Downsizing? Here’s how to have a stress free move
The excitement of relocating to a new home can often be both an enjoyable and stressful experience, and the process can become quite daunting when you’re downsizing from a larger family home to a smaller home.
The thought of packing up all your belongings and leaving behind a home that is filled with a lifetime of memories can be overwhelming, to say the least.
However, by breaking the process down into manageable steps and adopting the right tips, you can help make the transition go as smoothly as possible.
With that in mind, we’ve gathered some of the best moving tips to help make your downsizing job as uncomplicated and painless as possible.
Create a moving caddy
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There’s nothing worse than being surrounded by boxes and bric-a-brac, searching for the pen you might have accidentally sealed in the last box, or unable to find the tape you thought you placed on the kitchen bench.
Creating a moving caddy filled with essential tools like tape, scissors/Stanley knives, and pens will ensure you save time and effort during the packing process.
A moving caddy will minimize the chances of searching for misplaced items and makes it easy to move from room to room, keeping everything you need within arms reach.
Colour code boxes
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When it comes to efficiency and peak organisation in a move, colour coding your boxes will prove incredibly beneficial when you get to your new home.
Colour coding your boxes by room will make it easier to identify where each box needs to go, and labelling the contents will save you the hassle and frustration of rifling through multiple boxes to find a specific item.
By colour coding and labelling boxes, you’ll prevent items from being lost or misplaced, and gives you the opportunity to unpack in a logical and efficient manner.
Throw out or sell items as you go
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Moving is an excellent opportunity to declutter and get rid of items that are taking up unnecessary space in your home and is the key element of downsizing.
Decluttering is also a cost-effective way to move, especially if you decide to hire movers. Most companies charge based on the cubic measurements of all your belongings and boxes combined, when you get rid of items, you decrease that measurement, saving you money.
It’s also a great opportunity to make some extra cash by selling your unwanted items, giving you the opportunity to help cover moving expenses or towards buying other things you might need in your new home.
Remember to be ruthless when you’re decluttering, throw out or sell the items that you don’t need or no longer use.
Hire a removalist
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Hiring a removalist to help you relocate to your new home can have a myriad of advantages and is often the best way to reduce the amount of stress in your move.
By hiring a removalist, you can reduce your stress levels and save time by letting the professionals handle the packing, loading, and unloading of your belongings. Some removalist companies may even be able to help manage storage during the transition as well.
Allowing professional movers to do the hard work for you, provides you with peace of mind knowing your items are insured from any unexpected accidents or injury to yourself during your move.
Organise utilities and change of address
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Often overlooked in the excitement and stress of the move, be sure to call ahead and cancel your utilities at the residence you’re leaving and transfer or set up new utility accounts at your new home.
You can tell your utility companies which date you’re moving to ensure you’re not overcharged in your final bill and to make sure you walk into your new home and are able to use the electricity and have a warm shower after the hard work of unpacking.
Be sure to change your address at least two weeks before your move for things like your driver’s license, bank cards, subscriptions and the Australian Electoral Commission.
Clean your new bathroom and kitchen
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If possible, try to organise access to your new house before your boxes arrive to get in and clean your bathroom and kitchen.
When your boxes arrive, you can unpack these areas first knowing they’re cleaned to your standard and ready to use.
Have groceries delivered
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If you managed to eat through most of the food in your fridge and pantry before the move, placing a home delivery order for groceries will be a lifesaver.
When placing your order, be sure to choose a delivery time for a few hours after you arrive at your new home, and be sure to include essential items so you don’t need to rush off to the grocery store in the middle of your unpacking.
If you’re going to be too stressed to think about groceries and organising meals during the move, a great option is ordering a meal kit instead. Meal kits come with all groceries necessary including the recipes so you don’t need to use brainpower trying to figure out what to eat at the end of a long day.
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