For over forty years, we’ve been helping people to move to new homes and offices, so we know how difficult it can be for young people to leave the family home – especially for the parents.
Over those forty years, we’ve also noticed that those young people are leaving home a lot later in life, which can sometimes make the move easier, as you may all feel it’s about time, or it can mean that parenting has been your main focus for not just 18 but maybe even 25 or 30 years. So what can you do to make the transition easier for all of you? Here are some ways to approach reclaiming your space this Mother’s Day.
Firstly, while you’ll miss your child, remember this is the start of a new chapter that’s really exciting for all of you, after all, you’ll have a lot more free time, and they might appreciate you more when they have to do everything for themselves. You’ll also get to spend time with each other on a much more equal level, so this is a start of a whole new relationship. With this in mind, make sure that you take the time to catch up with each other regularly.
No doubt you’ll have spent some time in their old room since they’ve left, or will have been in the loft to help them get their stuff out of storage during the move. We’ll put money on them not having taken everything with them, so now may be a good time to binge watch Tidying Up With Marie Kondo to give you that extra bit of motivation to let go of those extra belongings and declutter. We also know that some things have sentimental value, so we’re not saying it’s time to get rid of everything, but it’s best to get a balance between creating a shrine in their old bedroom and clearing everything out as soon as the door has shut behind them. It’s all about being selective.
Another way to approach this is to think about what you want to do with your home now that they have gone by answering these questions:
- Will you reposition the furniture?
- Will you decorate?
- Will their old room become a study, a games room, a meditation sanctuary?
- How would you like to spend your time now?
- How do the things that they have left behind fit in with how you would like your new space to be?
They sound like pretty exciting questions, to us.
Remember to take everything at your own pace. You don’t have to do everything at once, but it is good to get started so that you don’t put off making a real change. If you do decide that you no longer need to give space to some things in your home, remember that there will be charities and organisations who will gladly take some things off your hands. This could also be a great opportunity for you to think about your own possessions, too, and whether it’s time to declutter other areas of the home as well.
If you would like any further advice, our declutter teams would be happy to help get things right for you. Please get in touch here.