Hi everyone, moving house is the most stressful thing you can do in your life – so they say. With so much to declutter, prioritise, manage and plan for – never mind the financial headaches that can come with it. Thankfully, there’s a way to make this process less stressful – with some organisation! Here’s how to make this transition easier on you and your family.
1. Declutter, Declutter, Declutter
You know this is something you should do, but sometimes the move can be on top of us before we know it. So as soon as you know moving house is a possibility, get started on the decluttering. It’s never too early in the move process to get going on this.
Buy cardboard boxes or hire moving boxes early and start to pack up. Items such as photos, frames, ornaments, items in the shed or garage can all be packed away now without having any impact on the running of the house. These items are used less often, so get them packed away now. Break the back on the work.
Decluttering now makes the whole process less stressful and also brings down the cost of the move. There is less for the movers to pack up, transport and unpack – which makes their time on-site with you less and by extension less of a cost for you.
2. Take an inventory
Count the handbags, shoes, tennis rackets etc that you have if possible when packing up – or preferably earlier when you’re decluttering. This helps in two ways. One – you may very well get a fright and a reality check about how much you are bringing with you and may encourage another purge. Two, you will be better able to plan out the space in the next house if you know how much you own. Rather than over-estimating what you can store where, you will be more mindful in the planning and organising of the space.
3. Have a landing spot.
Can you donate a room or a section in each room to the move? Add boxes and bubble wrap here and gradually start adding in items. People are usually so overwhelmed with the thought of a move, that they can’t see that there is quite a lot that could be done ahead of time. It doesn’t all have to be done in the one go. Having a landing spot to start the packing gets you ahead of the game.
4. An Organised Miscellaneous Box
Obviously, we don’t encourage a miscellaneous box. However, in the last frantic days, it might happen that you have boxes that have a few pieces from different rooms. If so, keep it under control and organised and add a ‘table of contents’ by placing a sheet of paper inside the box with a list of what’s inside. So when you open the box, you don’t have to go rummaging around, you can quickly scan the list and know what’s what.
5. Have a bare essentials box.
Create a box with some food, towels, toiletries, delf etc that you can live with in the last few days before the move and first few days in the new house. That way you get almost everything else boxed up and organised but you know you have the essentials for yourself and the family during the crossover of moving house.
6. Label, Label, Label
Label label label. Don’t leave it to the movers to label. Generally boxes go by room, however, make sure you’re very specific which room. For instance, if you have 3 bedrooms – which one does box A go to? If you have 3 bathrooms – which box is for the main bath, which for the ensuite, which for the downstairs bathroom.
If you have boxes that have a few pieces from different rooms, place a sheet of paper inside the box with a list of what’s inside. So when you open the box, you don’t have to go rummaging around, you can quickly scan the list and know what’s what.
7. Hire a Professional Organiser
If you want to get more decluttered than working alone, avoid the dreaded storage unit, have extra helping hands, a focussed work flow, save time, and ultimately save money, then a Professional Organiser on hand to help you declutter and coordinate your move will tick all those boxes – pardon the pun! We love helping people move; making sure that the decluttering phase in manageable, focussed and easier than doing it alone. We are also often on site for the move day itself ensuring that the movers know exactly what is to go and where; allowing our clients focus on other things that day (for example childcare). Putting aside a percentage of your move costs towards a Professional Organiser will not only save you money in the long term, but will also save you hassle, stress and worry. If you’re moving house soon and would like our help, get in touch to learn more!
Happy Organising!
