10 Easy Tips To Move Your House Sustainably
It’s one of the most stressful things you can do in your life. But these tips to help move your house sustainably will make your move a lot easier!
By Chere Di Boscio
I’ve just moved house, and boy, was it a joy. (Insert sarcasm emoji here). No surprise it’s listed as one of the most stressful things that can happen to you in life (just below the death of a loved one and divorce!)
But I learned a few things, people. I learned how to move house sustainably. And I learned how to do it with a minimum of stress.
Why should you take my word for it, you may be asking? Well, let me tell you. I’ve lived in 8 countries in my life. And I’ve moved house countless times. Each time, I’ve taken new tips on board. And here below, I’m glad to share them with you!
My Best Tips For Moving Sustainably And Easily
1. Plan Early
If you begin organising your move well in advance, it seems less overwhelming. I’d recommend starting to pack up the little things you don’t use very much months in advance. Otherwise, you’re going to be faced with an entire house that needs to be boxed, packaged and labelled in a day. And you’ll just weep. Also, planning early means if you have to hire help, they’ll have less to do and the charges will be lower.
2. Take Measurements
Another tip to move house sustainably is to know what you’ll need and what will have to go. For example? I owned the most gorgeous antique sideboard that I bought when I lived in Bali. But guess what? In my new home, there was nowhere to put it. Literally nowhere. I thought it could go in the dining room, but it was 10cm too large. Just 10cm! I ended up moving with it, and then having to sell it as there was not a single place in the house where it could go.
If you have any such items, it’s best to take measurements in your new home if possible, before moving. That way you’ll know for sure what fits and what has to go, without wasting energy and fuel moving things around unnecessarily.
3. Declutter
This is probably one of the most obvious tips to move house sustainably. Use this opportunity to declutter! Go through all your stuff and decide what to keep, donate, sell, or discard. This not only simplifies your move but also means less to unpack and organise in your new home.
4. Go Room By Room
Before your move, months ahead if possible, it’s best to tackle one room at a time. This will help you to maintain focus and stay organised. Be sure to label each box very clearly with its contents. It also helps during unpacking in your new home, as all your stuff will be packed according to where it needs to go in each room.
5. Prepare An Essentials Box
Prepare a box with items you’ll need immediately in your new home, like toiletries, a change of clothes, and essential documents. This tip is crucial for the first day and night in your new home, where immediate access to these essentials is a lifesaver.
6. Don’t Buy, Ask!
You’re going to need cardboard boxes for your move. Lots of them! Some people actually buy these, and I cannot understand why for the life of me. To move your house more sustainably, simply hit up supermarkets, big cafes like Starbucks, and corner stores and ask them if you can take their boxes. Free and easy!
7: Forget About Bubble Wrap
It seems so convenient, right? It’s fun to pop, and it protects all of your fragile stuff. But bubble wrap is an ecological disaster! So another of my top tips to move house sustainably is to wrap your breakables with old fashioned newspaper or kraft paper instead. You can also use your sheets, blankets and even clothing to wrap delicates up in.
8. Ease Your Pets In
If you have a pet, let’s be honest: they’re likely going to freak out. In particular, cats hate change. Of course, there are exceptions, but in general, they’re happiest remaining in the territory they’ve known, loved and marked with their scent for years. So to make their move easier, ensure you:
- keep them indoors for at least two weeks.
- get them used to the new house by keeping them in one room for a few days. Ensure they have plenty of food, water, and their litter box. Then, let them slowly explore the rest of the house on their own time.
- ensure you don’t wash your blankets/pillows before your move, so your cat will recognise your scent.
- bring their old litter box. Nothing smells more like your kitty than that! And that scent will comfort them.
Dogs are more likely to adapt well, so long as you’re nearby and paying attention to them. But that being said, ensure they don’t escape the yard. They may get lost as they don’t yet know the scent of their new home.
Check here for more tips on moving pets easily.
9. Use What You’ve Got
As mentioned above, you should be able to get plenty of free boxes from various shops. But you can even reduce the number of boxes you need by using storage containers you’ve already got! For example, you can use suitcases, large shopping bags, and even stuff sleeping bags with things like clothing.
10. Recycle Your Boxes
Finally, my last tip to move your house sustainably is to recycle your boxes. You can just put them in the paper recycling bin if your neighbourhood has one, but you will have to remove any plastic tape if you’ve used it. To avoid this, look for paper tape instead of plastic.
Do you have any tips of your own for how to move your house easily and sustainably? Let us know in the comments, below!
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