Moving house can be such a daunting experience for the majority of people, but it can also be a positive experience associated with “moving on to the next chapter”.
The moving of items into the next house often is the simple part! What’s challenging is the lengthy process that comes before it.
Decluttering. Organizing. And packing.
There is a heavy process of sorting things into “what to keep”, “what to donate” and “what to get rid of” before the big event.
How many times have you just chucked everything into boxes thinking you’ll deal with it on the other end?
Here are a few tips to make your moving-out experience as smooth and as stress-free as possible.
START EARLY
The most stressful thing about moving out is the forever questioning of “will this be useful or not?”
It is a natural part of the process to stress about this question and “um” and “ah” for countless hours.
The best way to lessen the amount of stress experienced when moving out is to start early.
Don’t leave the decluttering and packing until just a few days before – it will be harder on you and your family.
Set a schedule, give yourself goals, WRITE THEM DOWN! and do it in phases until you are ready to move. Have a game plan that you can follow so you can see your progress. Tick things off so you can keep the momentum going.
BEGIN WITH THINGS YOU CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT
Start packing the things you know you can’t live without at the new house. Ask yourself three basic questions:
“Do I use it?”
“Do I love it?” and/or
“Is it sentimental?”
Anything that falls out of these three categories, you can live without.
However, for things that you are still using, do not pack them yet. Set them aside somewhere they are easily accessible to you, (while still being separated from everything else) so when it’s time to move, it is easy for you to pack them quickly.
GO ROOM BY ROOM
To make sure that you leave no stone unturned, go through each room of your home. Start with the rooms that you think are the most difficult! This will ensure that the biggest tasks are out of the way, and you can take your time doing the easier ones.
Leave no drawer unchecked and no closet unopened!
CLEAR LABELS MATTER
It may not feel like it while you’re packing, but once you get settled in your new home, you’ll see that labels are your best friend!
Group your things into categories and be sure to label them according to these categories.
Have ONE sheet of paper – this will be your master list.
For e.g. – books should be put into smaller and more manageable boxes (these are HEAVY). Label the box – number 1.
On your master list – write on one line, number 1, and write the things that have gone into each box.
This will ensure that during the unpacking process, you’ll be able to know IMMEDIATELY which things are placed in which box and you won’t have to spend too much time thinking about where your things were placed. AND your boxes can be reused for another move.
This will make the unpacking process smoother and much easier.
It can be overwhelming to think about the moving-in and out process. The longer you have stayed in one home, the more things you will have to pack and organize, and the more stress you may have. It will seem like a daunting task at first but as you go through it, you’ll realize that it doesn’t really take that long (as long as you have a good system in place!).
The 4 steps outlined are steps of a simplified process to help you prioritize and follow a system whilst moving out – but there are countless methods and techniques that you could try.
Find out which method suits you best and follow the one that gives you the least amount of anxiety.
Of course, the best way to lighten your load and your stress when moving out is to have someone help you! If you’re looking for assistance in decluttering and organizing, packing and unpacking, then don’t hesitate to contact The Clean Life.
We offer guided appointments, where we work with you to reduce your stress, free you of clutter, and ensure you only take the items you love into the next chapter (saving you money and time)!
Discuss with us your requirements about your home here: https://thecleanlife.com.au/book-your-time/
Happy packing!
