We Moved House Again! Use My Moving House Guide.
We have recently moved house (and town) again! This move marks the 18th time I have moved houses in my life. This is the 7th different town/city that I have lived in. So I guess you could say that I am a veteran when it comes to moving houses. We are currently in a rental and we plan on buying again next year, so there will be another move in the future.
Perhaps I have viking blood, however my birth chart does indicate a life of change, chaos, escape and unconventional living when it comes to my home life. I have Aquarius and Pisces in my 4th house. I also have Scorpio, Sagittarius, Neptune and Uranus in my 1st House which indicates a life of endings and beginnings, transformation, travel, rebellion, change and big dreaming.
Our unique design (birth blueprint), values, needs and lifestyle will always influence where we live and how we live. So if you are planning on moving there must be an underlying reason for why you are moving. Before I move on to my tips on moving house, I feel it is important to reflect on why you are moving house. This will be your why and it will form the basis of your moving plan.
Reasons why we move
There are many reasons why we move house or town. These are some common reasons for moving:
Relationship endings
Financial changes
Physical (health) changes
Responsibility changes
Environmental impacts
Political impacts
Offer of opportunities elsewhere
Value changes
Personal needs have changed
Lifestyle changes
So not every move is the same for everyone. Our reason and why for moving will influence the plan that is required for the move. Read on for my blueprint for moving.
Identify your pain points: what will you need help with?
There will always be challenges when it comes to moving. It is one of the most stressful events to go through in life. If you can identify your pain points before creating a plan for your move, you’ll be one step ahead. Firstly, factor in your time, money, energy and resources. Answer these following questions to determine your pain points:
How will you fund your move?
Moving can be expensive. I recommend creating a list of items and services that you would like to obtain for the move, and in a column next to this list put the actual price of the items and services. Create a total of the items and services at the bottom. This will give you a clear amount that the move would cost you. Then decide if you can realistically afford it. If you can’t afford it, where can you cut costs? Here are some ways to do this:
Look for used moving materials on Facebook marketplace or Gumtree to help free up money for moving materials. I know that Bunnings keep smaller boxes for free at their stores.
See if any friends or family members can help you with your move. Repay them with your services, or something that you can afford.
Clean your own space (especially if you are moving out of a rental) rather than getting cleaners. This is only if you have the time, energy and resources to do so.
Pack your own items rather than getting a removalist to do it for you. This is only if you have the time, energy and resources to do so. The best way to reduce the amount that you need to pack is to declutter before packing.
Hire a truck and move the items yourself. This is only if you have the time, energy and resources to do so.
If you are fleeing an abusive relationship there are many resources that can assist you with getting out of an abusive home. Some of them include:
https://www.act.gov.au/community/domestic-family-and-sexual-violence/planning-for-safety
https://www.nsw.gov.au/community-services/domestic-and-family-support
For our move, we had enough money to pay for a removalist to take our items to our new home. We packed our own items to save money. We cleaned mostly as we went. We were thankful to have my parents helping us to pack, clean and be of moral support during our move. We are forever grateful for their love and support.
How much time will you have to work on moving?
Moving takes up a lot of time. The more help that you can get, the quicker it will be. If you have the money for it, I highly recommend to get a cleaner to clean your house or space, removalists to pack and move your items, an agent to sell your home (if needed), a professional declutterer to declutter your items (if needed) or a moving co-ordinator to do it all.
However, for most of us, this isn’t realistic and we must decide what we can afford and what we must do ourselves. Write a list of the tasks that need doing. Then next to the task put an approximate time that you think it will take (and double it because it will always take longer than expected), then allocate the tasks to the appropriate person.
Write in your planner or on your calendar when these tasks need to be started and completed by. This will help you to clearly see how much time you will need, and to make sure to allow for it.
I was able to take a week off of work to pack up our items. Luckily I had. If you can’t allocate a week to pack (a whole house), then realistically you will need to utilise large chunks of your weekends to it or employ many to help you to do it.
How much energy do you think you will have for the move?
