How to be a relocation minimalist

Moving is a very peculiar time in anyone’s life. There are a lot of potential problems that it brings along. You have to think about a lot of things and that may sometimes feel overwhelming. From hiring a responsible moving company to organizing a packing process, things can really be complicated. And that is without even mentioning the whole administrative section of a move. You have to take care of your driver’s license, and you have to move your children’s school records etc. Since there are so many things that you have to focus on, it is no wonder that moving can be really stressful. that is why people often opt for the option of becoming a relocation minimalist. Taking this path may significantly reduce the cost of your move mentally, physically and financially.

So, how to become a relocation minimalist? Making a couple of lists is the first step

When planning something as big and as complex as a move of your home, memorizing every single detail is simply not possible. That is why putting all those things on paper is such a good idea. There are several lists that you should make once you start thinking about the move. The first one is the list about what do you from an apartment. So, if you are moving one of the best cities for millennials in the US, you probably already have some ideas in your mind.

What you can do is to write down everything you need from an apartment and separate it into three distinct groups. In the first one put the crucial things like being close to a school. In the second one, you can put things like being close to your job or a hospital. And in the third one, you can bonus thing like having an elevator or being close to a pub. However, since you have probably already found a place, the one list to rule them all (that is if you want to treat the move as a true relocation minimalist) is the inventory list.

The inventory list

This list can be extremely useful in several ways. Making quality and detailed inventory list is something that you simply have to do in order to execute a move in the least stressful way possible. Here are the benefits of making an inventory list.

It can help you pack properly

First and foremost, this is a very useful thing when it comes to packing. Once you list all of your items you will have a clear view of what you do need and what you do not. You can then decide what things you can get rid of like a true relocation minimalist. You can either donate these things, sell them or simply throw them away. We often hold on to things just for their sentimental value. This is the best chance you can get to get rid of these things. If you go all out and get rid of everything you do not truly need, your expert interstate movers will have fewer things to move and you will be charged less.

It can help you unpack

This one really depends on the lengths you go to when making the list. We recommend that you divide your things according to the rooms of your home. Once you do that, you can then pack separate boxes for each room. This will help you be a relocation minimalist as your boxes will be packed most efficiently and will thus be a lot easier to work with.

If you have to make an insurance claim, you will need this

Sometimes, no matter how hard we try, things can go wrong. So, even if you hire the best possible moving company, your things may end up broken or misplaced. That is when you will have to file a moving insurance claim. In the majority of cases, this will require you to have an inventory list ready to submit. We recommend that you have an estimated worth of each of the items by the moving company’s representative.

Decluttering is the key of being a relocation minimalist

As we have just established, an inventory list is really important for any move. When you are going for a minimalistic approach, decluttering is a must-do that you have to go through. It may seem hard at times, but once you go through it, you will feel lighter and relieved. There are a couple of things that you have to have in mind at all times when thinking about what you can get rid of.

First of all, do now hold on to things that bring about bad memories, such as items that you associate with your ex. Of course, that is if the item brings only bad memories. Secondly, you do not have to hold on to something that you have just in case, but you have never actually used it.

The essentials are very important!

As every relocation minimalist will tell you, preparing an essentials bag is really important. If there are other family members besides you that are moving, they should one too. An essentials bag or a box is exactly what it sounds. In it, you put everything that you are going to need in the first couple of days. It is likely that you won’t be able to unpack during the very first day. Or even a whole week. So, you have to prepare yourself the basic things that you are going to need during those first few days.

The best way to go about this is that every member of the household prepares their own box. Of course, if you have younger kids, then they probably won’t be able to pack themselves properly. So, lend them a helping hand, but depending on how old they are, let them assist you. A true relocation minimalist will also prepare an essentials box (or boxes) for the bathroom and the kitchen. These rooms are very important, so having an essentials box for them is very important.