Moving can be an overwhelming experience. From the organizing and coordinating ahead of time to the actual process of packing up everything you own and relocating it during the move, it can be hard to keep your wits about you.
At Heritage Custom Builders, we think that moving into a new home should be an overwhelmingly positive experience – not one that sends you to the brink of insanity.
We’ve watched many families prepare for the move into their new homes during the years we’ve spent building custom homes in the greater Capital Region. Here are some of the best tips for staying sane during the moving process that we’ve picked up along the way!
Moving Tips: How To Stay Organized When Moving To Your New Home
Chances are, you’re probably going to feel flustered at some point during the moving process. Put some of these tips into action and you’ll spend more time enjoying the experience of relocating to your new home and less time frazzled and looking for things!
Start Early
Packing always takes longer than anticipated – especially when you’re packing up everything you own. With this in mind, start packing early, long before you plan to move.
In order to do this, you’ll need to start with things you don’t use on a regular basis. Pack clothes that aren’t currently in season, holiday decor and supplies, kitchen gadgets you use infrequently, home decor items you can live without, extra blankets, bedding and towels, and other things of that nature.
Starting to pack things up early will help you to have less to panic about when crunch time arrives. It will also give you the opportunity to pack at a more leisurely pace, which will help you be more able to pack strategically.
Make Lists
Lists will be your friends during the moving process. Making lists of things to do can help to keep you on track during the packing process. Lists of what still needs to be packed, and of what should be packed next can help you to execute your packing strategy without sending your life into a tailspin.
Lists detailing the contents of each packed box will help you keep your things organized and logically assembled so you aren’t confused and searching for things once you and your stuff arrive in your new location.
Moving is a task that can easily feel like it’s taking over your whole life, but making lists can help to take some of the burden off of your mind and help you retain some of your sanity.
Pack Strategically
Do not plan to just throw things into boxes! Instead, make a strategic plan for how you’re going to pack – and stick to it.
Keep things that belong together together; do what you can to pack things logically so that when you arrive you’re able to find what you’re looking for as you’re unpacking. It’s a good idea to go room by room, categorizing and inventorying items as you go and labeling the boxes or bins so it’s clear what’s packed inside of them.
You’re bound to have at least a few boxes of miscellaneous items, especially as you get to the tail end of the packing process. But if you pack strategically as you go along, it will make life much easier during the first days and weeks in your new home.
Invest in Quality Packing Supplies
It’s well worth it to invest in quality packing supplies. Bubble wrap, sturdy boxes and bins, dolly carts – don’t hesitate to buy (or borrow) what you need to get your move off on the right foot.
Good packing supplies can help you to stay organized and make packing easier, but they can also help to ensure that your valuable items don’t get broken or damaged during the move.
Share the Burden
Recruit friends and family members to help you pack and – if you’re not hiring a moving company – to help you move! Many hands make light work, and having friends and family involved in the process can make it both easier and more fun.
Keep Valuables and Important Possessions Safe and Separate
There’s nothing worse than the feeling that you’ve lost something that’s valuable and irreplaceable. Avoid that feeling by implementing a plan for what you’ll do with your most valuable possessions and documents ahead of time.
Be sure these items are in a safe and secure place at all times, during the packing process, during the actual move, and once you arrive and begin getting settled in in your new home.
Have Realistic Expectations
One of the best ways to stay sane while moving is to set your expectations realistically.
Prepare for what might go wrong and try to be ready to face it if it happens. Understand that some things may be misplaced or broken along the way – and while that might not be ideal, it’s likely not going to be unmanageable for you to handle it. Know that when you arrive in your new home, you’re likely going to spend a few weeks and months getting organized and settled. It’s not going to happen overnight – but that’s alright.
If you’re prepared for the realities of moving, you’ll be much more able to handle those realities level-headedly as they come along.
Move Into Your Home Without Losing Your Mind
Moving is no easy feat, but it’s completely doable – especially if you keep these tips and tricks in mind.
In the market for a new home you can move into in the greater Capital Region? Want to design it yourself so it’s exactly what you’ve imagined – and so it has a place for all of the stuff you’ll be moving in? We can help with that!
The team at Heritage Custom Builders will work with you every step of the way to construct the home you’ve always imagined, complete with the must-have features you’ve been dreaming about.
Want to learn more about designing and building a house with us? Give us a call today at 518-348-0931 or contact us online for more information.
Looking for more moving tips? This article is a great place to start:
Top 10 Tips for Downsizing – Read our helpful tips for preparing to move into a smaller home!