No, not me, but many of you are "moving on". You are getting ready to move out of your current house, condo or apartment and into a new home.
Sometimes we are happy about the move, sometimes not. We might be leaving behind great neighbors, a home we grew up in or the first home we bought when we moved out of our parents home. Sometimes we have raised our children in the home but it no longer serves our needs Sometimes we are moving because we need to relocate to another city or state for a new job or it's time to downsize (or upsize). There are so many different reasons that we decide to move.
And talk about stress! Moving is one of the more stressful things we do in our lives. There is so much to do! There is so much to prepare, but not to worry. If you create a plan, you will be able to more easily transition from one home into another.
Here are some steps you can take to make sure that you have a "smooth move".
1. This is a great time to declutter. It's amazing how the thought of moving all that stuff gets us to re-evaluate our possessions and begin to focus on how we can declutter so that we do not have to take it all with us. This is so important to do. Do you really want to spend the time now throwing all of your stuff into boxes, paying the moving company to move it and then have to weed through it when you get to your new home? Do yourself a big favor and do it before you move so that you can be sure that what you are taking with you is what you really want to keep.
2. Select the right type of box for your item. Moving various things involves using various types of boxes. Although moving companies have great heavy duty boxes and wardrobe boxes, you can also collect boxes from local liquor stores or supermarkets. These smaller boxes work well. The divider inserts in the liquor boxes are great for transporting alcohol or other glass bottles you might have in your kitchen. (If you are moving across state lines, be sure to check the regulations for transporting alcohol.) Produce boxes from the supermarket tend to be heavy duty and have handles on each side to make it easy to carry. Check into purchasing used boxes to save money. There is a store near me in Doylestown, PA called Box-It that is great for this purpose.
3. Divide and conquer. When packing boxes, consider dividing them up into categories. Besides the items you are packing and taking with you, you might have charitable donations, giveaways, items to sell or trash. Try to use different types of containers/boxes/bags for these various categories. Do not use a trash bag to pack up items to move. You might very easily throw the bag away, thinking it is trash when it's not.
4. Label, label, label. You cannot be too careful. Clearly label all sides of a box with not only the contents, but which room the box should be moved into when you arrive at your new home. This will make it easy for the movers to put the box in the right room, saving you from having to physically move a box from one room to another.
5. Color coding. Whenever I have moved, I not only labeled the boxes but labeled the bedroom doors and other areas of the home using "color coding" on the boxes to match. Inexpensive round sticky labels work well. I found this to be a great tool for the movers. It avoided them having to ask what goes where. They were able to do it on their own, saving them time and, therefore, saving me money.
6. A room at a time. When packing, set a goal. For example, pack the living room on Monday, the kitchen on Tuesday, the garage on Wednesday, etc. Focusing on one room at a time will reduce the feeling of overwhelm.
If you are thinking about moving some time this year, now is the time to start preparing. If you are feeling overwhelmed with the thought of decluttering and organizing the move, feel free to contact me. I am here to help make sure you have a "smooth move".
In the meantime, have a great week!
