Relocating to a new home can bring you mixed feelings, especially if it’s your first move. Suppose you’re a young adult; you’d have to adjust to the new place, create a routine, and make sure that you have the budget to pay your bills.
At times, you might get homesick and struggle to maintain the tidiness of your space.
Despite this, relocating to a new home also has exciting parts. It might take a while for you to get the hang of living solo, but in time, you’ll be able to adjust to the new environment.
Independence might involve sacrificing certain luxuries, but this can also be an opportunity to try new things and step out of your comfort zone.
Prepare For Your First Move
Thinking about your first move can be pretty stressful. There’s a lot involved in the preparation, such as sorting your belongings, packing furnishings, and getting your new home ready for your arrival. With these things in mind, it might be best to ask for assistance.
For instance, reaching out to and hiring the best movers in the area is a great initiative to make your first move hassle-free.
The professional movers can handle the physical lifting and loading of your items, allowing you to focus on the other important matters involved in your move.
Apart from transporting your items safely, these movers can also assist you in unpacking, assembling furniture, and bringing these pieces to their designated rooms. In this way, you can settle into your new home more quickly.
Besides this, below are more tips and advice for your first move.
1. Cut Back On Clutter
Clutter is one of the things that can contribute to a stressful first move. Think about it; you don’t want to pack things you’ll only be tossing out upon arriving to your new home.
Moving will teach you that less is more. With less stuff, you can possibly pay a lower fee to the professional movers you hire.
Likewise, having fewer personal items will allow you to arrange and organize your things more quickly, effectively saving you time.
You might realize that relocating to a new area is the perfect opportunity to start anew. Hence, give your home a breathing space, fill it with things you know you’ll be using regularly, and discover new ways to decorate it.
Purge your belongings weeks before you start packing. You might think it’s too soon to do that, but you should note that preparing for your first move should start a month before the actual moving day.
Suppose you feel like decluttering is overwhelming; start small and go through each room daily. You might have clothes left in your sibling’s closet, books on the coffee table, or accessories in the living area.
It’s time to gather all your items and sort them according to their usefulness. If you think that an item no longer serves its purpose, whether practical or aesthetic, it’s time to let it go.
Consider donating your things to a local charity if you have items that other people could use. If you need extra money before your first move, you can set up a garage sale and invite friends to come over.
On the other hand, if you can’t decide whether to let go of something, try to recall the last time you used it. If this item hasn’t seen the light of day for months already, chances are, you can live without it.
2. Pack Your Stuff Gradually
You might have a lot of items on your moving checklist, but by ticking off the task of packing sooner rather than later, you can have more time to handle other important matters.
Likewise, this initiative will give you time to anticipate sudden changes and inevitabilities.
Approach the task by working your way up. Start by packing the nonessentials, such as seasonal clothes and sports equipment.
You can then pack up the things you don’t reach for very often. In the days close to your actual moving day, you can start packing your mini appliances.
Don’t underestimate the number of things you own. Packing in advance will allow you to estimate how many boxes and trucks will be needed to transport your items.
It will help you set your expectations and gear up for the actual moving day.
3. Settle Things Ahead
To reduce the stress of living independently, it’s recommended that you settle some of the paperwork before relocating.
For instance, you may need to update your address on all your identification cards and important documents.
You should make appointments with your utility providers to ensure the water and electricity are working fine before you move in.
You might also need to look for Internet services in the new city and schedule an appointment with a vendor for the installation.
Moreover, take the time to visit your new home and inspect the area before moving in. You might need to hire professionals to repair things, clean HVAC filters, spray for pest control, and take care of the plumbing fixtures.
Tackling these matters in advance will make your life in your new home much easier. It will also boost the comfort of your new space, allowing you to relax better when you first move in.
4. Keep Your Finances In Check
Start by creating a daily budget to guarantee that you can afford to live solo. Jot down and estimate all of your possible expenses, including utility bills, groceries, gas, phone bill, cable, and more.
Think about whether or not you can sustain all these payments. There are cost calculators online that you can use to gauge all of your living expenses.
Suppose your monthly rate already takes a significant chunk of your monthly salary; it might be practical to look for another income stream.
Have a backup plan to help you pay for all of your living expenses. Alternatively, you can look for a roommate so you can divide the monthly rent and not worry much about the cost.
It would also be wise to have a safety net for unexpected expenses. You don’t want to end up being stressed about your finances and borrowing money from colleagues. It pays to be well-prepared for certain contingencies.
Final Thoughts
Moving for the first time can be pretty stressful. However, you can quickly settle into your new home and enjoy this new chapter by planning and taking certain steps ahead.
Follow the tips and advice above to help you experience a smooth relocation.