Making Moving Easier Step V

Step #5: Tie Up Loose Ends

In an ideal world, the previous steps would be completed before you move. This step is for after you move.

Use your mapping to get things in place. Start in the kitchen so you can eat with your plates and dishes to feel at home even if your place doesn't look like home just yet. And it gets a lot of boxes out of the way! Leave anything you're unsure of for the end to see what room is left in each cabinet, closet. Don't be surprised if you edit out more while unpacking.

IF YOU HAVE FURNITURE

Following your floor plan, set up the furniture to see if it looks as good in person as it did on paper. Play around with placement, even if it's just moving something a few inches. Look to place the pieces you're unsure of; try things you wouldn't naturally, like a dresser in a kitchen/dining area, a bookcase in a bathroom or even a closet...

IF YOU DON'T HAVE FURNITURE

Using painters tape, tape out where things will go to see and feel how your floor plan works and what size pieces are best. Live in the space for a while to see what if any changes may enhance the way you live there before buying. If you're still at a loss, most furniture stores have in-house designers that can help you at no charge. Bring your floor plan with measurements, as well as your function list.

NOTES FOR ALL

- Focus on unpacking boxes whose contents you know have to place to go.

- Keep the things that don't have a place yet and out of the way, including furniture.

- Take the garbage and recycling out on a daily basis, it makes SUCH a difference. List your used (clean) packing supplies for free on craigslist for reuse.

- Don't make the mistake of not trying something in fear it may not work. Who cares? If you don't like it, move it and try something else.

- Hang art once all the furniture is in place.

(I've been waiting to do this final post until I had the 'after' shots of the place shown in the previous steps. Sadly, sometimes my client's finish on their own and I never get to see the 'final' set-up and I failed to take progress shots. If I do go back, I'll be sure to show you...)

Making Moving Easier Step IV

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Step #4: Mapping

Imagine how easy it would be to unpack if you already know where the majority of your things will go? Like the floor plan, this isn't about having everything 100% set in stone. It's to give you a realistic view of what you have (seeing it in print is a big eye-opener), and gives you an idea of how much, if any, additional storage you may need.

MAPPING: Marrying step 1 + 2, give all your things a home within the home keeping in mind how you want to function in your new space. Use a copy of your proposed floor plan to draw it out (use pencil).

Making Moving Easier Step III

Step #3: Edit + Sort

Now that you have a idea of how you want to live and an idea of the new space itself, it's time to go through your things. This is so you get reacquainted with what you have, edit out (donate, sell, give away, recycle, and/or trash) what's not adding to your life, and get things sorted so you can move onto the next step, mapping out the new space! Plus the less you have, the less you have to move.

EDITING: I believe our things are tools to help us live the lives we want to live. Ask yourself "does keeping this inhibit or enable me to live the life I want to live?". Don't get rid of something just for the sake of it, or because you haven't used it in X amount of time. Keep things you'll actually use (even if only once a year) and are worth the 'cost' of keeping; we pay by square foot here in NYC, so we literally pay to store things in our apts.

SORTING: Group like things together; all kitchen stuff, office supplies, clothes, tools, batteries, vases, etc. A key concept to being organized, this also helps you edit. Example: seeing a vase on it's own, it's hard to know whether to keep it, but seeing all your 15 vases together you can see maybe it's time to let go of a few. Use shopping bags or designate surfaces for each category and use labels to keep things straight (believe me, it helps!).

It's never too soon to do this as it can take quite some time depending on how much you're starting with.

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Making Moving Easier Step II

(floor plan option 1)

(floor plan option 2)

Step #2: Create Loose Floor Plan

you need: graph paper, pencil, measuring tape

Measure the new space and with graph paper, draw the space to scale.

If you're moving with your existing furniture, measure your pieces and start playing with placement thinking in terms of function. Figure on a few options, it doesn't have to be ONE master plan. The point is to see which if any pieces may not work so you can donate, sell, or give them away as not to lug them to the new space, or how/where you would store them in the new space. For those smaller pieces you are unsure of, bring them and figure it out after you move in.

If you're not moving with existing furniture, this step is important to get you thinking of how to set up your new space. This is how most interior designers start the process of figuring out what's needed, and (very important) what size pieces, so you're not buying random furniture hoping it will work.

This is to get you started thinking about how you'll use your new space, it's not about making 100% of your decisions. Once you're in your new space, you can see what works and what doesn't. You'll also then see where your holes are and what else you may need.

Making Moving Easier Step I

Moving can be stressful (if you let it) and a lot of readers have asked how it can made easier. With a couple tweaks to my process, here's how:

1. DEFINE VISION + FUNCTIONS FOR NEW SPACE

2. CREATE LOOSE FLOOR PLAN

3. EDIT + SORT

4. MAPPING

5. TIE UP LOOSE ENDS

Step #1: Define The Vision + Functions For New Space

you need: pad and a pencil

Ask yourself the following:

• How do you want to feel in your new space?
• How do you want to function in the new space?

Example feelings: I want a fun, inspiring space, that is colorful and bright. Or rather a zen, minimal, 'hotel feel'...

Example functions: I want to start a book club that can meet in my apt, have overnight guests, start exercising at home, cook more, have dinner parties for 6...

This step gives you a logical, reason-based framework for deciding whether to keep or get rid of something, rather than just going by the arbitrary "if you haven't used it in X amount of time, get rid of it".