display the newspaper article you were featured in! If you don’t have someone local, you can at least shop smart for safe ways to store and display your treasured items. Explore Archival Methods and Gaylord Archival.

Monocurate describes benefits of archival preservation

 
 
 
 
© Monocurate, LLC.

If your top priority is digitizing and organizing photos old and new, a professional photo organizer in your area may also be able to help get you started.

Involve Family.

This tip is more like a strong warning: Do not overlook the adult children. Now, in your situation, you might swap out “adult child” with another family relation, a close friend, or a neighbor. The point is, who else is close to the person who is moving—or death cleaning—and may have strong feelings about what’s going where? 
 
No one wants to watch grown adults fight over ‘stuff.’ Bring in others and do it early to avoid more emotional pain and trauma.

Happy Artifcting!

______________

Know someone who is planning to move? Gift them an Artifcts membership to help them through the process and beyond!

Green gift box with pink bow

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© 2023 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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My Cabinet of Curiosities

The following story is based on a true story shared with us by a member of the Arti Community. We’ve altered some details to protect their privacy. We hope their experience helps you feel less alone in the tough choices you make as times change, your way of life changes, and who you live that life with changes, too.

________________

When my father passed away, my mother was truly on her own. But she was not physically or mentally healthy enough to live on her own. My parents had been married for 63 years. Solitude and independence were foreign to her. I know that in many families the open question in this scenario is, “Who will take care of Mom?” If that’s the story you are expecting, you can stop here. That is not our story.

For my family, when it came time to settle the estate, my siblings and I sat down together in our childhood living room and spoke very frankly. All in our 60s and 70s, we knew our own minds and we knew each other well enough to hash it out together fairly quickly.

My brother said he wanted the house. He had no desire to leave the local area, so taking over the family home was his top wish.

My sister wanted my mom. You read that right. Her one request was that Mom move in with her so she could take care of her and ensure she had constant familiarity and companionship. This suited Mom perfectly, and so she moved into my sister’s home where she spent the final 10 years of her life.

Are you now wondering what it was I wanted? One thing: a cabinet that had sat in our family’s living room for as long as I can remember and surely longer. It contained the most glorious accumulation of ‘stuff.’

As a child, I wanted nothing more than to open the doors and explore all the knickknacks inside. I’d ask my mom about everything, driving her crazy as she was trying to get on with other tasks around the house. To me, a burnt casserole in the oven was just fine if I got to hear the story of Grandma’s crystal bowl one more time. 

The Cabinet of Curiosity Lives On

This cabinet of curiosities now sits in my home, filled with some heirlooms from my mother and my grandparents too. But over the years it has taken on the personality, interests, and lives of me, my husband, our children, and our grandchildren. It’s filled with stories, stories we tell as often as we may. The reality is, we have so little time together with our family that I don’t think there will ever be enough time to share them all. 

When I use the dishes and glasses, I think of the relatives who owned them. For example, one of my dear mother-in-law’s beautiful wine glasses has a nick on the edge. When I wash and dry the glass, and feel the edge, and I remember how she dearly loved her family despite our flaws. 

We have a silver bowl awarded to my husband for outstanding geological research, always in need of a polish, and seldom out on display (shame on us!).

Woman's hands holding an engraved silver bowl

Buried among the crystal pieces you’ll find a decanter we bought in Prague in 2012. It’s leaded crystal, so we couldn’t actually store the port we'd drink in it. We needed to decant only what we intended to drink. And, with that level of practicality, can you really blame us for letting it fall into disuse?

We also have the baking dish that Grandpa Art used for his freshly caught fish. And two glasses that our wonderful Uncle Lawrence and his friend created as they practiced their glass etching skills. Oh, and the vases from our travels in China. I’ll stop there, because it truly is my cabinet of curiosities.

Various items inside the cabinet

My hope for you all is that you will discover the joy that is Artifcts. There are stories I want shared with my immediate family only. Other stories are for my siblings, my church friends, and others. Artifcts offers me a safe place to record and share them. 

