Moving house is a great challenge. Packing your belongings, your furniture, your appliances, your works of art safely is a great challenge. When this is done by someone not up to the task, the result isn’t always satisfactory, due to damages caused during the process. If it’s an international move, or if the goods are kept in storage for a few months, there is an extra risk involved: the smell of mold in the objects that remained too long in storage.

For the relief of those concerned about the situation, there are solutions. Efficient moving companies are fully capable of transporting your belongings quickly and safely.

First of all, if you hired a company to make your move, be sure that the necessary measures will be taken during the storage of the items that are more sensitive to bad odors, such as bed linen, table linen and bath towels. Professional movers know how to evaluate the need for dehumidifiers to avoid storing very damp items, thus reducing the appearance of mold, the main cause of unpleasant odors.

Empty your refrigerator and leave its door open for at least 24 hours before packing it. This will also avoid the smell of mold in the refrigerator after the move.
It’s impossible to eliminate this risk completely, but the drier your items are, the better. So, never have rugs, upholstery, or mattresses washed before a move, because, even though they may seem dry, they’re still damp inside, and this will certainly cause the appearance of mold when they’re packed and stored, even for a short time.

After setting up the new home, fresh air will be your best friend. Take advantage of the sun to air the stored items – thus avoiding the musty smell so common after big moves. Open the windows and make the most of the sunlight in your new house – it’s a lethal weapon against the microorganisms that may have developed in your belongings during the storage period.

However, if you wish for touches of perfume in the air, invest in natural odorants, such as cinnamon and fruit scrapings. They are, above all, tranquilizers that can help you to settle into your new dwelling.

These tips are basic for ensuring your comfort and tranquility when you move house. So, it’s fundamental to seek specialized professional support. Thus, by following the tips above, there will be more time for you to deal with what really matters: setting up your new home.

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Don’t turn moving house with children into a drama. If you have to live out a scenario, turn the story into a great adventure for you and your children.

Moving house is quite a challenge, even when you’re alone, or are just a couple. The challenge is even greater if there’s a child involved, no matter what age. But if the move is necessary, it’s also necessary to face it in the best possible way, so that, in the end, you’ll have the good feeling of being in a new house, with a good start of a new life for you and your children. No matter how challenging the practical part of moving, the dislocation and transportation of your belongings, may seem to you, the positive side is still the most important: the move itself only lasts a day or two, but the fact of living in a new place is marked and is well absorbed by a child who is more open to change.

Play fair and be positive

Dialogue is always the best way to help children understand. Therefore, don’t underestimate their feelings and opinions, always be forthright and involve them in the process. An important step is taking them to see their new home before moving in. There, show them all the advantages of the house and the place, talking about the opportunities they’ll have for playing and making new friends. Besides that, whenever you talk about moving in their hearing, avoid a negative tone. If there’s a strong attachment to the present residence or neighborhood, remind them that they can always visit, and that their ties to the place won’t be broken.

Seek help for the move

A valuable tip to make your life easier is to count on help. If you feel the move is too heavy a burden for you to shoulder alone, seek professional help and leave the packing of your belongings, the dismounting and mounting of your furniture, and their transportation in the hands of specialized professionals.

Before you move

Separate what you’re taking yourself from what will be taken by the movers. Pack a bag for yourself and another one for the children, with clothes, diapers, towels, etc. Let the children take part in choosing the toys they want on hand. For the adults, separate jewelry, cameras, computers, documents and other valuable belongings. Depending on how far away you’re moving, prepare a food kit.

Best time for moving

It isn’t always easy to choose when to move, but, ideally, it should be done during the children’s school vacation. If possible, avoid adding the move to other big changes in a child’s life, such as toilet training, stopping breast feeding, or changing from cradle to bed.

Moving day

If possible, leave the children with a family member or close friends. The ideal is to leave the children in a comfortable place, at least on the first day, so you are free to clean and arrange your new home.

Moving done and house set up

Listen to your child: with the house all set up, show it to the child room by room, listening to his (her) opinions, and asking for suggestions. It’s also nice to let the child decide on the decoration of his (her) bedroom, encouraging him (her) to take an active part in the new home, creating a feeling of belonging.

Starting life in a new neighborhood

Explore the neighborhood and its surroundings. Show the children a map and point out all the positive aspects. Later, go on tours of the neighborhood and of attractive places nearby, such as shopping malls, beaches, parks and squares.

Don’t disown the past

If possible, don’t cut the ties your children have to friends in the old neighborhood. Invite their friends to visit the new house, and take your children to spend an afternoon in the old neighborhood, to show them that the friendships continue, though farther apart.

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Separation. Life, routine, objects, plans, home and everything else that was shared. Avoiding clichés that, in this case, would be mere euphemisms for “positive affirmations” that have no meaning for one whose life has been turned upside down – and, because of this, would not only be out of place, but even cruel – the words that follow in this article are written to say that there’s still life, and it consists of beginning again, no matter how long it takes. Starting with the most practical part, which is your house. Yes, because in taking care of it in this new phase, you’ll find that it can take care of you, too.

