Moving During a Renovation
There are many reasons to renovate your house or apartment. It can be an excellent way to increase the value of your home or an opportunity to update and refresh your space. Changing your floor plan can provide a much needed increase your available living and storage areas. Renovating can also be the perfect way to avoid moving altogether if you want to stay in your current neighborhood. No matter what your reason, renovating rather than moving to a new space is often the ideal solution.
It’s important to remember that during your renovation you usually cannot live in your home, which means you will be moving, at least temporarily. Once you figure out the scope of the project and the specifics of the construction and design, you’ll need to figure out where you will stay while the work is being done. Organizing a temporary move can be challenging, but Consider It Moved has the experience to help make this disruptive time easier. This transition time does not have to mean putting your life on hold while you are displaced – working with Consider It Moved allows you to keep living your life attending to all you have going on while we keep you organized and get you into a temporary home.
Here are some tips for making a temporary move easier:
Give Yourself Plenty of Time
Create a detailed timeline of what needs to be accomplished before moving. At Consider It Moved, we believe that efficient move preparation is the first step to a smooth transition. We will take care of all of the necessary and time-consuming details to make your temporary move seamless.
Before your home renovation begins, you should already have temporary living arrangements and storage options in place to avoid delaying the construction. Figure out what is important to you in your temporary space – Is it convenient to work, school, and activities? Is it furnished? Does it accommodate pets or any other special needs? Can your lease be extended if the renovation goes longer than expected?
It is also important to keep a list of items that need to be put on hold while you are relocated from your regular home. If you are unable to pick up your mail during this time, make sure to request forwarding mail service. You may want to transfer services like internet and TV. If you are in a different location altogether, consider things like gyms or other neighborhood memberships that may need to be put on pause. Make sure to update your emergency contact information with work and schools.
Clean Out Clutter
A temporary move can be a great time to go through your belongings. In addition to saving money moving and storing items that you no longer need, a huge benefit of purging is saving time. Discarding one box of unwanted items means one less box to pack, unpack in a temporary space and then repack, unpack again, and organize later on. There are many options for disposing of items including donating, giving items away, selling, and recycling. The moving and organizational experts at Consider It Moved can help you with this process including figuring out the best options for what items should be kept, stored, donated or moved.
Create an Inventory List
It is important to create an inventory list of your possessions during a temporary move so that you can keep track of everything. Create an inventory of your belongings so that nothing is unaccounted for, forgotten, or donated accidentally. This list will also serve as a reference for items that have gone into storage, especially items that you may need to access during your renovation - for example, clothing or sports gear for another season. If you want to do it right, take photos and include descriptions and measurements for pieces of furniture that may be useful in planning layouts for your renovated home.
When moving to a temporary location, make sure to keep medications as well as important documents and valuable or sentimental and irreplaceable items with you.
Make Your Temporary Space Comfortable
If you are going to be in the temporary space for an extended period of time, especially with children, consider bringing some familiar items with you. Placing or hanging family pictures or special pieces of art on the walls will make a temporary place feel like home.
Bring along comfort items for kids such as special stuffed animals and toys as well as favorite pillows and bedding. If you have a pet, remember to bring what they need - food, toys, bedding, and other things that keep them happy.
These small touches can have your temporary space feel like a home, not just a transitional space you are spending time in while waiting for something else. Your life is not on hold - the roof over your head just looks different for a little while. Living in a temporary location doesn’t have to feel like a waiting period. It can be a time to explore a new area. Consider taking advantage of living somewhere different and see what you can discover - perhaps you’ll find some new restaurants, shops, and activities!
Prepare for Moving Back Home
When the time comes to move back into your beautifully renovated space, Consider It Moved will help you plan the details and get you settled. Remember, most if not all of your belongings have been packed up and now need to be unpacked and organized in your new home. We will make sure that everything is in its place in your beautiful new home so that you enjoy it from the day you step through the door.
Consider It Moved offers the chance of you keeping your sanity while living in a temporary space. We provide move management services that will have your upgraded home ready after a renovation. We want to make your temporary move experience a celebration of change. Contact us today at (646) 693-6616 or reach out to us online.