Relocating to a new home isn’t just about getting your sofa in the perfect spot in the living room and making sure your wedding china survives the journey. It’s about feeling settled in your new space — so that the moment you walk into your new house after moving, you feel at ease, at peace, and at home.

Unfortunately, traditional moving companies are not equipped to provide this full-service solution ... which means you and your family are the ones responsible for unpacking boxes, setting up your coffee station in the kitchen, organizing your closet, installing blinds, wiring televisions, hanging artwork and family photos, setting up gym equipment, forwarding your mail, getting the Wifi and security system online, setting up the trampoline, lining drawers and cabinets, dropping off donations to charity, and getting rid of all the waste generated from a relocation.

It. Is. Exhausting.

But you’re not alone in thinking you need to handle this entire process by yourself. When families know they are going to change homes, most of them think they need to call a traditional moving company to get their furniture from point A to B — and then rely on themselves for the daunting task of actually setting up the home.

It doesn’t have to be that way. Because moving doesn’t have to suck.

When you change homes, wouldn’t you prefer to walk into your new space with everything set up exactly as you want it? No overflowing cardboard boxes laying around and blocking hallways. No hunting for your favorite Hermès bag because your closet looks like a crime scene. No panicking because you can’t find the twins’ Legos amidst their thousands of other toys.

Instead, it’s possible to relocate ... and have your entire home setup the way you like it.

  • Your bed made with your new Frette linens. 

  • Your 70-inch Samsung TV expertly installed (with no gross wires hanging down the wall).

  • Your Keurig plugged in on the kitchen counter, right next to the coffee mugs and Stevia.

  • Your master closet perfectly organized how you like it (with work pieces separated from Saturday night looks), and your shoes arranged so you can, you know, find them!

  • Your kids’ bedrooms artfully decorated, so the transition to a new room isn’t jarring — it’s exciting.

  • Your kitchen laid out based on how you use it, with cooking utensils smartly arranged in lined drawers next to the range.

  • Your garage organized to maximize storage for holiday decor and so you can park your Range Rover inside.

  • Your mud room set up to smartly receive coats, shoes, and your kids’ lacrosse sticks.

  • Your pantry set up so you can easily find whatever you’re looking for — cereal, pasta sauce, spices, or that bottle of Booker’s bourbon you stashed away.

  • Your wine safely transported into your temperature-controlled cellar, organized by vintage.

This isn’t a fantasy. It’s possible. And we know it, because we do it every day.

As the “wedding planner for moving,” Greystone Relocation Concierge helps clients with seamless home relocations and takes care of every aspect of changing homes — especially the parts that clients find most stressful.

All you have to do? Point. “The Baker sofa goes here. The Eames lounger goes there. The Baccarat high balls go over there.”

So how can you avoid the stress of walking into an unfinished home with potentially weeks worth of setup ahead of you? 

Well you could hire, train, and pay an army of assistants to execute your every desire. 

Or you could reach out to Greystone Relocation Concierge and follow some of our recommendations to turn relocating from a nightmare into a journey of change and new memories.

Here are 6 expert tips to make sure your next relocation is stress-free.

  1. Plan. Plan. Plan. The more time you give yourself to understand your needs — from furniture you want to donate to how you want your new closet set up — the better prepared everyone can be. While last-minute relocations are certainly possible, clients who allow themselves weeks or months to prepare for changing homes are often the most at ease. If you know you’re going to be moving, don’t hide from it. Call an expert.

  2. Be realistic with your timeline. Often, homeowners think moving their entire house should require just a single day. That’s not likely — if you want your belongings to be handled carefully. It’s more realistic to anticipate a multi-day project, which may sound like your move becomes a larger inconvenience, but what it allows if for your relocation firm to spend the necessary time protecting, handling, and loading your belongings. Nobody likes a 16-hour day (let alone a 22-hour day!), and expecting your relocation team to work after the sun goes down is only going to encourage avoidable accidents. So when planning the timeline for your relocation, anticipate several days for your project to be executed smoothly. Depending on the size of your home, anywhere from 3-7 days may be necessary.

  3. Declutter. Changing homes is the perfect time to sort through your family’s belongings, and choose only the items you want to include in your new life. It might be the perfect time to finally part ways with your grandmother’s neighbor’s cousin’s patterned china that you’ve been carting around for the last three moves. By letting go of the items your no longer use or those that do not bring you joy, you can start a routine in your new home that’s free of all unnecessary stuff.

  4. Downsizing? Then downsize. If you’re moving into a smaller home, the laws of physics will win out over your wish to take everything with you to the new house. During this process you must choose your “favorites of your favorites,” and either donate, give away to friends, or discard the rest, or place those extra items in storage. (Greystone can help with that too.) Unless you truly desire to live in a smaller home crammed with extra bookcases, buffets, and beds, start thinking hard about which items you really want to transition to your new home.

  5. Invest in an organizer. Your new home is your new haven, so treat it as such. Working with a Greystone organizer can help you make smart space of your house, from closets and cupboards to drawers and racks. Kitchens, closets, garages, and basements often benefit the most by creating an “organization architecture” that can include labeling, guides, and dividers. That way your clothing, dishes, and decor aren’t just put away — they’re organized, accessible, and attractive.

  6. Get out of your own way. Playing traffic cop on moving day isn’t fun. Neither is trying to sort through items to discard while you have a team of associates working to efficiently pack your home. If done correctly, relocating should actually remove you from the process. That’s because Greystone’s team will download your instructions and wishes ahead of your move, and execute it all in your absence. That way you and your family do not have to live among the organized chaos that transpires when packing and relocating your belongings.

If you think you’re ready to experience the next level of relocating, schedule a time to speak to a Greystone concierge to learn how we can help. Call us at (800) 250-MOVE, email [email protected], or fill out our simple contact form.