Many people dread moving. Having to pack up all your things and then unpack at the new home can ruin the excitement of getting that new home. However, if you do it right, moving can be a wonderfully freeing experience if you allow the work of the move to help you pare down your belongings to things that really function in your life. This is the time to keep only what fits, works, serves and pleases you, right now, without loading your new space up with clutter. It is also the time to stop buying things that may slow down your moving process. If you know the size of the space you are moving into, the dimensions of your home and the purpose of each room, your decisions will actually be quite simple.
Get a piece of notebook paper and create a grid of the rooms in your new home, or if you have a gridded notebook, use that. You will want to do this in pen and make your sketches in pencil. Measure your furniture and figure out what will fit where. Do not worry about purpose. Be ready to change things up. If your new home has huge closets, put a chest of drawers in one and enjoy the floorspace. If you are downsizing your clothes in retirement but will have space for a buffet, place a low chest of drawers, minus the mirror, in the dining room. Customize it!
The act of packing is exhausting and the decisions you have to make while packing can really wear out your brain. Start packing and decluttering as soon as you know you are moving. Even if it takes a while, the more you can get done early will save you a lot of stress and worry later. Even if you are not sure when you are moving, start going through drawers, cabinets and cupboards and getting rid of duplications. If you have a few favorite utensils to cook with, keep them and pack up the duplications. Start by filling up a single box each day.
As you get closer to the moving date, make sure you create a checklist of things like:
Your checklist should have room to list all the tasks it will take to get things done. Consider creating a project notebook with the project at the top, such as “pack bedroom”, and the tasks it will take, such as get boxes, make donations, set yard sale date, and other critical actions you need to take to get your bedroom necessaries moved.
If you have not jumped on the decluttering train, now is the time. By getting rid of everything that does not have a space or a spot on your moving map as created above, you will find that moving will be quite easy. Go one step further and buy some colored sticker dots. Choose a color for each room in your new home and start labeling furniture with a corresponding dot of color. Visualize walking through your new space and celebrate each item perfectly placed in your new home.
You can pack while you declutter if you can do it early in the day. People are just more motivated to complete tasks during the day. Into each space you are packing, take:
As you pull items from closets and cupboards, consider how you will feel when you open up that box. Will you be greeting an old friend, or regretting the weight and worry of lugging that item to your new home?
If you have the time, you can sell some items individually before your move. However, by selling things via online platforms, you will need to manage the inventory. A yard sale will be much easier for lower value items. For those who do not have things to sell that are yard sale friendly, such as those with fine furniture, collectibles or antiques, get a professional out to give you a real valuation and try to sell these items to a collector. Once you have the more valuable pieces valued or listed with an antique shop, consider bringing in a professional to manage a living estate sale on your behalf after you move.
Homeowners and landlords don’t generally think about major home systems until something breaks. Part of home maintenance is keeping the major systems ...
People work hard at their jobs and careers while pushing to get work completed each and every day and under a heavy deadline much of the time. Looking...
A lot of people have a misconception that choosing bedroom furniture is a straightforward task. They believe you can walk into a department store and ...