I always take into account which phase my menstrual cycle is in when it comes to big life events. I try to plan the high productive tasks to when I am in my follicular and ovulation phases. During these phases, my ‘happiest hormones’ are at their peak. I feel like my energy is high and I have a ‘can do’ attitude. I am also Autistic and ADHD so my energy waxes and wanes depending on other activities that I experience during my phases. Socialising takes it out of me, so during our big move, I tried to avoid too much socialising and if I did it was only around people who didn’t drain my energy. My period was due the day after moving day, so I utilised my active phases to get stuff done. During my less active phases such as my luteal and menstrual phases, I tried to accept more help from others.
Your energy is just as important as your money and time. It is ok to accept help and to delegate tasks when needed. Try not to do it all if you can. People will usually want to catch up with you before you move (especially if moving town), but it is ok to say “no” to invites that you really don’t want to go to as it will cost you in the future.
What resources do you have for the move?
Write down what you need for the move. Then write next to them if you have them or don’t have them. Then decide how you will obtain what you don’t have.
I had gotten rid of our moving boxes and materials when we had moved into our last house, thinking that we would be at that home for years. So, I had to obtain them again. We were financially able to purchase them again from Bunnings. I like getting them new because then they will be in fairly good nick for our next move. The following is a list of items that we needed for our move:
About 40-50 moving boxes (I kept going back to get more) in various sizes. Got these from Bunnings.
x2 boxing tape tapers (actually called tape dispensers). Got these from Bunnings.
x5 rolls of tape (and then some). Got these from Bunnings.
Black markers - one per person (we used one and were forever trying to find it because someone else was using it). Can get these from Bunnings.
Clear mattress covers for each mattress. Got these from Bunnings.
Moving bags (for clothes) - 2-3 per each bedroom. Got these from Bunnings.
Labels for the boxes. This is a preference that I wanted. I created my own labels for our boxes. See further on in this blog post for what I used them for.
x2 rolls of bubble wrap (for fragile items). Got these from Bunnings.
x2 packs of ‘butcher’s’ paper AKA moving paper (for wrapping glassware in). Got these from Bunnings.
Moving blanket (for our dining table). Got this from Bunnings.
Shrink wrap dispenser and shrink wrap (for wrapping our dining chairs with). Got these from Bunnings.
If I missed anything, I will update this post.
How much support do you have for the move?
Do you have people who you can trust to support you during this move. Support needs can look like any of the following:
Financial support
Mental support
Emotional support
Physical support
Spiritual support
There are always people willing to help out those in need. Don’t be afraid to ask. Seek out support in your local neighbourhood or community if needed. You are never alone.
2. Declutter your items.
I know that I probably sound like a broken record saying this, but I highly recommend decluttering your items before you pack to move. I understand that time may be an issue when it comes to doing this. I get it. But if you can do this before you move, it will mean less packing and you will thank your past self when you are unpacking in the new house. Also it is a great way to make more money for your move. Things to ask yourself when you declutter:
Does the item invoke joy in you when you see it? If yes, keep it. If no, ask yourself the next question.
Does the item serve a useful purpose in my daily life? If yes, keep it. If no, ask yourself the next question.
Does the item serve a useful purpose in my life on a yearly basis? If yes, keep it. If no, ask yourself the next question.
Is the item mine to make the decision on whether to keep it or not? If yes, get rid of it. If no, ask the owner of the item the questions you have just asked yourself.
Ways to get rid of shit:
Sell it on Gum Tree or Facebook Market place. Or anywhere that you can sell it.
Donate it to a local second hand store (only donate if in good nick).
Gift it to a family member. Only if they want it. Do not dump it on them and make it their problem. Don’t be offended if they don’t want it.
Dispose of it - appropriately. If unsure of how to dispose of an item appropriately, google how to or go to your local tip and ask them.
REMEMBER: It is ok to let go of which no longer serves you, even if you spent a lot of money on the item in the past or if someone who you love gifted it to you. You are only punishing yourself by keeping yourself on a continual guilt trip by keeping the items. Getting rid of an item that your loved one gave you doesn’t mean that you love them any less. By letting go of an item, you are passing it on to someone who needs it more.
3. Colour code your rooms.
If you have the time to do this, I highly recommend taking the time to do this. During our last move, I created colourful labels for our moving boxes. Each colour represented a different room or space in the house. See an example in the photo below. By having these labels on the boxes, showed people where these boxes needed to go in the next home. For example, if a box had ‘Main Bathroom’ written on it, then people would know that it is to go into the main bathroom. This helped us when we arrived at our new place, as the removalists could see on the box where it needed to go. It saved us trying to find particular boxes when unpacking.
