Whether you will soon be living in your new home or you are currently in the market for a home, you have probably given some thought to the task of moving. Some of us end up overthinking our upcoming move, while others prefer to think about anything else. Whichever camp you fall into, we know that having some helpful moving tips in your toolbox can make the process much smoother and, dare we say, enjoyable!
Preparation is Essential
No matter how much you might be tempted to save all the work of moving for the last moment, the more you prepare for switching homes, the more your future self will thank you. An easy prep step that you can start on today is to call your utility companies to inform them of the move and to find a good mover ASAP. For the latter, we suggest doing a little online research to compare the prices between a few different moving companies. It’s also a great idea to consider eating all the food in your current home, or making plans to donate it to charity. That way, you won’t make extra work for yourself by having to pack and unpack a bunch of cans and jars from your moving truck. For a fun way to use up everything in your cupboard and fridge, SuperCook helps you find recipes that can be made with whatever ingredients you have laying around!
Donate or Toss
Getting rid of as many non-essential items as you can before moving will give you more time and energy later on for more fun activities, like decorating or taking a well-deserved rest. When you spend time sifting through your possessions, you will not only end up having less to bring over from one house to the next, you will also spend less time trying to find a place for everything in your new home. Start by creating a list or making piles of items that you can live without. We recommend relying on the Marie Kondo method and asking yourself, “Does this bring me joy?” with each item. If the answer is no, then consider leaving it behind. If you missed our video series last year with Certified KonMari Method™ Consultant, Sandy Park of Tidy with Spark, read this blog post for a quick recap and links to all of the videos! Donating is typically a better practice than simply tossing items in the trash, and if you give yourself enough time before the move, you can even schedule donations to be picked up at your old home via these donation centers.
Become a Packing Pro
Use these quick and easy tips to make packing and unloading much easier on yourself:
- Remove your dresser’s drawers, but leave the content in each drawer
- Use extra suitcases to pack objects that might be difficult to fit in packing boxes
- Use color coded labels on your boxes to easily identify which room the contents belong to
- Use jars to pack small objects that would otherwise be left loose in a box
- Wrap breakable objects with soft materials, like towels and linens, to prevent chipping
- Leave clothes on their hangers so you can easily move them into their new closet
We hope that following some or all of these hacks will help make your moving experience much more pleasant. If you’re a current Olson homeowner, then you can feel relieved knowing that your spacious, well-designed home makes it easy to unpack, unwind and find the perfect place for every little thing. If you see yourself moving into an Olson home one day, we invite you to check out our neighborhoods on our website. More to come later this year!