A Positively Moving Experience
How to emotionally ease a Move
Moving into a new place contains a lot of emotional weight. When leaving behind a house or apartment that we’ve become accustomed to, it can feel like you’re leaving behind the times that you spent there. Children have grown, jobs have changed, friends have been made, and all the everyday occurrences of daily life have been played out – so it can be emotional to walk away from it.
When you’re settling into your new home, as well, it can take some time to get used the novelty of the surroundings. It definitely helps ease the transition if you take the time to honor the place you’re leaving, and break in the place that you’re coming to.
Saying goodbye to your home:
Take photos!
Before everything is placed into moving boxes, snap photos of every room of the house. You want to capture the way the home looks when you’re living there – take photos of children or pets, in their daily life, cleaning or eating or hanging out. You want to be taking pictures of the home when it’s not completely cleaned – the shots of all your objects and arrangements in the house will give you a meaningful emotional record of your time there. Additionally, if you’re feeling mixed about leaving, documenting the less-than-ideal aspects of your previous home might make things easier for you.
Make a toast
With friends or family make a champagne, wine, or non-alcoholic toast to your home, and your future one. Amidst all the rushed organization and packing, things can be hectic and stressful – it helps to kick back with your loved ones, say “cheers” and have a celebratory drink.
Make a goodbye party!
Hold a party for your family and friends, celebrating your home and the enjoyment it’s given you. It’s fine if you’ve already packed, or started packing – maybe you can even wrangle some guests to assist you. Simply put up some lights, turn on some music, and enjoy the space with the people that you’ve shared it with since you first moved in.
Leave a mark on the home
Leave a time capsule, hidden in the basement or attic, or consider writing a letter for the new owners of the house, welcoming them to the space and illustrating some of the reasons you loved it. Another possibility is to sign and date your name somewhere subtle, and unlikely to be covered up – a good spot is on rafters in the attic, inside a cupboard, or on the ceiling,
Breaking in your new home:
Freshen up
Open the windows on your first day in in order to air out the rooms and send fresh air throughout. Burn any incense you may want, and at night, light a few scented candles, or an essential oil diffuser.
Personalize and Decorate
Put up photos, replace the curtains, or paint a wall. Even if redecoration can be a months long process, changing a few quick things when you move in can greatly improve the cozy ambience of your home.
Help your Pets warm up to their new environment
Since it can also take some time for animals to settle into a new environment, you can definitely help ease their transition. When you arrive, shut the cat into a single room for safety – make sure to leave out it’s litter tray, water, food, and a bed. You can let it out at the end of the day to explore, but make sure to confine that exploration to a few rooms so it doesn’t get overwhelmed. Cats should be kept inside the house for about a week to make sure they don’t try to return to the old home – as they are known to do.
Additionally, take your dog on a tour of the house on a leash, allowing it to sniff and look around. Show it where it’s bed is, and don’t let it into the upper floors at first, so it doesn’t become overwhelmed or confused.
Clean the house
Clean surfaces, insides of cupboards and drawers, and floors with a familiar, fresh-scented product that will help you feel like the place is more like your home.
Bring a Personal Touch
Piles upon piles of empty boxes don’t make houses feel more like a comfortable place to live, so make sure to fill your home with ambient indulgences and cozy accoutrements to make your home feel more special. Get a fruit bowl, a color changing light, or arrange some fresh flowers on the mantelpiece or the kitchen table. With just a few treats and amenities, you can make your home feel infinitely more cozy.
Throw a Housewarming Party
Share your new digs with your family and friends so that they can help you cozy up into it – host a party!! Invite neighbors, allow friends to bring friends – this is to make sure that everyone in the neighborhood can get to know one another. As an alternative, hold a small, intimate get together with your closest confidantes.