Artifcts has become a lovely addition to my day, sitting down to create a few Artifcts, reflecting on my life, sharing with loved ones, and feeling like I’ve done my bit to ensure my family’s history is passed on. I know one day I’ll leave behind a cabinet of curiosities and memories to cherish.

________________

We know that maybe your story is not about a cabinet. Maybe your story and the messy memories of lives lived are decorating your shelves, packed away in boxes, or adorning every square inch of your home.

Whatever it is you collect, whatever items you choose to hold onto, do yourself, your stories, and your loved ones a favor, and record what these things mean to you. You may be surprised by the fun you’ll have in the sharing and telling, too!

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© 2025 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Bonus Epilogue: Do You Know What You Own?

After publishing last week’s ARTIcles story with tips for decluttering that we learned from people who have moved and/or downsized, we were inundated by “That’s me!” responses. Most people who wrote to us pointed to this line in the story:

A professional home organizer told me recently that her clients get tripped up when decluttering and organizing a space because they have forgotten what was even in it.

Apparently, many of us can relate. We don’t even know what we own. Our co-founder Ellen said as much in the ARTIcles story, We All Deserve a Purple Bin, confessing that, in general, she does not know what's in it, could not quantify the loss if it was destroyed, but acknowledging she'd feel the loss. A messy purple bin of memories.
 
And no doubt you realize, the process to get reimbursed for any loss is longer and less likely a positive outcome without records to back you up. 
 
So, what is the answer? Let's explore options.

__________________

Take a Step Forward and Lean In On Digital, If Possible

(Yes, we beg you. Step back from relying on binders and bins.) 
 
Like everything in life, it depends on what it is and why you’re asking. The key really is do something, anything, that will take you one step forward. Our favorite advice to date: 
 
CHECK BEFORE YOU BUY.

We’ve talked before about strategies “they” use to get you to buy more. Truly, pausing before purchasing helps.

When you go grocery shopping, you check the pantry to confirm what you need to buy for your recipes, right? This is the answer for some types of stuff. Picture frames are a prime example. How many times have you stashed one away as you made room for something, changed up the layout of a shelf or wall, or never had space for it to begin with? You probably have an accumulation of them waiting to be put to use. 
 
DUMP IT OUT.

Literally, empty the box/drawer/shelf/bin of ‘stuff,’ sort through it, put back in what belongs and rehome what does not. This is also a great prevention technique for what we call "declutter rage" and the remorse that can follow.

definition from Artifcts for declutter rage

GET A LIST.

You should have online access—or be able to also request a report—from your insurance agent and lawyer (who helps with your will, trust, and/or estate plan), to confirm what items you’ve itemized on your policy or in a tangible asset memorandum. Is some object of sentimental value or financial value missing? Maybe you bought something new or simply forgot some items? 
 
CREATE AN INVENTORY.

Despite an abundance of inventory apps on the market, fewer than 50% of people surveyed by the Insurance Information Institute said they have a home inventory. And yet when you are looking at natural catastrophes and household disasters, a complete home inventory is your best bet for replacement, including when you bought it, for how much, and the serial number.

Most inventory apps—including from the National Assoc. of Insurance Commissioners—support adding video of your home and/or using AI to itemize your belongings so you have at least a baseline reference as to what you own. Make sure you go into those drawers, cabinets, closets, etc., too. And if you start with a printed checklist—here's one of many free examples—we beg you to digitize a copy and submit it to your insurance, too.  
 
Do your homework before you inventory anything! Some inventory apps are more than an inventory, which may actually be just what you need. For example, Fair Split offers a means to divide up estates when a loved one passes away. 
 
ARTIFCT THAT!

Artifcts is clearly the best tool for capturing items that you care about most, for any reason. Artifcting is a multitasking achievement. Artifcts takes home inventory to a deeper level by focusing not just on what you own, but also why it matters. Items you Artifct could be valuable collectibles and collections, irreplaceable gifts and mementos, or simply things you love for reasons your own. If it matters to you, Artifct that. All Artifcts are private by default but can easily be shared digitally or downloaded. 
 
The Artifcted home “inventory” is not only useful for replacement, capturing the condition and key details of items, but also deeply meaningful for you and your family.

green circle with text Artifct That and QR code to start

Need Help Getting Started?