Yes, because your house is, or should be, your refuge from everything. These words fit both those who moved house and those who had to, or chose to, stay in their old home after the separation. Although it’s the same house, it’s possible to resignify it by redecorating, in a construction from the inside to the outside. The same goes for those who move to a new house, but still need to rebuild themselves, both externally and internally.

Rediscovering the house

The first step? Discovering what you liked and what you merely accepted in your house. Furniture, pictures, paintings, and the distribution of all of this in their respective places. Change everything that bothers you, while, of course, respecting your financial and emotional “moment”. The feeling of a “new look” is, in fact, an important aspect of your new life.

Clearing up the atmosphere

To clear up the atmosphere and create a new routine that is not only organizational, give your house a good cleaning as soon as you’re up to it. The feeling of a clean house reflects the feeling of mental cleanliness and organization. To give the atmosphere a new sensation, give every room an aroma, and create a playlist, so that you have music around you whenever you’re at home. It’s important to choose music that is uplifting, avoiding anything that brings up bad memories.

Letting go

This takes us to the third step, which consists of learning to let go, pushing away the past. If the memory of an object is bad, give it to somebody else. Especially sheets, pillow cases and blankets, so give them away or sell them. There are specific sites for that, not only to help people in need, but also to get you money to buy new things for your house.

Transferring love

The end of a relationship doesn’t necessarily mean the end of a sentiment. If it’s impossible to extinguish what you feel, why not transfer it? This way, love can be redirected towards a pet or a plant. Yes! The act of caring for someone (or something) will make you direct you heart to whom (or what) surrounds you.

Decoration

A simple and inexpensive tip to change your surroundings is to repaint some of the walls in your house. And also change the art on the walls. Use the same picture frames, but change what’s inside them. If you have enough money, buy a new bed, a good mirror, and new furniture, according to your need for change.

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What do you remember of your history lessons? More specifically, of Pre-History? Still in our teens, we learn about the customs of the first human beings to inhabit the Earth. Many of those customs have been changed nowadays, while others persist, even after thousands of years. One of them is nomadism, in which groups wander in search of natural resources, staying in one place until the resources are depleted, then moving on in search of a new home.

Adapting this to the present day, we continue moving, either for economic reasons or for comfort and convenience, for instance. From caves to digital times, moving is good. Let’s analyze moving from two different standpoints: moving from necessity X moving from desire.

In the first case, you must leave your home on the way to another one. The prevalent verbs are “need”, “change” jobs or post (in another district, state or country), “separate” (from parents and friends), or “feel” that it’s safer, or emotionally beneficial to move.

In the other situation, the verb that defines the move is “want”. In that case, even without the need to move, since the place where you live offers comfort, safety and convenience, you still want to move house. This desire is inherent to human beings. It’s natural to want novelty. It is Plato’s Eros: Swinging between the frustration of loving and desiring what we don’t have, and at the same time becoming satiated when we achieve the object of our desire.

In both cases, moving house always brings benefits. If you’re moving because you “need” to, it’s normal to be afraid and be attached to the past. Therefore, the tip is to understand that “My home is where my shoes are/ A little bit in every spot and place” (as the Sa and Guarabira song says). You will be able to build an even better new home in a new place, for sure!

At the same time, moving because you “want” to is the opposite: fear of the old, need for the new. Or, quoting another song, “navigating is necessary/ living is not”, by Caetano Veloso (based on Fernando Pessoa, the great Portuguese poet). Proceed happily  on the way to your new home, even if nobody understands your need to move.

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Moving house is a challenge. Moving to another city is an even greater challenge. No matter that novelty always brings possibilities for a better life, it’s scary, isn’t it? Not even the opportunity for learning a new culture, adopting new habits, besides the chance for a healthier, calmer life, lessen the fear of the still unknown. Moreover, the main thing: beginning life again, leaving behind all that was bad in the old city, neighborhood and house. Sometimes, not even these advantages seem to tranquilize completely those who are going to build a new home in an unfamiliar ambience.

For instance, one of the major worries for someone who is moving to a new town is leaving behind the physical company of friends, which is natural. After all, people can’t be replaced like houses. Missing someone can only be remedied by being with the person again. And that’s the case. Even if the companionship isn’t as frequent as before, the friendship will live on and can be refreshed by occasional visits to each other.

Furthermore, it’s always good to remember that, before building up a friendship, you also went through the experience of meeting and having a relationship with someone until you finally considered him/her a friend. With this in mind, the main thing is to be open to new friendships, and not to despair. There are specific places that facilitate meeting new people, based on the repetition of the meetings: at work, at school, and in the neighborhood around you.

For those who are communicative, any place is good for meeting people, whether on public transport that is often used, or at a bakery or a newspaper stand. However, if you are more timid, a good bet is meeting people who share your interests and passions. For this, it’s a good idea to enroll in a language course, a dancing or singing class, a gym, or whatever your hobby might be.

It’s much easier to have talking points in common with someone who shares your tastes and will be at your side, even if as a stranger at first. Another good bet is frequenting ambiences that are more favorable and receptive to an exchange of words, such as a café near your home, a little bar at happy hour, or outdoor venues, such as parks and squares near your house. Anyway, do not despair! Soon you’ll have someone to share your day with, never forgetting the old friends you left behind.

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