Minimalist living in Bern: clear out or store?

Fewer possessions, more space, more calm: Minimalist living is on trend – including in Bern, where historic flats offer plenty of charm, but rarely generous wardrobes. Yet between the desire for empty space and the reality of the household lies a difficult question: What can really go, and what should you keep, even if there is no room for it right now?

The honest answer: Not everything that should leave the flat has to disappear from your life. A storage unit in Bern is the missing link between radical decluttering and a guilty conscience.

The three-pile method: go, stay, store

Go room by room and sort every item into one of three categories:

• Go: What is broken, duplicated, or unused for years – sell, give away, or dispose of properly.
• Stay: What you need regularly or brings daily joy – this deserves a permanent spot in the flat.
• Store: What is rarely used, but has real value – functional, financial, or emotional.

The third pile is the underrated one: It prevents you, in the heat of decluttering, from throwing away things that you would later replace expensively or miss painfully.

What can leave for good?

Rigorously part with things without a future: clothes unworn for two years, devices without chargers, books you will never read again, the third fondue set. Rule of thumb: If you had forgotten about it and feel nothing upon finding it again – get rid of it. In Bern, second-hand shops and clothes swaps accept many things gratefully; this gives letting go a good purpose. A fixed timeframe is also helpful: One weekend per room is usually enough – whatever has not found a place by Sunday evening gets sold or donated. And photograph keepsakes you part with: Often the picture is enough to preserve the memory.

What belongs in storage instead of the bin?

Other items are too good to throw away, but too bulky for a minimalist flat:

• Seasonal items: Ski equipment, garden furniture, Christmas decorations – used, yes, but only for a few weeks a year.
• Keepsakes: Grandma's heirloom, photo albums, the vinyl collection – irreplaceable, but not suitable for everyday use.
• Life-stage items: Baby gear for the second child, furniture for tomorrow's larger flat.
• Valuables: Good tools, high-quality furniture you want to use again later.
• Sports equipment: The road bike for the season, hiking gear, the tent for summer.

Even a small box creates a big impact: Sizes at Squarefoot range from 1 to 40 m³ – for most minimalists, a few cubic metres are enough.

Stay flexible – including with storage

Minimalism is a process, not a final state. Fittingly, the storage unit also stays flexible: 30-day minimum rental period, cancel monthly thereafter. If after a year you realise you don't miss half the stored items after all, downsize the box or cancel it. A proven trick is the storage experiment: Move everything you are unsure about into the box for six months. Whatever you haven't retrieved or missed a single time during this period can leave with a clear conscience afterwards – sold, given away, or donated. That way, the storage unit becomes a sluice between possession and letting go, and no decision feels final. Prices are per month, excluding 8,1% VAT, plus a one-off registration fee of 40 CHF – and currently, the first month costs only 1 CHF with a two-month minimum commitment. Find details in the overview of storage costs.

Conclusion: Live lighter without regrets

Minimalism succeeds when letting go causes no fear. With the three-pile method, you decide consciously – and a storage unit in Bern catches everything that is valuable but doesn't deserve space in your flat. At four locations in Bern, with 24/7 PIN code access at many locations. Book your box online and create space for what matters – your flat stays permanently light, without you having to regret a thing.