Did you know?  May is National Moving Month!  Home buying / selling and moving can be both exciting and scary.  I have helped with a few client moves recently, and talked about the process with others.  We can learn a lot about ourselves and our homes when we take on this adventure, or even if we don’t.

Whether you are moving or not, here are 4 Lessons We Can Learn From the Moving Process Without Ever Packing A Box:

To sum up, before I even begin.

1. Once in a while, walk through your home and look at it with fresh eyes.  Imagine you are seeing it for the first time and consider your first impressions.  Dim lighting, awkward furniture arrangement, old or dingy colors, etc?  If you notice problems, make changes.
2. Don’t wait, complete maintenance projects as they come up.  Take good care of your home and enjoy living in it more.
3. Clearing clutter and re-imagining our living space can be great for increasing energy, productivity, focus and clarity.
4. Purge, purge, purge clutter all the time.  Pick a room every month, to tweak and de-clutter.

• Imagine you have been asked to move far away and soon.
  • What would you take with you?
  • What would you store back at home that you just can’t live without?
  • Now, look at what’s left….Perhaps some of it could go away, for good.

Over the years, I have had the pleasure of working with and helping a lot of people with their new homes.  And I learn something new with every client and every new home.

The power of a clipboard.

Grab a clipboard, some paper and a pen.  Trust me on this one.  Grab the clipboard, and walk slowly around your home, room to room, then outside.  Turn on all the lights, open all doors.  Really look at your home, as though you were walking through it for the first time.  Note minor or major repairs, ideas for improvements, and even traits that you love.

We get used to our home and blind to its good and bad traits.  It’s great to have someone with a clipboard (a professional organizer, designer or contractor) in your home for the fresh perspective to help us really see our space, and how to change it for the better.

This is not just a negative assessment.  I was thinking about this blog while standing in my bedroom, and looking around my space, I recognized it was clean, pared down and attractive.

Clearing clutter and re-imagining our living space can be great for increasing energy, productivity, focus and clarity.

I gave a presentation to a group of home inspectors last week – what a great group of people!  One participant told me about a recent move to a new office, and how great the move had been for his business and productivity.  He reported that his home office walls had been slowly closing in on him, so moving to new space was a great boost to his focus, clarity and energy.  He moved only that stuff that he really needed to the new office, and left all the old clutter behind.  Now, when he was working, he only had to deal with the really important stuff and not the clutter.

Complete projects as they come up.  Take good care of your home and enjoy it more.

I often hear how sellers get their house ready for sale by clearing clutter, and sprucing up the interior and exterior. Some of these sellers are so enamored with their spruced-up homes, they choose to stay or regret having “made do” for so long.  A few years ago, a client invested $10,000 in kitchen updates to make her home more marketable for listing it for sale.  She liked the new kitchen so much, she decided to stay.

Purge, purge, purge clutter – All The Time!

It’s always a good time to get rid of clutter, whether you are moving or not.  Lighten up, open up your home and storage spaces, pare down and live simply.

Some friends are moving this summer, and they have been clearing clutter and slowly-but-surely packing up their belongings.  She recently asked: “If I can live without this stuff for 6 months, why can’t I live without it forever?!”  Great question, especially if it helps you to sort and pack your belongings and clear the clutter!  Some of your belongings really are needed, or are loved treasures, but some may just be clutter.

 

So whether you are selling / buying / moving, or staying right where you are, there is much to be learned from the Moving Process.  Take a fresh look at your home and your stuff, and live better!