Moving to a new house is one of the most stressful events of your life, but there are ways to make it easier and to make your new residence feel like home straight away. It all comes down to careful planning and knowing what to invest in when it comes to accessories, because when you move to somewhere new, there are a few essentials.
Starting small or carrying on big
Which accessories can be considered essential may depend on whether this is your first move or your fifth. For those moving into a new residence for the first time, such as a student moving into a shared house or a single room in a college, essential accessories will cover four areas: studying, sleeping, dining, and entertainment. For studying, assuming a computer is a given, essentials include a desk and chair, which incidentally could double as a dining table, and a desk lamp. Positioned correctly, the desk lamp could also serve as a bedside lamp. Your computer monitor could also serve as a television and all-round media center. If you want to have a seating area for daytime use, buy a sofa bed rather than separates. In small spaces, the best way to get on is to make as many items as possible do double duty, and there are many items of this type to be found online at such websites as the former As Seen On TV, now known as New Easy.
It is tempting when moving to a new place for people to take the opportunity to start afresh by selling off or giving away a lot of their old furniture and accessories, or throwing out other items that have become tired or broken. While this can be very freeing emotionally, it can mean that you find yourself without things in your new home, so be sure to buy new ones before the move.
In the kitchen, for example, which is often the room that the rest of the home revolves around, you will need cooking equipment, such as pots and pans, cooking utensils, plates, bowls, mugs, cutlery, and oven mitts. You will also need cleaning equipment – not just cleaning products but also a broom, a mop, and a vacuum cleaner. You will need even the most mundane of items, such as a trash can and bags to put in it.
Moving into the living room, accessories here will be more ornamental than necessary. You may be intent on keeping things tidy in this most public of rooms, so accessories here may include remote control caddies or cable tidy mechanisms. You may even want to go wireless wherever possible, so an excellent accessory for this space is a piece of wireless-charging furniture. Here too, it is a good idea to utilize items that do double duty, such as a footstool that has storage space.
Essentials for the bathroom include towels and face cloths, as well as toilet paper. You do not want to be caught out on this one! To keep things tidy in the bathroom, invest in some form of storage, whether that is a movable trolley for all your accessories, or a standalone unit with cupboards and drawers, or a shelving system that you can put baskets on. You will also want to ensure that you have your favorite shampoo and conditioner, face wash, and deodorant, as well as cleaning materials, such as antibacterial spray and toilet cleaner, along with suitable cloths, to keep your bathroom fresh and hygienic.
Bedroom accessories may be more comfort-oriented than practical, but there are still some essentials. At least two bedding sets, for example – one to put on while the other is in the laundry – in addition to your duvet – ideally two, one for winter, one for summer – and pillows. You will also need some kind of bedside lamp, whether it is an inexpensive one that hooks onto the headboard or one that sits on a side table, to read by. On the comfort and relaxing side, you may want to indulge in a scented candle or aroma diffuser to help you get to sleep.
Storage may be one of your chief concerns, particularly if your new home is on the small size. For this reason, make use of the fixtures that you have to provide storage solutions. For example, a shoe holder that hangs over a door is a great space saver, as are under-bed storage bags.
There are many things that you will want to acquire when you move into a new home, but the majority of these can wait. Focus on the essentials, the things you cannot live without, for the first few weeks, and leave the desirables until you have settled in.
