House moving is one of the most stressful things you can do, but sometimes you need to get on and do it. Here are some ways to make the process a little more harmonious.

If you are at the contemplation stage of moving it is a good idea to start dejunking. I have several clutter clearing clients who would dearly like to move, but have put it off for years because they can’t face going through their stuff. Letting your belongings get in the way of your life goals is madness, so set to it! Here’s the basics:

First my favourite clutter clearing slogan: If you don’t love it, use it, or need it, then why are you giving it house room?

Aim to keep only those things that lift your spirits, or are necessary to have in your life. For example I love the art around my walls & when I look at it I feel good. I don’t look at my pots & pans in the same way- but I use them daily to cook, so they serve a useful purpose. My tax return papers don’t lift my spirits much (maybe when I am rich & famous I’ll celebrate how much tax I have to pay!) but if I chuck them it won’t do me any good!

If you haven’t needed to use something in the last year or two, it probably won’t get used in the next year or two either. If clothes don’t fit get rid of them. If it’s broken get it mended now, or give it/chuck it away- and don’t do ‘someday I will…’ because the ‘someday’ never comes! You can weed through all your possessions in this way- the charity shops love house-movers!

By going through this process ahead of your move you ensure that you are only packing things that will support you in your next place. These things have a much more positive energy around them than clutter which drags your energy down & makes you feel stuck.

Next, if you are selling, you need to get your house on the market. Dejunking will have been a good start, it makes your place feel more spacious & much fresher. I went to see one property, which had small rooms, where the owner stood me in the corner of a room and waved her hand saying ‘The built in cupboard is big, but you can’t get to it at the moment.’ She was right- you could hardly move for stuff, which made the whole place feel impossibly tiny.

Give your home a good spring clean, tidy & space clear too. Buyers will be more attracted to a place that looks and feels good. I was selling my house in a very flat market and only had four sets of viewers over months, however three out of the four came back for second viewings and one of these turned out to be my buyers. I also sprayed essential oil & essence blends I’d made especially around the place just before viewings to make it feel more inviting. You can always buy a ready-made blend for the same purpose.

So what about your new place?

What do you want? Visualise what a supportive new home would feel like. Be clear about what you feel you need from a home. You can visualise its appearance too- but I’ve found that can blind you to the right place if it doesn’t match your vision. Better to focus on the qualities you want it to have rather than the physical appearance.

Go house hunting with all of your senses, especially your sixth sense, on alert! I have bought my last three houses on gut reaction. When I have walked in there has been a shift in my energies that I’ve recognised as a flag being waved to say ‘this is the one’. You can usually tell almost as soon as you step through the door, because that is when your energy and the energy of the house meet.

If you go by what you feel, rather than logic, I have found you are much more likely to ‘bond’ with your new place & settle in quickly. My first house was bought on logic. My Dad came round to help us, as we were young & inexperienced, & he found us a place that ticked all our logical requirements- good location, central heating and so on. I never really liked that place, even though it was the ‘best we saw’. That doesn’t mean you should discount the logic, but do listen to your gut feelings.

Be alert to synchronicity too. My house is next door to my daughter’s favourite schoolteacher and two doors from one of my son’s friends. I didn’t know until I went for the first viewing, liked the feel of the place & asked about the neighbours. For me it was a real pointer that this was the right home for us.