So, you’ve decided it’s time for a new beginning? With the thoughts of moving from your humble abode and making new memories in your brand-new home, moving house can be an exciting time indeed.
But before you let the excitement of your new adventure take over, you should remember that you still have to go through the not-so-fun process of packing and moving all your worldly possessions from one house to another!
It’s no cakewalk. In fact, moving house has been proven to be one of the most stressful events we can undergo in our lives! It doesn’t have to be this way though.
Here are some strategies to take the stress out of moving home.
- Say Goodbye to the Things You Don’t Need
Generally, when you look around, each part of your home holds some significance or sentimental value. The souvenirs on your shelf from your trip to Belize. The cabinet you bought from that vintage store which happened to perfectly match your interior vibe. It’s hard to say goodbye to anything that ‘may come in handy later’ or holds a certain emotional pull.
That said, before you start mindlessly packing your life away, it’s important to purge any unnecessary items that will end up cluttering your new space. Remember the words of Marie Kondo and ask yourself, ”Does this spark joy?“ when deciding what to cull. The items you decide to eliminate or donate now will help ease your packing process and without a doubt help activate your house-moving zen.
So, put up some moving sale banners and have yourself a gold old lawn sale a couple of weeks before you move.
- Make a Plan!
Before you begin aimlessly packing your home in no particular order, stop! If you want to eliminate stress from your move, write a ‘moving-house’ to-do list. Set out each part of your move by setting yourself tasks and goals to achieve by certain dates.
Packing up your home can be overwhelming, to say the least. Many of us accumulate an incredible amount of ‘stuff’ so getting it all from a to b can feel like a mammoth task. By breaking everything down into sizeable chunks, you’ll not only pack more efficiently, but you’ll also reduce your stress level too!
What’s more, creating a list will ensure you don’t forget any essential steps which come with moving house. While on the surface, you may think that moving only involves packing your things into boxes, writing a list will help you remember things like changing your address or cleaning your new home. The time spent writing a list now will ultimately save you time, money and heartache in the long run!
- Protect Your Stuff!
Moving house can take its toll on your furniture, fixtures and fittings. Before moving day comes, make sure you have a plan in place for how you’re going to protect everything. One of the biggest victims of your move will undoubtedly be your floors. If you have carpets, make sure you lay some plastic so dirt trailed in from the high volume of foot-traffic doesn’t impact them.
Wooden flooring is perhaps the biggest concern with moving though. Even if you have the best hardwood floor with the highest Janka rating, scratches and scrapes from furniture are still possible. Make sure you have plenty of towels to put under heavy items, including boxes, to preserve your floors.
- Take Photos of Your Rooms
The trouble with moving is that sometimes it feels like you’re destroying your masterpiece. If that’s the case for you, before you pack everything up, take some photos or draw a sketch. While your new place may not lend itself to your old style, you can still use these images as guides to reinvigorate your design mojo or challenge yourself to switch it up.
- Use What You Got!
You just got back from your fifth trip to store but you forgot the one thing you went there for in the first place: plastic wrap for all your precious breakables. Not to worry. Save yourself some time and re-purpose what you have lying around. For example, spare towels or old tea towels, or even odd socks can be used as padding to keep your glassware and fine china safe from harm.
Also, remember that garbage bags can be your best friend. It’s likely that you have an abundance of these little gems in your kitchen drawer, so use them wherever you can. Keep hung clothes on coat hangers and simply cover over with a bag; toss your shoes in one; or even fill one with your children’s soft toys. Just don’t forget these garbage bags don’t belong in the trash!
- Categorize Your Belongings
Categorizing your belongings can reduce the headache of both packing and unpacking. You can either do this by belonging type or by room, depending upon how you want to unpack at the other end. If you’re doing it by room, make sure you do one room at a time. If you’re doing this by belonging type, get out your trusty pen and paper and categorize your items before you start!
- Label or Color-Code Your Boxes
There’s nothing more frustrating than neatly packing all of your things into boxes, only to forget which is which. This is where you can get creative and have a little fun with your packing. Add labels or color-code your boxes so you know exactly what’s inside. Just like with the previous tip, you can choose to label by room or item type, it’s up to you! Either way, this hack will save you a headache later on. Future ‘you’ will thank you!
- Make a First Week Survival Kit
So many people get so caught up in packing up their old home that they completely forget about what happens when they get to their new one! It’s something you rarely think about until you’re standing in your new home, surrounded by boxes, but your things are not all going to be unpacked as soon as you arrive. The last thing you want to do after long and exhausting moving day is sift through a mountain of boxes in search of those few essential items. So, plan ahead and prepare a box or bag that will see you few the first few days. Consider personal items as well as essential household items that’ll add a sense of comfort in your otherwise unfamiliar new space!
Guest post by: SignMission
