Consolidating Households

Combining households can be a daunting task at any stage of life. However, there are a few simple steps that can make the transition easier:

• Inventory what you have and decide what to keep: Take an inventory of all the items and furniture you have and decide what is best to keep for your new home; consider how everything fits together in terms of design and color, etc. Decide what to keep for your home and determine what you still need.
• Work with what you have: Look around your rooms and see what furnishings and styles you like, then add pieces that enhance what you already have, and remove pieces that don’t work with the overall look.
• Get rid of things you don’t need: Have a garage sale or donate items that you don't want to keep.
• Store extras: If there are items you can't bear to part with, but don't have room for, consider renting a storage space.
• Sell rather than move furniture: When moving from one city to another, it may be more cost effective to sell the furniture rather than moving it.
• Have movers do an extra pickup/drop-off: If you're using a professional mover and consolidating two current homes for a totally new home, ask the mover if they can do an extra pickup of items from the second home. This is usually acceptable if the homes are in the same state. On another note, if you have some things you'd like to give to a friend or family member, drop-offs might be available if their destination is on route for the mover. Discuss the best options with your mover.
• Adjust your insurance: Consolidating homes may mean that you need more insurance to cover items like jewelry or antiques. Check with an insurance professional to determine what your coverage should be.