Your wedding marks the beginning of a new journey.
In this new chapter, the life you know will significantly change. And part of this new chapter in your life is the opportunity to set up a home for your own family.
Like most relocations, moving with your new spouse may feel a bit daunting, especially if you’re unprepared. To remedy this, here are five tips that can help you adjust to your new life together and transform your family home into your own private paradise:
1. Talk About the Budget
Starting a life together is an exciting new phase of your life. Because you’re thrilled to finally settle down with your better half, you might be tempted to splurge on things that make up that pretty picture inside your head of what your dream home should look like.
However, it would be wise to hold off on shopping and remember this: most couples’ first home is usually not the house of their dreams.
Unless you or your spouse are born into wealth, you must first figure out your budget before jumping headfirst into a financial commitment. You need to determine how much you can spend on your home and your day-to-day bills to adjust your finances and lifestyle accordingly.
Once you have calculated your household budget, stick to it and make sure you set aside even just a small amount regularly. Don’t forget to consider your expenses for the actual move. Get a couple of quotes from relocation companies to come up with a good relocation budget.
Does this sound overwhelming? The most important thing you must remember is that you’re not alone. You have someone to share these with now.
Make sure you talk to your spouse about these things and settle any issues as early as possible. Remember to always consider compromising.
2. Plan the Move Well Ahead
Many couples move in together before the wedding. But if you envision yourself entering your first family home together fresh off your nuptials, you’ll want to prepare your love nest early on.
Don’t wait until you’re so busy with the wedding that you no longer have the time or energy to deal with your home relocation. After all, what happens after the “I dos” is just as important as the ceremony itself.
Moving in should be a decision both of you have made. And that also means no one partner should feel left out in the decision-making process.
Start with a Plan
If you’re moving into a new house together, each one of you should decide which items to bring. In most cases, you can’t take everything you own with you. You’ll need to come to a compromise because the less you bring, the easier the relocation process will be.
Then, consider looking for home shifting services, preferably a company that offers all the services you could ever need. That may include:
Packing and Unpacking Services
While you can pack some of your things yourself, getting help from professionals ensures that fragile items like glassware, artwork, electronics, and big-ticket items are packed securely.
Short-term Storage
In some cases, you may have certain items that need to be stored while you decide whether to keep them in your new home. When this happens, you can take advantage of the short-term storage that some movers offer to keep your belongings safe.
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3. Delegate, Divide and Conquer
After the wedding, you’ll find that there are people who actively help in the event and can also offer ideas on making moving to your new home easier. Some may even volunteer to help you get organised, especially in sorting your belongings.
Even with professionals helping around, you may still find packing your things an arduous task. Add that to the other errands you’ll need to run, and you may find yourself overwhelmed by the move.
Instead of taking on everything by yourself, ask your partner for help. Of course, you should return the favour, too. Some of your relatives and friends may also be willing to assist with the packing.
Afterwards, you’ll want to talk to your spouse about how things will go after the move. Since no one person is good at everything (or even enjoys doing everything), you should share household work with your partner. Determine where your interests and skills lie and divide the responsibilities accordingly.
For example, the husband could be better at house maintenance while the wife may be a much better accountant who can stay on top of the bills. Or perhaps you very much like to cook while your partner is a better gardener and landscape artist.
Keep in mind that every couple is unique, which means there’s no universal formula for this. Whatever works for you and your spouse, make sure that you figure things out together and as early as possible (preferably before you begin living under one roof).
4. Wait to Unpack Your Wedding Gifts
Opening gifts are probably one of the highlights of your honeymoon, but you might want to hold it off for a little later.
If you’re moving to your new home immediately after your honeymoon, you should just keep the presents in their original packages to save time and effort in packing.
You can start opening the gifts once you arrive at your new house or have the movers repack them to fit the moving truck.
Once you arrive, list down what you got to know what items you should already strike off your shopping list. This will help you avoid buying duplicates and save you money.
5. Conduct an Inventory to Identify What You Need
For this part, you’ll want to take inventory of the items you already have – old belongings and wedding gifts included.
Though you’ve already sorted everything you own, you may find that some items have duplicates. There may even be some unnecessary items, especially if you and your partner have the same stuff.
Once you move in, you need to declutter again – this time, as a team. Figure out what can stay and what you should get rid of by donating or holding a garage sale.
Once you’re done with that, come up with a list of items you still need to buy to live a comfortable and happy married life. This can include appliances, furniture accessories, window implements, kitchen tools, and others.
Getting married is a major milestone in life. Plan your move together with your spouse by using the expert advice presented here for a stress-free, organised move.
Author Bio
Praful Gupta is the Business Head for Asset Mobility at Writer Relocations, India’s premier mobility services company that handles all types of moves: International & Domestic Relocations, Office Relocations, Commercial Move Management Services, Hospitality Logistics, Fine Arts Logistics, Orientation Services, and Storage Solutions. Headquartered in Mumbai, Writer Relocations has presence in 7 countries and operates in more than 190 countries.
