Home shift is not a big head ache at all!

“When should I start packing? How long will it take? Do I need help? No one to help me at this last moment! Back pain and head ache! I can’t do it anymore” – The common words of a house wife, just before a house shift. Yes, house shift is not an easy task. It needs a lot of patience to arrange things in an orderly manner before packing and taking them to new home. But if you start a bit earlier and categorize things according to usage, it’s not at all a big head ache.

House shifting is house cleaning too!

Many persons say, “House shifting means making our home empty by removing unwanted things from storage. It’s just a periodic cleaning too!” It’s absolutely right. When you are shifting to a new home, just leave all those old and unwanted things saving a lot of storage space. Give old clothes to some orphanage or poor people and clean all broken plastics, glass, old toys and old papers from home. When you step into your new home, never take even a bit of paper that is not useful to you. If we are staying in the same home for a long time, no one cares to dump waste and old things. So, house shifting is really a blessing to those who loves clean home and less utensils.

Make a list of packages

Before starting packing process, just make a rough list of different things that are to be packed together. Also, we can use separate boxes for individual things. While making this list, prepare another one too. Those things that you don’t want to shift to new home should be included in this list. By this way, you can make a rough calculation of total things to carry to the next home. 

Visit the new home once again before packing

If shifting process is to be easy, then should have an idea of which things are to be placed in which place of the new home. Calculate in mind, the place for new furniture, TV, cup boards, computer etc. If you can’t include all things in new home, exclude a few less important things or arrange some alternative solution for the new set up. For example, if you can’t allocate space for your big almarah in the new home, you can exchange it to buy a new small one before shifting to new home.

Also, make a calculation which things are to be shifted to each room. If so, you can directly place those boxes in the corresponding rooms, particularly heavy items like fridge, washing machine, treadmill etc. Otherwise it is a tedious process to change positions of those things later, and you may need additional help adding extra shifting cost.

Pack less used things first

When you start packing, begin will less used things first. Also remove all those waste things in the packing stage itself avoiding extra work of classification later. If shifting is to be done next week, you can pack all dress items except a few. You can reuse them for one week. If so, packing of clothes can be done earlier. Remove all old and less used clothes if you are not going to use them later.

If you have hobbies like tailoring, thread work, embroidery and sequence work, you can pack those things also one week earlier. Pack your books along with it. Keep a few books separate so that you can read later. Then pack less used kitchen accessories and decorative items of your living room and showcases. Except those regular used things you can pack all. Also never forget to mark on the boxes, the list of things packed, or simply a note is sufficient.

Never make big purchases before shifting

You can do those purchases after shift, if it’s possible. Remember you need to shift newly purchased things also. But if you are shifting to any remote area, assure yourself if you have purchased all those items which may not be available in the new place.

Mark the boxes

Never place two or three different items in a single box if it’s possible. Also, never forget to label the boxes. It helps you to identify those boxes easier later. Also seal the box tight and make them safe.

While packing glassware

Glassware, TV, monitor etc are easily breakable things and great care is to be given while packing them. Each glassware accessories should be wrapped with newspaper separately giving it extra safety. You can use thermo coal or cotton pillows while parceling TV or monitor. While handling expensive crystals and other decorative items of your living room, take extra care. It’s better to transport such items in car than sending them with large parcels.

Fridges should never be tilted

While transporting fridges, take great care so that it is not tilted even a little bit. If so, gases will escape easily. Also, never switch on fridge suddenly after transport. Function your refrigerator only after a few hours of transport.

While packing furniture

Normally furniture is packed last. Cover them well with newspaper to avoid scratches. Also, separate the parts of settee and beds for easy transport. They can be assembled later.

While packing kitchen accessories

As I have told earlier glass utensils and refrigerator should be handled with care. Categorize items to separate units and parcel them separately. Label the boxes also. Less used utensils can be packed as a single unit and when you reach new home, place it separately without opening it. Open it only when you are in need.

Also, clean and dry kitchen utensils well before packing. Same is the case of other objects including books, soft furnishing and furniture. Remove dust well before packing.

While packing soft furnishing clothes

Wash the curtains and iron it before packing. If so, it looks fresh when fitted in the new home. Remove dust of rogues and carpets. If they have lost their charm, dump in dust bin and purchase fresh ones for your new home. Dry well all cushions and pillows in sun before the packing process.

