Moving home? Here are some things you should consider

Moving home is something we all do at least once, but that doesn’t make it easy. In fact, moving homes can often be one of the most stressful, chaotic periods of life.

It requires a foolproof logistical schedule and enough planning, pre-planning and double-checking to break a sweat even among the most pedantic of control freaks. And then there’s the vexed issues of deciding on decor and furnishings, making sure the family settles in, and turning your ‘new house’ into the family home.

While we can’t move for you (we wish we could), we can help you take the stress out of the process with our top five tips for moving homes.

Sorting through possessions
It all starts here: the packing and pre-packing and sorting and disposing and… Stressed already? Spare yourself some unnecessary anxiety through careful allocation. Make sure that every member of the household even remotely capable is involved in sorting through their own possessions into two piles: the must-keeps and the disposables. And dispose as many and as quickly as possible. (Though you’d probably want to double-check young kids’ selections first!)

Encouraging everyone to shed as much junk as possible can result in serious savings on the removalist’s bill as well.

Garage sale and eBay it up
They may not have the best of reputations, but you’d be hard pressed to find a better way of clearing out clutter than the humble garage or yard sale. Anything of value is probably best sold on eBay. Best of all, it gives you the chance to make a few bucks in the process.

Don’t be sentimental – if you haven’t used it in the last few years, you are probably unlikely to use it anytime soon. One man’s trash, as they say. Get the kids enthusiastically involved by letting them keep any money they earn on their former possessions.

Colour coding
In terms of saving you time and headaches, the inventory is second only to the checklist as your most helpful friendly guide to the moving process. In addition to carefully and specifically labelling every single box (not just ‘books’ – whose books are they? Which room are they headed for?), it is crucial to keep a thorough inventory of everybody’s collection of boxes to keep track of which is going where.

To make it even easier for yourself on the other end, a good idea is to colour code each box according to whose possessions it holds and whose room it will end up in to speed up the unpacking process and make the move easier. Your future self will thank you.

Furniture dilemmas
Now for the creative part. The crucial task of furnishing your new home will either get your creative juices pumping or send shivers down your spine. Either way, there are ways to keep the costs and stress to a minimum.

Unlike every other phase of the process, furniture and home decor does not have to be pedantically pre-planned with the precision of a military operation. Embrace that. In fact, it could be in your best interests to not buy your new furniture all at once – to instead wait for annual sales and pay close attention to the catalogues of local furniture stores for any discounts or special offers. Depending on the aesthetic you’re aiming for, you may even like to shop around at op shops, second hand stores and thrift stores – shabby chic, as they say, is all the rage.

If you’re after furniture that will last, though, established brands such as Nick Scali furniture may be your best option considering the long-term investment that is required when buying quality new furniture.

Join the neighbourhood
Be sure to settle in to your new home on the right foot by doing things the traditional way and introducing yourself to your new neighbours. It is the best opportunity for getting to know the people to whom you will be living in close proximity for quite some time and, who knows, you may just make new friends. Or, failing that, at least someone you can trust to stockpile your mail when you’re away.

And don’t forget to scope out the new neighbourhood’s hot spots well before the move, from shops to dining to cafes to libraries. Let’s face it: moving day will be that much more bearable if you know where to find your best bet for a decent coffee hit within a two kilometre radius of your new home.

Sarah Trevor is a freelance writer and media student from Sydney who, as a control freak, knows a thing or two about the stresses of moving house.

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