Depending on your needs, our Artifcts Concierge virtual or in-person services may be just what you need. There are also inventory and home organization professionals who can help you with home inventories. It’s really just about your priorities and where you want to start. If you need advice, reach out. We’re happy to help. We also encourage you to check out our Allies in ‘Stuff’ for more resources.

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© 2025 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Home Organizing and Decluttering Tips to Steal from Movers and Downsizers

When I moved three times in as many years, I had no choice but to come to terms with what stuff I owned and whether it warranted a spot in a moving box, place on the truck, and space in my next home. Of course, in a pinch, and if space was not at a premium, I knew which boxes left unopened for multiple moves I could contentedly continue to ignore for another day and hand into the truck.

But that level of awareness is unique I think to people who move a lot. A professional home organizer told me recently that her clients get tripped up when decluttering and organizing a space because they have forgotten what was even in it. So, they rediscover items they already own and want to keep them and put them to use. There’s a human psychological phenomenon in play here. Namely, we tend to place greater value on items we already own.

Clients get tripped up when decluttering and organizing a space because they have forgotten what was even in it. - Home Organizer, Austin, Texas

Through Artifcts, my co-founder and I have spent an above average amount of time with people who are moving and/or downsizing as well as the professionals who assist them. Along the way, we have picked up on some tricks to help us with our own 'stuff’ of daily life and are eager to share them here with you to help reduce your day-to-day stress and enjoy your homes more. 

____________________

The Obvious Strategy: Pretend You’re Moving 

Before we cover any true tips and life hacks, let’s just put it out there: Even if you have no intent on moving anytime soon, pretending you are and going zone by zone through your home can be an incredibly effective decluttering technique.

Few of us follow golden rules popularized by the likes of Martha Stewart when it comes to regularly refreshing all of our spaces, including those cabinets and closets, to remove dust and other debris. When you tackle one zone after another this strategy becomes a decluttering and home cleaning win all in one!

The Second Most Obvious: You Don’t Need It, but Someone Does

Decorative pillowcases, picture frames, books, and special glasses and dessert plates are great examples of this downsizing theme. Yes, it is perfectly good. Yes, it’s perfectly usable. But you have outgrown it. That’s okay! Tastes and preferences change. Your space has changed. You simply don’t need it. That’s life. You married your spouse, not the ‘stuff,’ so give yourself some grace and the permission to let it go. It's natural to let go of stuff.

How exactly should you go about letting go?

For some, the answer to this type of ‘stuff’ is charity. Temporary homes for abused persons and other displaced individuals often need the sort of TLC cozy and practical home goods and décor can offer. Donate locally! Or check our free Going Green guides for ideas.

For others, taking a page out of Margareta Magnusson’s book, The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, is just the ticket. And no, you don’t have to be dying or in your senior years to use this concept in your life. When it comes to ‘stuff,’ Magnusson reminds us that rehoming items not only lets us share the stories and value of them with loved ones now, but it helps us to live as comfortably and stress-free as possible without the burden stuff can become.

image of an Artifacts QR code sticker on the bottom of a music box

 
 
Add an Artifcts QR code to the item you are rehoming to ensure the stories and memories are passed down along with the actual item.
 
 
And if you do not want to use stickers, you can always print a QR code directly from your Artifct.

Shred and Digitize, Today not Tomorrow.

Accidentally accumulating paperwork—yes, including photos—to sort through another day? Do not take a shortcut and stick it all in a binder or bin. That's a Band-Aid. Let’s go for a sustainable and useful fix. Mass digitizing and shredding can immediately clear spaces in your home and the back of your mind from this sort of clutter.  

Yes, it could mean you now have shifted it to digital clutter, but at least you freed up space and now that it’s digitized, it’s accessible when you are on the go, shareable and searchable, and protected from destruction by mother nature or theft. You can’t say that for a filing bin, cardboard box, or cabinet.

And your files are ready to upload into whatever app you are using for planning all of life’s nexts. Perhaps those cards, postcards, letters, photos, and pieces of kid art are ready for Artifcting along with their stories. Maybe you need to add that latest home insurance policy into your digital vault, like Trustworthy

Done digitizing? Now recycle.

