Moving Made Easy

Happy Monday, everyone!  Being organized is a huge part of anyone’s well-being (or lack thereof).  I know it’s moving season for a lot of you, so here is a guest post that will help you tidy both your mind and your belongings when preparing for a move.  Whether you’re headed to a dorm, apartment, a months-long getaway, or a house, moving can be made easy!

Moving into a new home can be such an exciting time! It’s a great way to start fresh, re-organize, and make your new house feel like home. Of course, all of this takes time and a lot of hard work. It can also be stressful packing up your items, keeping track of them and finally the most dreaded…unpacking. But moving doesn’t have to be complicated! Today, I will be sharing a few tips to help make the moving process easier.

[wc_heading title=”Go Through Your Belongings” type=”h2″ margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” text_align=”left” font_size=”” color=”” icon_left=”” icon_right=”” icon_spacing=”” class=””]

Moving is the perfect time to start fresh and replace overlooked, worn-out items. The first thing you should do when preparing for your move is to go through all of your belongings and decide what items you want to keep, sell, or donate.

1. Keep – Anything you can’t live without, prized possessions, family heirlooms, and important documents.
2. Sell – Items you no longer want or don’t get much use out of. Start by offering them to friends and family. Any leftovers can be sold online, through your local paper, consignment shops, etc. You can also have a yard sale to get rid of your unwanted items.
3. Donate – Whatever you’re unable to sell, donate to your favorite local charity or thrift store.

When going through your belongings, I recommend dividing your items into separate piles based on if you’re keeping, selling or donating them. If you’re having trouble deciding if you should keep an item or get rid of it, think of the last time you used/wore the item. I know a lot of people (include myself) often hold on to items we don’t need, especially clothes, so check out this great guide for cleaning out your closet as your prepare for your move.

[wc_heading title=”Packing/Replacing Items” type=”h2″ margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” text_align=”left” font_size=”” color=”” icon_left=”” icon_right=”” icon_spacing=”” class=””]

When gearing up for a move, be prepared to start small and start early. Tackle just one drawer, cabinet, or shelf at a time and sort similar items into their respective labeled boxes. It’s easy to get overwhelmed and start tossing things into random boxes just to get finished. If you take the time to systematically place items into appropriate boxes, you will be more likely to experience a fresh and pleasant start in your new home!

If you’re replacing bigger items like sofas or mattresses, try finding a company that will ship your items right to your new place so you don’t have to worry about hauling heavy items into your new home. There are companies like Casper that will deliver your new mattress right to your front door.

[wc_heading title=”Unpacking/Organizing” type=”h2″ margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” text_align=”left” font_size=”” color=”” icon_left=”” icon_right=”” icon_spacing=”” class=””]

Start unpacking one room at a time instead of just unpacking random boxes. If everything is labeled, this should be easy. It’s better to have one complete room than several half-done rooms. If you have limited time or aren’t able to take time off from work, the most important thing to do when it comes to unpacking is to set aside time. I recommend giving each family member a certain amount of boxes they should unpack per day. As your unpacking, you should be organizing your items as you go. There’s no point in just throwing your items in a random spot just to have to move them again later, so it’s good to come up with a plan ahead of time.

[wc_heading title=”Decorating Your New Home” type=”h2″ margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” text_align=”left” font_size=”” color=”” icon_left=”” icon_right=”” icon_spacing=”” class=””]

Now the fun begins…making your new house feel like home! First pick out what theme/style you want your new home to be. Do you like the farmhouse look or are you more modern? The best way to figure out what style appeals to you is by looking at photos of other homes. Pinterest is a great place to find inspiration! Next, create a budget and set aside money to be spent on home décor items. If you’re not able to decorate the whole place at once, pick the room you and your family spend most of your time in and make that room your priority. If you’re looking for home décor ideas, here is a great article on how to add rustic charm to your home.

Moving doesn’t have to be stressful!  Thinking about how you’re going to tackle your big move and planning it out ahead of time definitely help make the process easier.

How do you prepare for a big move?

That’s what’s up in lifestyle.  Don’t you feel like you can apply a lot of these tips to your everyday life, even if you’re not preparing for a big move?  Let’s start September off on an organized (and possibly pedicured) foot.   hehe! 🙂  And if you know someone who could benefit from these tips, please share this post!

Catch Casper on Instagram: @casper and on Twitter: @casper

[wc_social_icons format=”default” columns=”float-center” maxheight=”48″ class=””][/wc_social_icons]