It’s finally here. September is upon us and with it comes my final month in my current flat before I move house – yet again! I’m actually quite excited for this move, as I’ve learnt to enjoy the shedding of old items, the rediscovery of lost memories, and the development of new perspectives that all come with changing nest.
I’ve moved house every year for the last four years, having moved from Birmingham to Greater London, then into London, and now around London. I imagine fellow Londoners know the feeling well – like urban nomads we traipse around the city looking for the next cheapest option that’s fairly close to work… Sigh.
Considering I’m almost a house-move veteran now, I have a few tools that I’m going to use in my next move and would recommend these to you too:
1. Tidy
I’m still yet to read Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, but I do share an affinity for keeping things tidy and there’s no bigger or better tidying job than packing to move house! I’m actually relishing the opportunity to shed older items I don’t need, and find new ways for my minimal belongings to sit together. My best tip for tidying is to visualise the room/flat/house you’re moving to, and pack based on where you’ll visualise your items to go – it will save time when you get there, and sometimes give you new ways to present your things too.
2. Charity
For the items that don’t make the cut when I prepare for my move, my second tool is the charity bag. It’s a humble technicoloured bin bag, but it represents so much more. I usually keep a charity bag in my wardrobe at all times, where I put items I no longer like or want and leave to rest for a few weeks before donating so I know for sure that I won’t miss them. The same can be done when moving – divvy any excess items into two bags, one that you’re sure you won’t need and can donate immediately, and one you can take with you and stew over for a few weeks. More likely than not, with the move comes a strong feeling of leaving behind older items, and you’ll end up donating this bag too.
3. Shiply
You’ve heard of car sharing, you got home using Uber last weekend, but have you tried Shiply? My third tool is probably my most revolutionary, as it combines sharing economies with moving house or shipping items in general. I’m excited to be able to use the Shiply network for my move, as they connect drivers and people needing deliveries without increasing demand for cars on the road. As I don’t have a car myself, quite like most of my friends in London, I’ll be connecting with one of their 100,000 drivers to move my items and save myself a new journey and higher carbon footprint too.
This post is sponsored by Shiply.