Moving is the grown-up equal of high school—everybody is really excited about the idea, but it is only the people with reasonable expectations who wind up having a good time. Yes, it's a new house, a new beginning, and the opportunity of a wonderful new life--but once that last empty moving van heads down the road and you are standing there amidst your boxes, you have still got to do the real work.
Managing your move with realistic expectations is essential to beginning that new life on a positive note--and that means not only accepting the fact that a new house won't magically suck up the thirty pounds you keep meaning to lose, but that moving is emotionally difficult even in ideal circumstances and you and your family should allot the time and space to accept that.
One of the crazy things about a local move--new abode, neighborhoods, schools--is that can be harder on the kids than a long-distance relocation. A new house in another state takes away the never-ending requests to go hang with their friends in the old neighborhood, and it could be easier to embrace a new life and new friends when your old ones are in a different time zone.
But back to the practicalities. There are three Ps when it comes to managing your move to or in Houston--Purge, Pack, and Pay. What you do not purge will need to be packed, and the more you pack, the more you will pay. Expectation—I will go through old stuff and only save what I love. Reality--you love lots more than you think you do. Whether you take care of your own packing or employ a professional moving company, you have got to select what is worth the time and money to take with you.
Purge
Purging is one of those weird expressions you don't hear very often, at least in a affirmative way. But really, getting rid of the old baggage is one of the wisest ways so that you can allow your new abode to grant your expectations of wonderful. There are all kinds of directions and suggestions to help you figure out the best methods to get rid of your old items, from pragmatic--"if you haven't used/worn it in a year get rid of it"; to a bit less traditional--"toss all your negative energy out with the old towels". At its least complicated level, purging is simply picking through all the cabinets, closets and drawers and forming three piles: hang on to, get rid of, donate. Or you may have four piles if you have got a lot of very gently used things that you do not want anymore, and consign those things.
A troublesome thing about purging is maintaining the detachment you need to be relentless about getting rid of items. If you kept all those pre-school paintings, how can you toss them and be a good parent? Here's one suggestion—have a friend help you pick through items and talk you through why you're holding onto items that are really better to be gotten rid of. Having someone ask you out loud why you want to hang on to the 1980s Walkman does put things in perspective and you will have a less difficult time growing the get-rid-of pile if you have got someone to back-up your decisions.
If your partner is the one with the accumulator impulses, here is a tip for helping a reluctant participant part with their treasures. Think small, and begin with the kitchen junk drawers, try to limit handling of old matchbooks and old crayons to one time only and steadily make your way to bigger items, like collections (for example, select two or three porcelain bunnies and donate or consign the rest).
Catch us next time as we go over managing your move topics: Pack and Pay, in Part 2 of this blog series.
