Hello everyone:

Moving along, let’s get things moving….Okay, so you routed through your closet, you started packing up heavy things in small boxes and lighter things in bigger boxes, so what’s next?

Let’s check out seasons. If you are moving in the winter, you can go ahead and pack up your summer things (unless you’re moving some place warm!). If you have a bunch of things that you haven’t worn in more than a year, please consider donating them to a charity. Why do you need to keep your engagement dress, especially if you’re getting a divorce? Do you think your daughter is going to want to wear it, given your marriage results (if you are dissolving your matrimonial bonds)? Probably not.

Now let’s move into a room that you have but that you don’t use much. In my house, that’s the cellar. I have 23 boxes of Christmas decorations. This year, I didn’t do much more than put out a couple of boxes of snowmen, due to my son’s wedding activities. Therefore, a good place for me to continue packing would be the cellar. Just because something is packed well for sitting in the cellar, it does not mean it’s ready for a cross-country trip in a moving van, so double-check each box carefully.

The next room I would pack would be the guest room, probably because I’m not expecting any guests between now and moving day. Go through that closet, as well Do you even remember what’s in it? Then you might need to get rid of the contents of that closet. Pack up any decorative items, unless you are using them to stage the house for a faster sale (my real estate friends say that a staged house does sell faster and for more money, so keep this in mind). However, do understand that a cluttered house does not sell faster and is more likely to sit on the market.

Pack up all photographs. This is especially important if you are trying to sell your house because buyers need to picture themselves living in your house, not you and your family living in your house.

Okay, these are the areas to focus on today. Next time, I will focus on another room (or two or three).

Best,

Dr. Sheri