Getting married, splitting rent with a friend, moving to a new city with your partner: these are all exciting life changes that require a new home. But after you’ve found that perfect space comes the tricky part: combining the entirety of your households.
The truth is that not everything can come along. But don’t fret–we’ve got 5 tips to help you decide what to bring, what to get rid of, and how to make moving into your new home as comfortable and efficient as possible.
- Downsize your non-essential belongings
- Compile your personal items and decide where they should go
- Get rid of your duplicates
- Carefully choose your large pieces of furniture
- Prepare to merge lifestyles
1. Downsize your non-essential belongings
As with any move, downsizing makes the process much simpler and also makes your new home far more comfortable. We’ve written about how to downsize your belongings in the past, but the concept is simple: if it’s not valuable nor essential to your life, you should be getting rid of it. Especially between two individuals, these useless items can add up to one huge headache in your new home.
We encourage movers to use the one year rule: if you haven’t used it in a year, it’s time to toss it. This often includes old sports equipment, worn clothes, appliances, art supplies, and general clutter. Before trashing everything, consider using Craigslist to sell or give them away. Goodwill and Salvation Army can also accept your items and often even pick them up for you. Broken items or clutter may also be recycled instead of being thrown away.
2. Compile your personal items and decide where they should go
Don’t wait until you’re moved into your new place to decide how to split up the closet. Instead, take stock of your clothes, shoes, accessories, and other personal items beforehand and plan where they can fit.
Remember, you’ll be sharing every inch of your new home. You may need to downsize your belongings, even more, to make a certain closet work, for example. Or maybe a dedicated rack for coats in a separate area will do the trick. Either way, deciding sooner rather than later will help you organize your boxes for staging or save the trouble of packing items that simply won’t have a place in your new space.
3. Get rid of your duplicates
Possibly the toughest chore when moving in together is to decide what to do about duplicate items. Microwaves, toasters, welcome mats–you’ll only need one.
We highly recommend choosing between your duplicates based on the size of your new home. Even though the large blender might work better, the mid-sized one might fit perfectly in a cabinet. Again, it’s crucial to take stock of your new home’s space and storage options.
But if it’s too close to call, your best bet is to choose the items that will last longest or best fit the style of your home. This ensures that even if it’s your precious item that gets the boot, you’ll both still enjoy its replacement in your new home.
4. Carefully choose your large pieces of furniture
You’ll both also likely have large furniture pieces such as couches or tables. These need to be downsized too and the best way to choose is by drawing a floor plan.
A floor plan can help you choose the best way to combine your pieces to create a cohesive style and flow in your home. First measure the dimensions of your room, and then all of the pieces of furniture you’ll consider keeping. Once planned out, your old chairs and cabinets can be donated to Habitat for Humanity or sold on Craigslist.
5. Prepare to merge lifestyles
Last but certainly not least, successfully combining households also means building a new way of living together. Merging your lifestyles pays dividends in the long-run, ensuring that your new home is both furnished and enjoyed comfortably.
Use the moving process as your first step in learning each other’s preferences. This will require compromise by both parties as well as efficient problem-solving. If you have children, allow them to join in the decision-making process too; they can choose the toys they keep and rules around play time.
Once you’ve figured out your next steps in moving in together, contact Priority Moving Services for a complimentary moving quote. We can even help pack up your belongings once you’ve both decided what to keep!