There is no bigger pleasure than moving into a new home; the decorating, the new furniture elements, the new colour schemes and practically everything that goes along with this exciting adventure. I don’t know whether it is because I’m a woman and into interior design way more than I should be, but when I had to move from my single-girl apartment on the highest floor in my building, which by the way has a very small elevator, into a new large house with my family, I was literally obsessed with the move. I had everything organized to the tiniest detail, so when I heard from my dear friend who also went through a residential relocation of her own, that she was fatigued after it, I was stunned! Did that process go smoothly only for me?!
When a residential relocation is on your hands, the first thing you should understand is that you cannot look at it like a home chore you can take care of superficially. With the busy lives we lead, nowadays no one has the time or energy to act recklessly. Therefore, you should create a detailed plan if you want to end up all of these moving problems quickly and efficiently. Here are some pieces of advice from personal experience.
- The big selection
The big selection is when you ask yourself the three golden questions: Do I love it? Do I need it? Do I use it? If the answer to all the three of them is yes, then no doubts here – you’re keeping that thing. But if you have any doubts, you may want to ask yourself an additional question: Can I replace it with something better? If you can, then throw it away! That’s how de-cluttering of the home is done. Trust me, once you have little stuff to pack, everything is a lot easier.
- Hiring storage space
If you’re selling your new home and still haven’t found a new one, you’re going to want to place your belongings somewhere. Hire a storage only after you are done with the de-cluttering phase; you don’t want to pay money for storing things you’ll eventually throw away, do you? Also, do not store precious belongings in a hired storage. You can, but just to be at peace of mind, don’t.
- Packing like a pro
Packing is probably the step of a residential relocation process that will determine how easily and how fast you will be able to settle into your new home. If you don’t know the content of each box, you’re going to end up in a huge mess. So, after you fill in the boxes, write on each one of them what it contains; you can even do a list of the things in every box for security reasons. Moreover, place the must-have things in a separate box and name it “Open first”. These are things such as toilet essentials, towels and some kitchen cutlery.
- Attention on valuables and precious stuff
You want your jewellery, documents, and some other precious items like decorations, paintings and similar to go with you when you move, don’t you? Placing them in the mover’s truck is on your own risk, and in case they get lost, it really won’t even matter whose fault it was. So, instead of leaving them to the mercy of the mover’s truck security, take them with you.
- Protect your old home
As I have previously mentioned, moving is everything but easy. Surely there will be a mess, and the possibility of damage is always present. There is always a chance of the movers damaging your walls or doors just by slightly missing an angle; in case this happens, your home’s value will instantly decrease. And that’s not even your fault! So, protect your pocket and your home – take photos of the house/apartment before and after the move and make a deal with the movers; everything that they might damage while moving your stuff, they should cover for it.
