Before the move: five tips for a fresh start

Moving house is the chance to start over: although you shouldn’t put too much pressure on yourself to be manically organised with all your belongings, it’s good to get stuff sorted. Before you can say new home, new me, here are five tips for the fresh start you’ve always dreamed of.

Shift some junk

It doesn’t matter if you’re moving into a bigger space or downsizing, what you pack is important. Ask yourself whether you really need each item and if you come across a lot of ‘stuff’ that you don’t use, bag it up for the charity shop.

It can be difficult throwing items that hold sentimental value to you but Seth Kakuske, franchise owner of Junkluggers, tells the Dreams blog: ‘When decluttering, often the thought of letting go is a lot harder that the act of letting go.

‘In psychology, this is called the Endowment Effect and is defined as the hypothesis that people ascribe more value to things merely because they own them. Donating your unwanted items can make it easier to let go.’

This doesn’t mean you should feel guilty about keepsakes; they have a place in every home. But when it comes to items gathering dust because they’ve never been used, give them a second life through donation.

Invest in that clean feeling

If you’re moving out of rented accommodation, it’s essential that you leave the place looking shiny as new. If you work full-time and you’re spending your weekend decluttering and sorting out the mountain of paperwork, why not bring in the professionals?

If you look on a website such as www.mollymaid.co.uk, you will see various options for end of tenancy cleans. It’s a good idea to choose a trusted, established company, and don’t feel forced to use the one your letting agent or landlord suggests.

Redirect your post

Something that a lot of people moving home forget to do is redirect their post. When it comes to bills, it’s easy enough to register a new address online, but for all of the other knickknacks it’s probably best to go through the Royal Mail website and set up your redirection that way.

Empty the freezer

Around three weeks out from the big move, you should start eating your way through the freezer. The freezer is sometimes forgotten about until the last minute and then it’s too late and you end up throwing out a lot of food. So, with plenty of time to go, plan your meals around your freezer contents. This might mean lots of fish fingers and peas but you’ll be saving yourself money on food shops while limiting the waste when you make the move.

New home, new friends

Before you make the move, say hello to your future neighbours so that they know what’s going on when the big moving day arrives. You could also begin your search into local clubs and sports teams that you might be interested in, this way you’re more likely to meet like-minded people that you could become friends with. For more ideas about how to make new friends after the move, click here.

Take on these five steps and give yourself the biggest chance of making a completely fresh start once you arrive at your new destination.

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