Moving Tips to Keep You Sane

We just moved to a new home. Finally feeling settled after the move. No more boxes, comfortable in our spaces. Everything is finding its place. Starting to hang art, THE BEST PART. Art and rugs are exciting moments in a new space! They always make things feel more personal and cozy.

We've been figuring out which furniture from the old house we should keep, where it goes, what to sell or donate and what we still need. Sad to let go of some things but excited to start fresh in some areas. We’re learning how we use each room and how to make them fully functional. Paint cans have been bought! Transformations are happening. :)

Moving seems like a great idea when you’re perusing Zillow and find THE ONE. The end result is great: a new pad, fresh slate. The process of moving though, it sucks. It just does. Literally moving everything you own from one place to another.

Not to mention, moving can be overwhelming and emotional. Add kids, pets, large vinyl record collections and heavier than you thought furniture and well, it sucks even more. However, by being smart about it, a little forethought and keeping in mind the awesome end result, you can stay sane and get through the move (mostly) unscathed.

This is our third move/home in 7 years. We are definitely ready to stay one in place for more than a few years. Although I do love a new project. :) Below I’ve written up a few tips that have been helpful for us during moves and things we’ve learned along the way.

Before the move:

Purge.

This is so important! You will most likely have more to get rid of once you move but save yourself some time and effort by getting rid of things before the big move. Not only will this lessen how much you have to move but you’ll feel less overwhelmed when unpacking if you’ve gotten rid of what you know you really don’t need ahead of time. I think sometimes we can be in a bit of an emotional/homesick mood when we first get into a new place and that can make it harder to purge.

Have a donate bag/box handy at all times.

We keep a running donate bag at all times in our house. I wish I could say that we are minimalists and only use what we really need, buuuut sadly that is not the case. I have found that when we don’t have a go to bag for donations, things start to pile up and create clutter. So it’s great to have a go-to place for these things especially when going through the moving process. Plus, donating is a win-win for everyone. As a thrifter, I find joy in donating things that I know others will be excited to find. Share the love people!

Pack non-dailies/non-essentials first.

This just makes sense right? Start packing the stuff that is non-essential first. For us, that was our dining room hutch filled with serving pieces we use for parties, our bookshelves, sit around home decor/accessories. All the fluff. I highly recommend going room by room. Packing random stuff in random rooms sporadically will drive a person crazy.

Pack everything you don’t use on the daily and things you won’t need until you’re in your new place. Finish up one room as much as you can and if there is something you’ve left unpacked because you’ll use it up until the big move, just write it down. Do the same for each room. This brings incredible peace of mind, you won’t be left thinking about what you missed.

After the move:

Unpack every day until you’re done.

I don’t know about you but I have to feel settled in my space. I can’t live amongst boxes for long or it just makes me feel uneasy and irritated. Inevitably, you will live amongst boxes before and after the move, that’s just part of it. Whatever you do, don’t give up at any point! So many people unpack the essentials and then stop. They live with unpacked boxes from a move that happened years ago.

Aside from what I would categorize as storage, keepsakes or holiday decor, it shouldn’t stay in a box. If you are tempted to not unpack a box because you don’t need anything in it and its not special, do you really need to keep it? Take things one day at a time. I start with the essentials first. Start with what you really need from the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and clothes. And from there, I like to try and finish one room at a time. Make piles as you unpack; recycle, donate and put away. Keep going!

Reward yourself!

Our unintentional tradition on the night we move into a new place has been to order a pizza from somewhere in our new area that we haven’t tried before. Enjoy it on whatever paper towels, napkins you have or if you’re an overachiever, real plates. Reward yourself after the moving is done. It’s a huge accomplishment. We are complicated, modern beings who require a lot of stuff. It’s not easy moving it all around. Grab a cold one and enjoy what you’ve accomplished! Feel free to repeat when you unpack your last box.

Don’t make packing/moving any harder than it already is. These tips will help you get to that feeling settled stage much quicker so you can start enjoying your home rather than wallowing in boxes forever. One last thing, if you are able to hire movers and literally lighten your load, DO IT. Money well spent.

Best,