Piles with Timelines (#IveBeenMeaningTo)

When you are heading toward a move, you start clustering things naturally in your mind: making the move, heading to donation, must ask a friend/family member if they want it, selling this, etc. If you apply that logic on a daily life basis, and dedicate a strategy for each intent, you’ll have a great habit that keeps you decluttering regularly. 

Perhaps you have an under-the-bed bin, a cute basket with a lid, or even a simple bag tucked into a closet where you can put anything you’re ready to donate.  

Perhaps you Artifct sentimental and valuable items and set a reminder with the Artifcts “In the Future” feature to sell by a certain date. Or maybe instead you share that Artifct with a loved one to see if they want it (especially now that they know the story) before you sell, donate, or otherwise rehome it. The act of asking not only avoids traps that faulty assumptions might set, but it’s also a best practice in managing your family history estate.

Another reason those move piles work wonders? It’s visible progress. For the items that have already made it through your assessment and are keepers, we strongly encourage adding a QR code so that you (and everyone else who looks) can see this item matters and can scan to learn why.

(Re)Set Up Your Home for Convenience and Peace

One of the best parts of a move is setting up your home again. You have a blank slate. Nothing is stopping you from using this blank-slate strategy even if you are not moving:

      1. Grab a pen and paper or open up a blank note on your phone.  
      2. Go room by room.  
      3. Do you see any pain points, constantly cluttered areas, things that are broken or damaged? Note it all down. 
      4. Review and prioritize for action.

Let’s walk through some examples.

Is it constantly irritating and slightly absurd that your hook for your reusable shopping bags is in the pantry and nowhere near the car you get into to go shopping? Move the hook.

How about the fact that naturally everyone in your home has some volume of clutter. And it’s everywhere, including on the counter, on the table, on the coffee table. I have a specific pen I love, a tape measurer, a set of Artifcts QR code stickers, and a book I’m reading, all of which I want readily accessible. Create a home for your clutter. I have a cute little pop-up crate on my bookshelf that holds these and other random items. Problem solved. (And, yes, my husband and daughter have crates, too. And we have a small one for common household stuff like scissors, tape, batteries, and a retractable utility knife.

three plastic crates in different sizes and colors stacked on each other

 
 
You can find these hay.com collapsible crates at MOMA, Design within Reach, and other online vendors in a variety of sizes and colors.

Furniture falls into this category, too, albeit we’re not always in the right place financially to do anything about it. But if you are, everyone who moves knows that you do not want to ship furniture that you always found uncomfortable, has a worn-out look that is not intentional or repairable, or is literally outgrown, like a toddler sized rocking chair. Sell or donate it, but either way, move it on out!

Schedule it. 

When you’re on deadline, as in the moving trucks will arrive one month from today, you have no choice but to get stuff done. Many people already keep things running on a schedule at home anyway, e.g. how often the chimney is inspected, the air filters replaced, or the windows washed. Why wouldn’t you add decluttering to your schedule? Home is not just where you spend the majority of your time, but it is also a place that should help you to feel recharged and comfortable. 

If daily or weekly sounds too intense, try monthly, as in, the third Sunday each month you schedule a specific space in your home for a once over. Sometimes it might be a “simple” drawer, other times you might schedule the front hall closet, because it’s a month when you know you’ll have more time. You do not need to make it a stretch goal. You just need to make the decluttering a reality.

And if you are truly under deadline, perhaps a guest is coming to stay, or you just feel overwhelmed, consider hiring a professional organizer to get you started with the most challenging spot for you.

____________________

All of these strategies are about (re)organizing and removing things that drain your energy and provoke frustration so you can live your life more smoothly. We hope you test them out, revise to your liking, and reap the rewards.

Happy Artifcting!

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You may also be interested in these ARTIcles related to decluttering and downsizing

#HabitChange: Rescue and Preserve Those Memories

15 Years In Storage: Now What? Tips Before & After You Store 'Stuff'

Sorry, Not Sorry: I Love My Stuff

© 2025 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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