Pace Yourself When Setting Up Your New Home

Pace Yourself When Setting Up Your New Home

Like all things in life, setting up your new home is more manageable if you break it down into steps and prioritize what needs to get done right away, and what can (or even should) wait.

Start with a deep clean.
Before unpacking, before painting, before anything really, the first thing you should do is clean your home. After all, putting clean clothes in a dirty closet doesn’t make any sense.

Unpack everything (but not everywhere or all at once).
To tame the chaos as you unpack, put boxes in the room where they belong, then go through five to 10 boxes a day. Once you open a box, empty it completely.

Declutter (again).
Even if you thought you were ruthless with your decluttering at your old place, you may find you still have too much stuff. Keep in mind the space you have, not the space you want. For example: How many pairs of shoes will actually fit in the entry closet? That’s the number that should be there. Everything else should be donated.

Reimagine the “junk drawer.”
Be intentional about the space that holds all those essential things one inevitably needs in life: scissors, tape, highlighters, pens. Designate a “general store” spot in your home - this might be a drawer, a closet shelf, or something else - so that you (and everyone else you live with) knows where to find them when needed.

Draft a design budget and a timeline.
Now that you’ve got your space neat and tidy, you’re ready to think about decorating your new space. Even if your home is a 10/10, chances are you’ll want to invest some time and money into making it even more perfect. Maybe there’s a room you want to paint or a couch that is made for your new living room. Whatever the case, establish some financial guardrails and a timeline.

Wait to make exterior improvements.
It’s been said to wait at least a year to make any major changes to the landscaping. This time allows you to assess how your yard handles rain flow, what spots are sunny versus shady, and what plants are already in the ground and will bloom.