While packing kids’ toys and books

It’s sure, most waste things of a home are a part of kids’ accessories including damaged toys and old books. Never carry them to new home. Keep your small kids away while packing of their items is done. Otherwise they will never allow you to throw away their old toys. It’s really a tedious process to pack kids’ things as it include minute and tiny things of kids’ interest. Keep them separately in different boxes. If you do the packing taking enough time, it will be an easy task for you to arrange them later.

Packing of last day is time consuming

Usually we pack large things first. For example, clothes, books, kitchen accessories etc. When packing of furniture is also done, it looks almost completed. But it’s not the case. Packing of remaining small and silly things is really a head ache. Small things that we put carelessly here and there, takes a lot of time at the last stage. For example, small papers, bills, pens, pencils, toys, tooth brushes, oils, sandals, shoe polish, medicines etc. Though most of them look silly we can’t avoid them.

Before we leave the home, we should assure that we didn’t miss anything serious. Also, packing such tiny items into suitable packets after throwing away the waste is time consuming. We should check each and every part of shelves to make sure that we haven’t placed anything carelessly behind them. Also you should have a clear idea, in which carton you have packed most useful but simple things like tooth brushes, medicines, soaps, oil, creams etc.

How to reduce budget of shifting?

Though it’s a pleasure to move to a more convenient place, it gives additional expenses too. If you pack things your own without depending on servants you can reduce expenses. Yet, it’s better to seek assistance of someone rather than doing everything your own. If new home is near and you can shift small parcels by your vehicle in a few trips it will surely save your money a lot. Only furniture and machines need extra help for shift.

After reaching new home

After reaching home arrange more essential things first; for example, kitchen and bed room. Take your own time to arrange other things; you can seek help of a servant for one day or two. Just keep all those boxes in an unused corner and take one by one till all boxes are completed. Think well before placing an object somewhere. We can’t assume that it’s the most perfect place suitable for that object. It’s always better to plan well before starting arranging.

Positives behind a house shift

Shifting is a part of my daily life and in the past 6 years, I have already changed 4 homes. So shifting is not big deal now, as I am well-experienced now. Last year I have shifted to new rental home, where I am staying right now. Though it used to be a great head ache earlier, now I feel it has some positive effects too.

Now everyone are professionals and like those nomads of ancient ages and migrating birds of today they need to travel from place to place according to their job transfer. Obviously they need to shift each and every belonging from one place to other as a part of home shift. Let me give you some positive results of such house shifts.

1. Man always loves changes and when he gets an opportunity to live in an entirely different society, surroundings and new dwellings, it brings freshness to his life too. If we think so, it’s sure house shift has some positive results. It gives another opportunity each time to mingle with a new and strange world.

2. House cleaning mechanism – Another positive effect is that we leave every waste and useless material of our house before we shift. So our house turns to a space filled with useful things only, from a dump yard. So house shifting is of course, house cleaning too! Before you leave, give away all those things that you never use it later. If needed, you can purchase them later.

Why should you waste space of your new home for storing such useless things for a long period without any reason? Giving old clothes, blankets, plastic containers, machinery etc as alms to others is a good effort too, to help a poor person in some way. If you have an old servant at home, most of such things can be given to him/her. It may not be useful to you, but it’s a small help done by you for a poor person

3. Time for repairing and maintenance – Our busy schedule of today often prompts us to postpone things to tomorrow. When it’s time for shift it’s time for repairing too. Before you leave, why can’t you repair your old machinery and equipment? Never postpone it to another day. If so, that day never comes to your life. Instead do all those things before you shift to a new place.

4. New purchases – Now, before I leave, let me tell you house shift is the time for new purchases, if you have sufficient money. You can restart your life with a new and fresh mood with new and fresh things around.

So, from a repetitive task of doing same things and seeing same things around, shifting gives you a freedom. If you think so, you will approach house shifting with a positive approach always.

Conclusion

If you do everything systematically, house shifting is nothing but a house cleaning process and arrangement of your belongings and interior into a new design. Though shifting is a lengthy and expensive process, the feel that we are shifting to a good and more convenient place gives happiness for sure. It gives excitement and freshness mood too. So, happy shifting!!!

Image source: Pixabay

Read a few more articles on cleaning & maintenance of home & preserving interior and its elements. Here is the page link. Click on the images in the gallery to read.