A move is easy if your furniture is in lockdown - Janet Christie's Mum's the Word

Clean lines, clear of clutter, make way for minimalism

Less is more if you're on the move

While life sadly doesn’t just go on for many and there’s no such thing as normal, the world keeps turning. Babies are born, birthdays celebrated, teeth fall out, hair grows and for those working from home, (respect to those wrangling school and nursery-aged kids) it’s busier than ever.

Just as well my house move was put on hold. Until it wasn’t. Missives were unexpectedly completed and notice on my furnished rented flat up, house moves legal, it was time to go. Anyone who says a house move is more traumatic than bereavement or divorce hasn’t been paying attention. In a world of uncertainty, we’re lucky to have somewhere to move to. Even luckier it’s in the same street. It’s almost as if I’d planned it. As if.

“Exciting isn’t it?” I say to Youngest, who shares my enthusiasm. “Yay!” Well, she would – she’s at Other Parent’s during move week.

With our furniture locked down in storage (I do love you piano, sofa, beds, but from a distance is good, and I know we’ll meet again), my removal arrangements of me (plus a couple of unidentified masked, socially distant assistants) and a barrel barrow to shift a few boxes made it the easiest move ever.

Garden chairs work well indoors, a birthday gift I hadn’t appreciated fully until now, and Middle Child is right about sleeping on a floor, it’s a treat for the back. I’ve always envied a minimalist look, and now’s my chance to embrace clean lines and simplicity – floors, walls, that sort of thing. As for decorating? More chance of scoring PPE than DIY. Off the hook.

“I really like it,” says Youngest, “It looks so spacious, and tidy, for us.” She might not be saying this when she realises her room is so roomy because there’s no bed.

But as every parent knows, as long as you’ve got wi-fi, Generation Gadget are happy. Just as well I arranged for the broadband to be transferred ages ago and now all that remains to be done is to switch it on and everything will almost be normal. What could possibly go wrong? Oh.

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