Moving to a new house is an event that demands change, change for the better. A new life means new opportunities for employment, friendships and adventures on the path of life. However, bringing things back down to Earth for a moment, the most major change is to your house itself. It’ll be a different size, shape, most likely with a different number of rooms. So you’ve got to consider how you’re going to fit everything in, and how you’re going to lay everything out. Your furniture, appliances and electronics will all have to inhabit a different space from before, and it’s up to you to make it work. Here are some tips, some to make this task easier, others to give you some things to think about;

If your new house is relatively easy to access, then it’s a good idea to plan ahead by taking some measurements in certain rooms. Look at prime locations for the couch, for example, and see if its wide enough to hold your current model. Same with the bedrooms and kitchen. By knowing this, you’ll know if you need to purchase new furniture, and whether or not to get rid of the old pieces. It’s best to sort such things out before the move, so you have a good amount of time to sell your old stuff, and plan a shopping trip once you arrive. You wouldn’t want to transport a large three piece suite to your new house only to find out it doesn’t fit where you’d like. Don’t act rashly though, and consider all of the places your furniture could be placed before deciding to get rid.

Once you arrive, clear as much space as possible before you start bringing the heavy things in. This’ll give you more room to manoever, and also allow you to visualise where you’ll be placing things more easily. Speaking of which, make sure you figure out where the largest objects go first and place the other objects afterwards. That way, you don’t have to worry about knocking anything over when you bring the larger stuff in. If the room turns out not to be big enough for everything you want, then consider other rooms that that object can live in. A bookcase, for example, can be place in both the living room and the study. If it doesn’t fit in one, put it in the other.

When planning your layout, don’t sacrifice practicality for style. You’re moving into a new place, after all. You’ll want to be able to move around easily while you’re getting used to the new place. You can always make small adjustments to the aesthetics further down the line; your layout isn’t set in stone, you can try new layouts after repainting or decorating individual rooms.

You don’t have to shove everything against the wall, by placing moderate sized objects in or near the centre of the room can create depth, and reduces barren, open spaces. Remember to only do this if it’s practical, as I mentioned. There are other ways to make the room visually interesting; try playing around with colours, by using throw pillows, paintings and other decorations you can add a splash of colour to a drab room. Just make sure not to go too crazy with them, don’t make the room too busy.

Once the layout is pleasing to the eye, you can sit back and enjoy your new home. As long as most of your possessions fit with the layout you have in mind, your new house will be different in shape and size, but with a touch of familiarity that will make it feel like home.