Whether you're moving across the country or across the world, preparing for a long-distance move can be a stressful time. For many people, just figuring out what to get rid of and what to keep is the ultimate downsizing challenge. If you're in this boat, here's a handy guide to organizing for your move.
Start Early. Waiting until the last minute is a good way to ensure that you will feel stress, forget things you want to keep, or -- more likely -- keep too much. Start going through your belongings as soon as you've reasonably decided to move so that you can do it without added pressure. Do a little every day to keep yourself on track.
Work From the Outside In. Start with the easy part -- items around the fringes of your home and property that you rarely use. Because most people tend to keep what they love and need closer to them, you will likely find that working in the outside rooms and outbuildings of your home will yield a lot of things that you can easily toss, recycle, donate, or give away. These simpler choices will provide you with an emotional "win" that can make it easier to decide about the harder choices. Go ahead and pack these less-used items that you will be keeping even though it's early.
Go Digital. With modern technology, you can often rid yourself of unnecessary paperwork, photographs, documents, and records. Invest in an inexpensive scanner and start converting papers you find to a digital version. You should be able to reduce these items to a bare minimum for storage and moving purposes.
Consider Your New Space. If you know the dimensions, style, and size of your hew house, use this information to help decide what will fit and work in the new home. You may find it helpful to print pictures of the home and place them in a prominent place in your current home. If you don't have specifics, look at average accommodations where you will be moving and get a sense of their size. Drawing room dimensions in tape on the floor of a room at your home can be a useful visual tool for truly understanding what you can really keep.
Think About Your Budget. If you're having a hard time deciding whether to keep or get rid of certain larger items, it can be a good idea to contact your moving company to price out the difference between moving them and not moving them. If your budget is tight, knowing that transporting that big sofabed or table for 10 will cost more may make the decision easier.
Don't Punish Yourself. Moving to a faraway land can be a daunting challenge by itself, so don't make yourself feel worse by getting rid of too much in the process. Items with a strong sentimental value, a monetary value, or a family history should generally be put into storage. And don't forget to take sentimental items with you to help when you go through periods of homesickness or adjustment difficulties.
By following these guidelines, you can help make the downsizing and moving process easier than you thought possible. And then you can focus on making this move the best start for a new chapter in your life. For more information or assistance, visit websites like http://www.hollandermoving.com/.
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