Moving house has a reputation and not a positive one. Boxes everywhere, mysterious aches and muscles you didn’t know existed, and the sudden urge to throw everything you own into the bin. But moving doesn’t have to be chaos with a side of stress eating.
With a little planning and a sense of humor, it can actually be quite manageable. The first thing that you need to do though is declutter before you pack, not while you pack – before.
This is your golden opportunity to get ruthless, and if you haven’t used something in a year, you don’t love it, or you forgot it existed until this very moment, you don’t need to keep hold of it. You can donate, sell, recycle.
Just don’t carry unnecessary stuff into your shiny new house. You’ll thank yourself later when you’re unpacking fewer boxes. Timing is also important when it comes to moving. It’s less painful when you spread it out.
Believe it or not, you don’t have to move everything in the space of a couple of hours. If you can, you can start packing weeks ahead and move on to essentials first.
Seasonal clothing, books you swear you’ll read someday, and decorative cushions that are more for show than comfort can all go early.
This is also where a storage unit can be a lifesaver for you, giving you the breathing room that you need without turning your living room into a cardboard maze. While you’re on the track of packing, don’t forget to label everything.
It’s important not just to label things with the names of the rooms. You need to be more specific than that.
Instead of just writing the word kitchen, you could also be more specific and say what’s in the box for the kitchen so that you know what’s fragile and what isn’t. It’s infinitely more helpful to do this than guessing which box contains the kettle while running on three hours of sleep. The label should be on the sides and the top of the boxes because tops can disappear when boxes are stacked like a game of Tetris.
You also, while you’re packing, need to make sure that you pack a box just for the first night. It’s a sacred box, including your toiletries, phone chargers and basic kitchen equipment. Pyjamas, bedding and maybe snacks should be in there too.
When you arrive at your new place, exhausted and questioning your life choices, this box is going to feel like a gift from your past self. But whatever you do, don’t overpack this box or any of the others. It’s tempting to cram everything into safe space and money, but your back is not going to appreciate it, especially if you’re doing the move yourself.
Boxes should be kept a sensible weight and you should use towels, clothes and bedding as padding for fragile items.
It’s eco friendly and it saves money on bubble wrap. It’s a win win. If you’re using movers, be very clear and organized. If you’re doing it yourself, bribe your friends properly. Pizza alone is not enough these days.
You want to offer favours in return and you want to have enough gratitude when someone’s carrying your sofa down three flights of stairs.