We also wrote on the boxes which items were in there. This saved having to search through lots of boxes trying to find items.
By labelling the boxes, it can also save some time and energy for if you move again. You can then reuse the approriate labelled boxes according to the room you are working on.
I am currently creating an Ultimate Moving Planner, where I will share my labels with you. I will add the link to this blog post and share about my launch on social media when I release the planner. I am very excited to create this product for you!
4. Create ‘still using’ boxes.
This step is essential. There will always be an overlap of time from when you have packed everything to the time that you need to unpack everything. During this time, you will need to have ‘still using’ boxes available. Some examples of what you might need in ‘still using boxes’ include:
Change of clothes per how many nights are in overlap.
Your toiletries.
Any medications or medicines you need.
A first aid kit.
Toilet paper.
Pillows, blow up mattresses, sheets, sleeping bags (if you will be without your bed frames etc for a night or more).
Towels.
Washing up liquid, couple of plates, some utensils, some cups.
Camping chairs or a picnic rug or something to sit on.
Colouring in books or stuff for kids to do (if you have kids).
Anything that you use regularly each day.
Leftover food from your fridge in an esky.
Money to buy takeaway (or if you are very organised, meals that you have prepped).
Ultimately it all comes down to your unique needs.
5. Plan your move.
Creating a plan helps to make the process run much smoother. I understand that plans can go out the door when chaos happens, but to have a realistic plan is to have a more successful and less overwhelming move. Here are some things to consider when planning your move:
Write down your ‘why’ (the reason for moving) and put it somewhere where you can see it daily. This will remind you why you are doing this when you just want to give up. Because there will be moments of exhaustion and doubt. Rest where needed, but never give up. Perhaps you can write it in your planner or on your calendar.
Create a budget for your move.
Brain dump all of the tasks that are required and all the resources that you need. Then delegate them to the appropriate person.
Write in your planner or on your calendar when each task will start and end.
Allocate time for rest and enjoyment if you can.
Don’t forget to notify appropriate people and companies of your move out date and/or new address. For example, your doctor, the electoral roll, your insurance company etc.
Like I said earlier in this blog post, I am currently creating an Ultimate Moving Planner, where I will share all of my moving resources and moving expertise with you. It will be a step by step planner that you can easily follow along with. I will add the link to my planner to this blog post and share about my launch on social media when I release the planner. I am very excited to create this product for you!
Check out my youtube video, released this weekend where I talk about all of these tips whilst showing you how I apply these tips in action. I’ll share the link to the video below once it is released.
Things To Note
Always remember your ‘why’. During our last move, my hubby kept questioning if it was the right decision to move. I would answer him, “remember our why”. This would always bring him back to our why of moving. We had written up a pros and cons list for moving. The pros for moving outweighed the cons. The main reason for our move was that our top values & needs weren’t being met. We want to thrive and not to just survive.
Moving house or town will trigger many people. People will project their fears and what they would do onto you. By remembering your ‘why’, you will stay on track to choosing what is authentic to you.
Try and reward your efforts along the way. Moving is a massive life event. Give yourself lots of grace and gratitude.
My husband and I having a rest and reward from the moving process.
I hope that this blog post helps you to manage your big move. Please share this post with family and friends if you feel it will benefit them as well. Thank you for reading this blog post. I appreciate your time and energy spent here.
I look forward to sharing more tips and inspiration on how to live authentically according to your values, needs, design and lifestyle.
Sending you lots of peace, love and good health.
Cassie xo
P.S. Check out more content from me from the following link tree links below:
https://linktr.ee/cassieltomesekflow for content on cyclic living (female cycles, seasonal cycles, moon cycles).
https://linktr.ee/cassieltomesekflow for content on authentic lifestyle living (values, your design, decluttering, systems for simplicity)
https://linktr.ee/cassiesdancemagick for content on dance/energy alchemy (workouts/movement in accordance with cyclic living and your unique design).
https://linktr.ee/cassieltomesekmagick for content on magick (sidereal astrology, cosmic magick, hearth magick, wheel of the year, witchy things and spiritual team guidance).
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