You may have decided to move after all, however, the hardest part of it is just about to start: the moving process itself—that is the packing and transferring of your belongings from the “old” place down to the “new” one then unpacking to settle down. Truth be told, it really isn’t fun. No fun at all unless you’re a chronic mover such that you know in a blink of an eye what goes in your overnight night and what to toss out the window. For those seniors who have been living under the same, leaky roof for decades, obviously, this is not the case.
However, your moving need not be painful and there’s no reason for you to throw a major tantrum as well. All you need to do is have the proper mind set to accomplish the job which involves careful planning, organization and optimism—lots of it, I say. Here is a simple senior guide to easy moving:
• Allow 1-2 months preparation time for the move, more if you feel you have accumulated stuff enough to furnish houses in a block! You’ll need time to get everything in order, even if you are moving in a furnished house. By preparing a month or two, you won’t have to cram or be stressed out about the move.
• Get help. Let’s face it, it is impossible to do the move all by yourself unless you’re planning to punish yourself for your past sins. Enlist help of friends, family and even professional movers. You don’t have to be bothered by the very intricate art of packing, nobody expects a senior to do that anyway.
• Leave the physical part of moving to pros, you have enough emotional brouhaha to attend to. Consider having to sort 20 years worth of stuff, I bet 75% of it, you already have forgotten about. Waddling through it will surely bring about an avalanche of memories, some good, others bad, unfortunately, it has to be done.
• Begin today. There’s no use delaying it as it will only backfire if you do. Start with the part of your house which you seldom use, like the attic or perhaps the spare room.
• Be sensible. You SHOULD not bring along everything that is in your home. In fact, make it a rule to bring only those you need to sustain your life. No use dragging those ancient looking magazines and newspapers, they will only add weight to the moving truck, hence extra charge.
• Dispose. Everything you don’t need, you either give away or you sell. Either way, you are to benefit from it since giving away your stuff to Goodwill will get you a tax write off while selling away your stuff will get you some money.
• Emotional bumps are normal. They are to be expected. Face them sooner than later. It takes a while before you can finally be settled into your new home and adjust to your new environment. Take your time and enjoy the ride.
