WORDS: Sarah Shanahan, Professional Organiser
Selling and packing up a home is well known to be up there as one of the most stressful times in a person’s life and having just sold our home of 25 years I can attest to that, to a degree.
If being a Professional Organiser for the last 15 years, and helping countless clients move, has taught me anything, it’s to be organised and to have a plan! I’ve observed and learned a few things along the way that made me determined to say goodbye to my home in a joyful, calm, considered way. Yes I knew there would be stressful times, big, big emotional times, but I wanted to sprinkle it with joyful times too as a love letter, an ode, to our beautiful place of refuge that our home has been for our family. Doing it gently and respectfully was my way of saying THANK YOU to the grand old Queen Anne Villa of 1905. We were the proud custodians for a short time in its history and I wanted our farewell to be one of gratitude.
My biggest advice for anyone selling and moving home, no matter what the circumstances, is to have a master plan. Draw up a schedule for every week, including every day until ‘D day’, moving day. Include every little thing, it will help keep things manageable and under control when there are inevitable ‘it’s all too much!’ moments!
Sprinkle joyful moments into the mundane days of packing, have neighbours over for afternoon tea, get out the best China and then wrap them up and box them away so that they are filled with happy memories.
Have last house drinks with family and friends, then wrap and box the wine glasses up, saving a few for the essentials late night packing of course! Have the favourite meals that have been cooked in the house in the favourite casserole pots then pack them up, creating joyful moments in the final overwhelming weeks and days.
Keep little pockets of your home ‘normal’ until right til the very end so the house doesn’t fully lose its ‘home’ feel, a corner, a shelf, art on the wall, little favourite pockets can help keep the emotions under control, when tired and stressed.
Call in the experts if it all gets too much, there are crazy people, like me, out there that thrive on these situations, use them, lean on them for the support you need.
Lastly, my one big piece of advice for whoever and wherever you are in life, edit your home’s belongings regularly and have in your home only what you use, need and love. This makes the moving process, whenever that may be, so much easier.
Top tips for a Smooth Move
- Use Baskets/tubs to carry the last minute kitchen items from car to house to keep everything safe
- Break up the packing, stop for a breather and have the neighbours over for afternoon tea.
- Clean out the drawers and store in labelled tubs as soon as you can
- Leave the essentials until last
Happy packing!
