Moving? Hit the refresh button with these four tips on what to leave behind

While moving house can be an exciting and necessary part of life, it comes with its share of logistical and emotional challenges. 

We spoke to some experts for their insights on what to leave behind when moving – from your nbn connection box to your favourite neighbourhood haunts – and how to do so with minimal disruption. 

1. Your old junk

Decluttering and packing when you move house is daunting, but psychologist Sarah Godfrey, owner and director of Moving Mindsets Psychology Clinic, says it can also be a liberating experience. 

“Every time you move, you realise you hold on to junk you don’t need – gifts that you’ve had in the cupboard, clothes that you don’t even fit into any more, furniture that you wouldn’t buy now,” Godfrey says. 

“You suddenly realise, ‘Why am I keeping that?’ The attachment is in the memory, not in the actual gift itself.

“So it’s a lovely time to go, ‘These are all attached to my development over that stage, who I was in this house, and I’ve got a nice opportunity to show growth.’ ” 

Godfrey adds that one of the reasons people enjoy hotels is because they’re clutter-free and allow us to “be anything”, and that decluttering helps us realise nothing is static, including our identities. 

2. Your old neighbourhood 

If you’re leaving behind a beloved neighbourhood, Godfrey has some tips to ease the transition. 

First, she suggests saying goodbye to your neighbourhood by visiting your favourite spots and even taking photos of neighbours, parks and cafes to collate in a photo book – the same way you might with a holiday or a wedding. 

“You can pick it up and go, ‘This is the house. And these were the people, and this is where I had coffee, and this was the butcher.’ A coffee table book means you can bring what’s important with you.”

Godfrey recommends familiarising yourself with your new area so that when you move, you’re not tempted to continue frequenting your old haunts and getting stuck in the past. Instead, she says, you can encourage your friends to explore your new neighbourhood with you. 

3. Your old nbn connection box

On a practical level, knowing which appliances to leave behind can be confusing. The nbn connection box is one item that you should definitely leave behind – along with any nbn-supplied power cords or cables.

“The nbn connection box is the device installed internally at your home that connects the nbn network to your Wi-Fi router,” explains Courtney McMahon, general manager of residential products at nbn. 

“You should definitely leave it behind when moving home so the next occupant can easily connect their internet service. 

“Even more importantly, the nbn connection box is registered to the specific address and will not work at your new home.”

This also means leaving behind any equipment that’s been supplied by nbn for the same reason. However, equipment not supplied by nbn, such as your Wi-Fi router or Wi-Fi mesh systems, should be taken with you. 

While you’re at it, you may want to notify your current phone and internet provider that you’re moving and see whether you need to amend your phone and internet plan to accommodate your changing needs.

If your household is growing or you are shifting to working from home, for example, you might want to leave behind your old plan and choose one with a different speed. 

As part of that conversation, you can also let your current provider know when you’d like to disconnect the service at your current address. Disconnecting your service also helps make it easier for the next person to connect.

“It’s also worth remembering that your existing services, including any medical alarms, may not work until you are connected to the nbn network at your new premises, so ensure you have a charged mobile phone on hand, in case of an emergency,” McMahon says. 

4. Your old habits

In the same way moving home gives us a chance to release unwanted items, Godfrey points out that it also allows us to release habits that aren’t serving us. 

‘When you are moving, think about the parts of you that you would like to leave behind,” she says. “So, if that’s not really exercising, when you move you can start to walk around the suburb … it’s a form of introducing yourself to the new landscape. 

“Or, if you’ve been settling for relationships that are unhealthy for you, or very taxing, you’ve got a beautiful opportunity to start again and be more selective.” 

This could even be done through a ritual such as writing down things you would like to release and burning them, Godfrey says, or making a “to-be” list of the qualities you’d like to cultivate. 

Godfrey adds that major life changes such as house moves also invite us to practise radical acceptance and the art of going with the flow, as opposed to becoming static. 

“The idea is: you’re moving, it’s done. Now embrace it, but look after yourself at the same time,” she says.