Moving Back In After A Remodel? 5 Ways To Save Your Sanity
June 21st marks the first day of summer and with summer comes a shift in the normal routine for a lot of us.
If you have kids, they are out of school and you’re shuffling them from camp to camp each week. Maybe you’re packing for a family vacation and working extra hours just so you can take some time off.
Or maybe you are planning to move back into the home you have been renovating.
I am right in the middle of helping a client move back into her home after two years of renovations. She is a Sonoma County-based mom of two young boys and has been moving her family from rental unit to rental unit for the past two years as they create their dream home.
As a business owner, a wife, and an active member in her community you can imagine how busy she is, and adding the part-time job of planning a move would be completely overwhelming.
When we first met I asked her about her goals for the move and she said, “I am a warrior and know how to get things done, but I am tired and don't want the process of moving in to drag out forever.”
I told her I have a proven process and we would get her settled in her home as soon as possible.
Here are 5 simple ways to save yourself time and save your sanity in the process.
1. Create a moving file. Have all the essential details organized in one place. If you are a digital person I would recommend using Evernote. If not, stick with an accordion file or binder to save important paper documents all in one place.
2. Hire a moving company - Here are our favorites that service Sonoma County:
3. Label each room - Put a label on the doorway to each room or space so that the movers know where things go when they unload the truck. Use masking tape to hang your label so it won’t rip off your beautiful new paint!
4. Protect your new home - The moving companies we work with do their best to stay clear of door jambs and wall corners, but accidents do happen. I recommend protecting the walls with cardboard and masking tape and laying down mats on the floors in the high traffic areas to protect your beautiful new home on moving day.
5. Unpack in the right order - It’s easy to get distracted on move-in day; there is a lot going on and a lot of people to coordinate and manage. If you are planning to stay in the home that night I suggest unpacking in this order.
Bedrooms. Set up the beds first, make sure you don't need to wash linens before the beds are made.
Bathrooms. Unpack bathroom essentials like toilet paper, your toothbrush & some bath towels. You are going to want to take a shower!
Kitchen. You are going to want to have a glass of water, make some coffee and eat a meal in the next 24 hours so make sure the essentials get unpacked.
And remember that on day one, it's not going to look pretty, it just needs to be functional and you will fine-tune the rooms as each day of unpacking unfolds.
It’s a lot. Trust me, I know. Are you still feeling overwhelmed by it all? Are you worried you just don’t have the time to get it all done? I would love to talk to you about how I can help. Schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation and we’ll figure it out.
Ciao for now,
Meghan