Written by Jordana Turcotte of Simply You

Moving is challenging.  

Remember moving as a college student? You didn’t have  a lot of stuff, but had plenty of friends to help. But now, moving – as an adult – can be one of the most stressful events you will go through.

Moving makes you confront all the “stuff” you have – the sentimental stuff, the purchased and unused stuff, the “hasn’t fit in years, but might” stuff – all those decisions are overwhelming.  Put those decisions on a time crunch and it can all be, just too much.

Two major things to do before any move: Declutter and Plan.

Decluttering is the best thing you can do for so many reasons. If you don’t want it now, you won’t want it later. Make informed decisions now on when you last used something; packing it up, just to let it sit, doesn’t make sense. Moving can be costly (volume and/or weight of load), so the less stuff you bring, the cheaper the move.  Unburdening yourself on the front end sets you up for a simpler new space.

Next, planning.  

Planning when doing anything big removes a lot of stress.  Planning for a move is imperative. Mapping out when you are going to move and working backwards to maximize decluttering and packing times helps you feel in control of the move process start to finish. Post a calendar with sessions for going through and packing each area. Enlist help if you can, there is a lot to do. Lists will be your friend – to-do list, to-call list, to-buy list.  Post them prominently.
Depending on the move you are doing, here are some other considerations to think about:  

• Moving to a smaller place needs more emphasis on size and quantity of furniture and storage needs. A good example is if your new kitchen will be half the size, less of everything is your goal.  

• Moving to a larger, brand-new home can be exciting, but you may not want your current/old furniture in the new space.  Again, moving it can be costly and if you sell before moving you not only have the cash now, but will spend less on the move.  

• Moving out due to divorce may sadly lead to a splitting of belongings. Change is hard enough, but letting go of bad memories is a good thing. Only bring what will best set you up for your life going forward, to create a new you!

• Moving in with someone and merging two established households can be another big task. The biggest is who is supplying what! If two households are merging; making a list of your favorite pieces of furniture (with dimensions) you want to bring helps planning where things will fit. Next, work through each room and decide whose stuff will be brought to set up which space – it can be a mix, which is fun. Not only is this a major first communication exercise, it will help with move planning and costs and ensure you don’t end up with tons of duplicate items with no place to put them. Undecided items become clutter.

By decluttering and planning you can minimize the stress from a move and hopefully capture the excitement of a new space and the change itself.  Imagine the life you want in the new space and move only what supports that new life.  

Lastly, less really is more!