If you’ve ever thought about unstuffing those closets and getting rid of items that just take up space, the time is now. And what better opportunity to reassess your family’s lifestyle than right before a move? Discuss with your family how your needs have changed over the years and how your new home might accommodate them.

Look at Your Furnishings Objectively & Consider these suggestions:

• Weed out the furnishings you no longer use or enjoy, or those that have been stored away indefinitely. Instead of moving them to the new home, have a garage sale and use the profits to help finance your move.
• Unless you’re buying all-new furnishings, determine how you can adapt your current color scheme to complement your new home. New throw pillows, wall-hangings or window treatments may be all you need to pull the look together.
• Decide where you’ll arrange furnishings in your new home by creating your own floor plan. Using graph paper, draw each room to scale, with 1 inch equaling 1 foot of space. Indicate the location of doors, windows, built-ins and electrical outlets. If you’re buying a newly constructed home, your builder may be able to provide a floor plan.
• Next, measure the size and shape of your major furniture pieces and draw them to scale.
• Cut the shapes from graph paper and arrange the pieces in different ways until you discover a floor plan you like.
• Consider using furnishings in different rooms of the new house. A favorite living room chair may work better in the new bedroom; a dining room cabinet may now look at home in the den.
• If space is at a premium, turn some rooms into multipurpose areas. For instance, in a living/dining room, define the areas by using a hutch or other large piece of furniture as a divider. A sofa bed turns a den into a guest room.
• Position living room furniture so six or more guests are within easy listening distance of each  other. In the dining room, allow room around the table so guests may be seated and served with ease.
• Find a focal point in each room. Each room should have something interesting that draws your eye to it. Focal points are  architectural, such as fireplaces, or decorative, such as wall hangings or window treatments. Accentuate your focal point with your furniture arrangement.

<!--[if !vml]--> Group for Impact: