Tips for Moving Into a New Home
I was young the first time I heard the phrase “home is where the heart is,” and you know what? I’ve never stopped believing it. The truth is, everyone needs a home. It’s part of the human experience to look for that house, apartment, or other living space where we can cozy up, establish our routines, and feel comfortable and safe.
Of course, that’s also a big part of what makes moving from one house to another a bit stressful. Whenever it comes time to gather up those empty boxes and start pulling my life to pieces, it gets my heart pumping — and not in a good way. However, experience is a great teacher, and my adventures moving at various times in my life have taught me several tips and tricks that can help you make the transition to a new place as smooth as possible.
Prepping to Move
If I’m getting ready to move, I’m always a fan of getting into a fresh, minimalist mindset about how I live my life and organize my spaces. If you find you have an overabundance of stuff, start chipping away at it as soon as possible.
However, before you grab a garbage bag and start throwing things away hand over fist, take some time to shift your mindset and think of what you’re trying to accomplish. Be mindful of what you’re keeping, what you’re throwing away, and what’s really important in your life, like friendships and relationships with family. For me, no matter how much I feel that my stuff is important, most of it just isn’t at the end of the day.
Once you’re in a good mindset, go one room at a time in an attempt to reduce your personal belongings to just the things that truly matter. I remember when my grandfather passed away and I wanted to keep every book he ever owned. Slowly, over the years that followed, I realized that the boxes of still-packed books would never be unpacked, let alone read. I began sorting through them and getting rid of anything I knew I didn’t have a shot at ever truly reading.
Using that attitude with everything in life is a great way to prep for a move. Is each item useful? Is it practical? Does it bring you joy? If you can’t answer those questions positively, recycle or donate the item!
Once you’ve got your stuff pared down, it’s time to consider getting a storage unit as some useful space to facilitate the move. It’s always important to remember, though, not all things store the same. I had a friend that unplugged their fridge and moved it with its contents still inside. Things got delayed and, long story short, they didn’t open it up for three weeks. You can guess how that went. The point is, storage units are helpful moving tools, but it’s important to use them wisely.
Moving Into an Existing Home
If you find yourself moving into an existing home — especially if it needs a little bit of work — you may want to try to arrange things so that you get your keys to the house before you actually need to move in. That gives you the opportunity to make any obvious repairs without needing to live there at the same time.
I remember buying my 1830s farmhouse in near-dilapidated condition and being grateful that I had a few months to clean things up before I moved in to live there. After all, just because someone was living in a space before you doesn’t mean it’ll be move-in ready when they leave.
Moving Into a Brand New Home
If you’re building a brand new home, my tips tend to start all the way back in the “before you build it” phase. Going this route can provide some incredible security. For instance, a new home lets you rest in the knowledge that your house’s basic elements — things like plumbing and electric — should work for a long time to come without any major issues (not to mention the fact everything will be freshly up to code).
Where you want to be careful, though, is making sure you’re following all of the rules that go into building a home these days. After all, following codes, local municipal rules, and so on can be a huge headache. I suggest you start by finding a reputable builder whose work speaks for itself.
Just because a contractor has been around the block before or has killer prices doesn’t mean they’re going to do a good job. Look for references and do your best to see if they’re properly licensed for your state. Make sure you’ve sorted through all of these details before you break ground on the new home.
Another thing you’re going to want to do is make sure that all of your financial considerations and plans are put to rest before you get started. Don’t start building without:
- A reputable builder.
- A clear plan of action.
- An understandable timeline.
- Your home construction loans figured out.
Unpacking
When it comes to unpacking stuff, it can be helpful to study your habits before you start sticking stuff everywhere. Be purposeful about how you unpack each item, take your time, and if you feel in over your head, don’t be afraid to ask for some help along the way.
I remember helping a family move once. They were so unprepared, they ended up calling in anyone that was available from the local church to help if they could. Sure enough, a team of willing volunteers showed up, turning a process that could have easily taken weeks into a single-day experience.
The moving process can be a bit unnerving. Deconstructing your current living space, storing your stuff, fixing or building a new home, and then settling into your new abode can be enough to stress anyone out. But trust me, if you look at the whole situation as the adventure that it truly can be, it will simply end up being the next step in your life’s journey. In fact, if you strive to keep a healthy attitude throughout the experience — as I’ve both failed and succeeded at doing at various times — you’ll find that moving to a new place can actually be fun!
