So you found a new home that you love. You have signed the paperwork, and now you are ready to pack up your belongings and move on to life in your new home.

But it’s not that simple. Moving can provoke all kinds of emotions. While excited for what lies ahead, you are probably a little sentimental about leaving something behind. You are full of enthusiasm for the move, but you are not really that excited about seeing all your things in boxes.

Excitement can really take a nosedive when you’re packing. It may not seem like you have much stuff, but once you get your books off the shelves and the kid’s toys out from under the bed, and all your dishes out of the cabinets, a whole day has gone by and you haven’t even packed up half the house.

Once you do finally pack all your things and get them inside your new home, you will likely be exhausted. In order to help you survive your first night in your new home, we have put together a few tips to encourage you in the endeavor:

• Easy unpacking starts with organized packing. It might be tempting to just throw things in boxes, but unpacking will be so much more pleasant if you can pack according to room. Don’t just think about your current home, either. Think about the new home you’re moving into. Your new home might have a dining room, but your former home may have just had an eat-in kitchen. Your new home might have an office, but your former home may have just had a roll-top desk in a corner of your bedroom. Get the idea yet? Things that are in your kitchen or living room now might be better suited in your new dining room.
  
  
• Label the moving boxes according to what is inside them, but also according to which room they should be placed in. This will make moving so much easier, as the boxes can be placed in the rooms where they should be unpacked instead of dumped in the foyer. Taking the guess work out of moving will ease frustration. And any amount of frustration that can be eased is a good thing.
  
  
• Expect to be frustrated, and then find things to celebrate. Moving is frustrating. So tell this to yourself, and then move on. After all, you have just moved into your new home. You love this home. Understand that it will take time to make it really seem like yours. You may lose a few things in the moving process, but newness is upon you. So celebrate. Things can almost always be replaced, and the things that cannot be replaced, if given a little extra care and organization, can be kept safe. Write, “IMPORTANT!” just like that, using all capital letters and an exclamation point so that important boxes are easily identified and harder to lose track of. If something is extremely special to you, make sure you carry it yourself.
  
  
• Don’t feel like you have to do everything in one day. Sure, the kitchen and bathrooms are priorities, and you will need your clothes and sheets accessible. But trying to unpack everything in one day will just lead to unmet expectations, and frustration. Order pizza on moving day, and buy some paper plates so you won’t have to do many dishes that first week in your new home. It’s okay if some boxes linger for a few weeks while you get settled.
  
  
• Hang curtains, family photos, and artwork within the first week. This will make your new house seem more like your home than just the place you sleep at night, and will likely increase your stamina for unpacking everything else.
  
  
• Be encouraged! Moving is exciting. Whether you are buying a new home in Visalia, or have just moved into one, you have many good days ahead of you.
  
  
• Contact us for more information regarding new home building in the Central Valley