Deciding What Books to Keep When Moving House
Posted on 22/02/2024
Moving house can be a stressful experience, and one of the many tasks you may face is what to do with all your books. Sifting through a collection of beloved novels and non-fiction volumes, it can be difficult to decide which ones you should keep and which will have to go. Fortunately, there are a few tips that can help you make this decision easier.
How much space will you have
First, figure out what space you will have available in your new home. If you're moving to a smaller residence, you probably won't have room for all of your books. Consider the size and layout of the new house as well as any furniture or other items that will be taking up space in each room. You'll need to prioritize certain items over others, so if books don't rank high enough it might be time to start thinning the herd.
Important and meaningful books
Once you know how much space you have for books, think about which ones are particularly important or meaningful to you. For example, if moving away from your family's home town, you could keep relevant travel guides or books about local history as a reminder of where you came from. In terms of fiction books, consider whether they have emotional value or could even become part of a future heirloom collection that stays within the family for generations.
It is also useful to consider how easy it would be to replace any books that you decide not to take with you. If they are rare editions or popular classics this might be more difficult than finding copies sold online or in used bookstores. However, for more modern works this shouldn't pose too much of an issue if it comes down to making tough decisions about what should stay and what should go when moving house.
When deciding on which books to keep when moving house remember that paperbacks take up less space than hardback volumes and are often much cheaper too. A good practice is to divide your library between paperbacks and hardcovers; this way, you'll still get the benefit of having both without consuming too much extra space in your new home. Additionally, try storing them together in boxes rather than scattered on individual shelves- as long as each box is organized there should be no issue accessing them whenever needed.
Donate to the local library or charity shop
Donate any unused books toyour local library or charity shop; donating can really help out those who cannot afford books themselves while also reducing the clutter in your own home during the move process. Alternatively, lending spare copies among friends or family members can be a great way to share some favorite stories and experiences with those closest to us - a great solution for when we have too many books but not quite enough shelf space!
Finally, digitizing some of your paper based libraries is also an option worth considering when packing up your belongings before moving house. Digital readers are now more affordable than ever and enable us to store thousands of titles on just one device - thus freeing up physical space while allowing us access our favorite reading wherever we may find ourselves in the world.
Overall though when deciding on what books should stay when moving house use these principles as guidelines: prioritize certain titles over others due to personal significance; digitally convert paper versions where possible; donate any unwanted volumes; share spare copies among friends; pack those remaining in boxes; save space by using paperbacks where applicable and finally find ways ingrain some of those memories into our future surroundings by displaying relevant titles in places around our new abode - after all every book has its place!
