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I am all officially moved into the new place and on my own for the first time ever. I have always lived with a roommate or several roommates in college at the sorority house. My best friend and I had lived together for 6 1/2 years after college and it is bitter sweet. I thought well I am 30 now and have always eventually wanted to live alone at some point, so here goes. Yesterday my mom came over and she helped me actually hang up some of my pictures as well to make it look more cozy and not with boxes literally everywhere. This I feel like is key to not get too stressed and be able to feel like a home pretty quickly. During this pandemic time it was also a little weird to be moving, but made me plan it better since there was nothing going on anyway. I have listed some of my favorite moving tips that I used for this move below.

Moving Tips

• Write Down All of Your To Do’s for the Month: I did not really have any to do’s for this time other than things that I needed to buy, but this is very helpful. If you have a lot of commitments the month you are moving, I would probably try to scale down on those. This can be a stressful time and you want to make for sure that you have everything under control and what you are committed to first.
• Pair Down Your Stuff Prior to the Move: A lot of people try to do this as they are moving, but it is important to assess your stuff prior to the move. I like to go through my stuff seasonally and more often because when I buy something new, something else has to go. You really get a feel for what you have when you move and realize you don’t need 40% of those random knick knacks. Start a donation pile and actually donate it instead of keeping it in a pile for months, like I have done.
• Use Bins and Baskets for Your Necessities: I would keep my bathroom necessities and things that I would be using every single day in their normal bins and baskets. These are the ones that I would typically store them in the cabinets or drawers with. This was helpful because I could pick them up and I knew they would be the last things that I would be packing up prior to the move.
• Try to Have Your New Place Move In Date Earlier Than Your Old Place Move Out Date: This can sometimes be hard to do and depending on if you live in an apartment or house can make a big difference. My new place had a move in date 2 weeks earlier than when I needed to be out of my old place. This was helpful to slowly ease my way in and not have to bring everything in 1 weekend. I would say this is the best way to do it, but if you just want to be done with it then you would want it closer together.
• Have a Moving Calendar Created: I have been using Leslie from Method 31 to help me not only in my old place with my closet that you all loved seeing, but in this new place as well. She created me a calendar with several tasks to do each day prior to my move out. This was a God send and helped me stay on track. They were little tasks each day that I would have forgot otherwise that made the process so much easier.
• Label Every Box With the Room: I didn’t use movers, but instead moved boxes myself on top of dollies and had my parents help with the furniture. One thing that was key was to label every box with the room and typically what was in it. You might have 10 kitchen boxes or 10 bedroom boxes, but if you labeled kitchen pots and pans and bedroom decor it would be even more useful. This was a great tactic that worked for me.
• Slowly Start to Organize Each Room as You Bring Stuff Over: If you are bringing over your clothes or your shoes and you have the time, organize them then. Don’t just hang them in any random order if that is not how you are going to like them later. Take the time to put things how you want them to look and be categorized.
• Unpack Your Kitchen and Closet First: These are one of those areas where if they are unpacked first, it makes everything to me seem more organized. My closet was the one thing that I was so excited to see when Leslie finished it. It looks so good and makes sense with the different categories of my life as well. The kitchen can get chaotic pretty quickly, so having that unpacked first will make your move easier. Also hello paper plates and disposable utensils for a few days is not a bad thing. It will force you not having to cook either.
• Put Your Decorations Out Soon: I am lucky to have had my mom help me hang some pictures and artwork on the walls yesterday. If you are able to have some help with this, then I would do it soon after moving in. If you don’t you will have stuff on the floor for months and then end up putting it off. The less on the floor the better, and having your decor out and put together makes it feel even more lived in.
• Take a Deep Breath and Enjoy a New Candle or Wine: The most important thing is to relax and take a deep breath. Moving can be stressful and when you are done, light that new candle and just enjoy your new space. I bought a new candle for the place and lit it last night which was such a special treat for me with a new favorite fragrance. Also a new bottle of wine doesn’t hurt either, thanks mom for bringing me one. Something new just makes it feel even better 🙂

Those of you who have a move coming up or know someone that does, I hope these tips will help you out. This is an exciting time, and just remember to stay organized, be patient, and have some grace.