For the past month I have been in the middle of selling a home and moving into a new home (new to me, but actually an over 100 year old home) while attempting to get it to a point where it is livable. I won’t lie to you, it has definitely not been easy. I will admit that I am very lucky to have a dad who is a general contractor though. Plus my husband and my mom both know how to do so many things that I don’t think I would have made it up to now without them, and my brother even helped move some of our furniture.
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Overall, help is what you really need when you’re moving.
Other than general help with all of the things, here are my top 10 tips to make moving easier.
1. One of the main things that I like to do to make moving easier on myself is to put like items together. This may seem like a no-brainer, but trust me, once you start rushing to get your packing done asap, you will forget this and end up with a lot of “misc” boxes that you won’t have a clue what to do with once you get them in your new house.
2. Unpack as you go. Try to unpack a little bit at a time so it’s not super overwhelming. Maybe start with one room and go from there until you’ve unpacked the whole house.
3. Make sure to have all of your pet’s things ready for them when you bring them into their new home. Food and water bowls, toys, cat boxes and any other necessities should be there immediately. A lot of pets are very scared to be taken away from their comfortable surroundings and put into a new place. We had blankets on our bed that we had slept on the night before so that our cats would have familiar scents to hide under.
4. I’m all about having to move the least amount of stuff as possible. One way to save yourself a lot of unpacking and clutter is to donate anything that you don’t want or need anymore so that you can have a fresh start in your new home.
5. I know that it’s not always possible to do this, but one thing that made this move easier was that we bought new appliances. Having to move appliances, especially if you aren’t hiring a moving company is really difficult. Our new home had no appliances, so we had to buy all new ones. This may not be ideal for everyone but moving giant appliances is definitely one thing that I cannot do on my own. And a lot of times, when you have a new appliance delivered, they will haul away your old one for you as well.
6. Pack toiletries and things that you use everyday at the last minute, or even put together an overnight bag for your first night at your new place so that you won’t have to go searching through boxes and realize you forgot your hairbrush like I did. Oops.
7. Have a water bottle and snacks handy. I like to have some kind of protein bars to keep from passing out when I’m not able to break for meals at regular times.
8. Did you know that worn out pillows are known to cause a whole host of problems such as neck and hip pain? Moving is a great opportunity to invest in new pillows! Plus it’ll save you the hassle of having to lug your old, worn out pillows to your new place. Replacing pillows is much more affordable than buying a whole new mattress, so it’s definitely something worth looking into.
9. Bring some delicious take out home for dinner on your first night. Chances are you will be too drained to cook even if you do happen to have actual ingredients to make anything.
10. Candles are always a good idea. Especially if they’re scented candles that smell amazing! Candles will add a definite feeling of warmth to your new home. While this may not make your move physically easier, it will make it easier on your well-being.
I hope these tips are at least somewhat helpful to you, even if only to remind you not to forget your hairbrush or to select a new washer and dryer. 😉
