The six months before you move out of your home are busy. You’re worried about packing and traveling. You’re worried about the time and effort of the entire experience. And you feel as if everything is going to fall apart at the very last moment. This means that you’re not just stressed; you feel as if you’re about to fall apart and every new stress feels like it adds a ton of bricks to your shoulders. The good news is that if you can create and follow a list of to-do’s, it’s a lot easier to find peace of mind during these months. So, to help, here are the things that you should focus on as you prepare to move.
1. Declutter Cluttered Areas
Though you might not be ready to start packing yet, it’s a good idea to start decluttering and cleaning areas that may have gotten out of control. You have probably lived in your current home for a few years which means that you’ve settled in. The kitchen is no longer perfectly organized, and you’ve created multiple “junk drawers” throughout the house for things that don’t have a place. As you’re decluttering, start in the areas that have a lot of items that don’t have a place. These items are most likely things that you don’t need. Declutter the drawers and get rid of things that you haven’t used in the past year. Once you’ve decluttered, put everything in its place. Find a better spot for your Gucci handbags (put them somewhere more protected than the front table by the door) and make sure your kitchen utensils are organized. Your goal is to make things easy to categorize when you start packing.
2. Learn About the New Area that You’ll be Moving to
One of the reasons why moving can be stressful is due to the sentimental value of the things that you’re leaving behind. You watched your kids grow up in that home. The inside of the mudroom door has all of their heights marked as they grew taller every year. It’s hard to say goodbye to all of those things. To save yourself from the trauma of saying goodbye, take pictures of the things that you want to remember and then move on. Go to the new area that you’ll be moving to and learn about the neighbors, the city, the parks. Have fun. Take your kids on a hike in the new town and introduce them to the fun activities that are there. You want to be excited about the idea of moving there rather than disappointed that you’re leaving your other home behind.
3. Create a “Moving File” to Store Necessary Plans and Information
Something that will make things go a lot smoother is if you have a “moving file” that you regularly update before the move. You can have several different folders to handle all of the information that you need, but you should have everything saved on an online file just in case things get mixed up or lost. For example, keep track of how much moving companies have quoted you, how much you agreed to pay, the budget that you made for the move, recipes, quotes, and anything else that could get lost.
4. Switch Your Utilities
This should be done days before you move, but it’s something that is often forgotten in the rush and excitement of the move. Always remember to switch over your utilities. There’s nothing more exciting than moving into your home and then getting two electric bills the next month. Make sure that your information has moved so that you don’t end up getting pegged for two bills rather than just the one.
Conclusion
Moving is going to be stressful, but you can plan things out ahead of time to make sure that it’s less stressful than it needs to be. Take care that you keep track of all of the things that need to get done. Keep in mind that to get rid of as much stress as you can, you should start planning months before.
