Engagement and marriage bring about a whole new set of challenges, adjustments and excitement for couples.
In some cases, the groom and the bride might be condensing two separate homes into one, including furniture, clothing, electronics and more.
In these cases, the sooner you start planning the better, that way you can avoid all the potential stress and mis happenings that can result from moving house and waiting to do everything at the last minute.
Consolidate Fairly
Considering that you will start a whole new life and consequently share everything from housing space and finances to moments of joy and sorrow, you should not be led only by your personal desires. Provided that your new home is big enough, with a spare room or a finished basement, you will not have much consolidating to do. Otherwise, both of you will have to put certain constraints on what you bring to your new home. This means that you have to make compromises.
Make the packing simpler and less chaotic by slimming down your inventory
First, go to your old house and room by room, pick out items you have no problem selling or donating.
For example, let’s presume that one of these rooms is your bedroom with a closet filled with old clothes. Start moving a piece of clothing one at a time while taking a good look at each one. Try to remember the last time you wore it and see what kind of condition it’s in. Again, be honest with yourself and put that piece of clothing either into to “moving” box, or the “donate” or “sell” boxes.
Once you’ve reduced the number of items to move, create a list with all the belongings you want to keep.
Try to be as objective as you possibly can and don’t insist on keeping the things you don’t really need. In reality, you probably have a lot of things you have completely forgotten about until you started packing. If you absolutely can’t imagine your life without them, bring them with you. Otherwise, donate, sell or store them.
Ask your partner to do the same simultaneously at their place. After you are done, and with all items known, compare lists.
Get rid of the duplicates
Chances are there will be duplicate items among the lists. You won’t need 2 hairdryers or 2 microwaves, etc, which means that you will have to compare and decide whose appliances and other items you want to keep, and what will be sold, stored or donated.
Have an honest discussion about what stays and what goes. A good rule is to keep the newest item when you have two of the same things.
Consider self-storage
It can be difficult to figure out how to mix all of your belongings together. It can also be hard to give up on certain things you have invested in or have an emotional connection with, but if there is no room in your new home for those items you may have to make a plan where to store them.
Here are a few tips to ease your planning process:
- Self-storage is an excellent choice if you need to keep the items you can’t bring to your new place. No matter if those items are beds, electric mixers, lamps or art, you can safely place them in a storage unit.
- Combining 2 closets into one can be challenging, and also, as the seasons change, so does our choice of clothes. Climate-controlled storage units are the best option for keeping your clothes safe from moths and away from much-needed closet space.
- If you have items from your childhood or family heirlooms, you want to share with future generations, these are also great items to keep safe in storage.
Just remember that the choice of the storage unit will depend on each item’s unique range of storage needs.
But either one of the storage options (normal or climate-controlled) will provide you and your partner with the peace of mind of knowing your prized possessions will be safe until you better decide what to do with them in the long-run.
