What to Do With Your Stuff Before Long-Term Travel
A Realistic, Non-Overwhelming Guide for Families
“You don’t just declutter a house. You declutter your life.”
If you’re planning long-term travel as a family, chances are you’re staring at a house full of… stuff.
Toys, books, kitchen gadgets, 16 spatulas (guilty), old cables, baby gear, board games, that one drawer that’s just… chaos.
What do you do with it all?
This is one of the hardest and most emotional parts of preparing to leave not because it’s complicated, but because it forces you to face the version of life you’ve built up until now.
In this guide, we’re breaking down your options from storage to selling, plus how to manage the emotions, logistics, and family chaos that comes with it.
Step 1: Make Peace With Letting Go
Before you pack anything, pause and ask yourself:
“Do I really want to carry this into our next chapter?”
This mindset shift is key. Long-term travel isn’t just a change of scenery, it’s a lifestyle shift. The less you carry with you (physically and mentally), the lighter the leap feels.
You don’t have to become a minimalist. But you do have to decide what’s essential and what’s just noise.
Step 2: Sort Everything Into 4 Categories
We are currently using giant post-Its and labeled every room. Here’s what we worked through:
Store
Seasonal clothes
Sentimental items (kids’ keepsakes, heirlooms)
Items for future home use (appliances, furniture)
Sell
High-quality or in-demand items: travel gear, strollers, electronics
List early on: Facebook Marketplace, Vinted, eBay, Gumtree
Pro tip: Start 3–4 months before you leave to avoid last-minute stress
Donate / Give Away
Toys, clothes, books give to friends, shelters, local charities
Tip: Let your kids help choose where things go, it gives them agency
Toss / Recycle
Broken chargers, mystery lids, expired meds, one-sock wonders
It’s okay. Say thank you and let it go 👋
Step 3: Create a Storage Plan (If You’re Not Selling Everything)
If you’re renting out your home, or plan to return at some point, you’ll need storage. Ask:
What can stay in the house (in a locked room or attic)?
What needs to be moved off-site?
Can you share storage space with a friend/family member?
Will it fit in a small self-storage unit?
We went from “maybe we need a unit the size of our living room” to “actually… half that.” to “Wait can we just use oiur garage”
You will keep paring down. Trust the process.
Step 4: Declutter With Kids (Without Losing It)
Involve them even if it’s messy. This is part of the emotional prep.
Try this:
Let them pack a “memory box”
Give them say over 2–3 special toys
Create a “travel bag” for small familiar items
Make a game of donating or sorting
Some days they’ll be champs. Other days they’ll unpack the donation box just as you’ve taped it shut. It’s fine. Breathe.
“We learned the memories weren’t in the toys — they were in the moments.”
Step 5: Prep What’s Coming With You
This is when you switch from decluttering to curating.
Start a “take with us” pile early not packed yet, just designated:
Clothes (multi-use, layers, basics)
Tech & chargers
Documents (birth certs, passports, vaccine records)
Travel gear (backpacks, toiletry kits, packing cubes)
A few comforts for each kid (a toy, book, blanket)
This makes actual packing day way less overwhelming.
The Emotional Side: What We Didn’t Expect
Here’s what surprised us:
Some things were harder to let go of than we thought (the baby carrier we don’t use anymore… ouch)
Some things were easier (random furniture we didn’t even like)
The house felt lighter as the stuff went. It was like clearing mental space.
We realised we weren’t just getting ready to go.
We were releasing one version of our life… to make space for the next one.
Grab your free “Travel Planning Checklist” below
Final Checklist: What to Do With Your Stuff
✅ Start early at least 3 months out
✅ Decide if you’re selling, storing, donating, or tossing
✅ Label everything, even the “maybe” pile
✅ Let the kids be part of the process
✅ Celebrate every cleared shelf
✅ Remind yourself: you’re not your stuff
Got a garage full of “I might need this later”?
You’re not alone. Ask your decluttering questions below, we’ve been through the bin bag mountain and lived to tell the tale.
