Welcoming your in-laws to live with you in your home is never easy – no matter how well you get along. You’re dedicating yourself to sharing living quarters with the parents of your spouse, which can bring up all sorts of emotional issues. Of course, the physical closeness will determine just how much freedom you’ll be losing.
Putting on an in-law addition that’s self-containing (i.e., has its own bathroom, kitchen, etc.) is far easier of an adjustment than welcoming them into a spare room inside your main home. But assuming you’ve already made your decision to invite them to live with you, here are some ways to make the transition easier.
Be Open and Honest
From the very beginning, you must be open and honest with your spouse about your concerns. You may find that they have the same concerns as you do, which opens up the door for further communication. Come up with ground rules that you can both agree on to never break. Confronting your fears and laying them out between the two of you will ensure no boundaries are crossed when the move actually does happen.
It’s also a good idea to be open and honest with your in-laws as well. They likely have concerns, too, as they’re giving up the freedom they always had to live with and rely on you. So, opening up a dialogue with everyone involved prior to the move will ensure you’re all on the same page expectations-wise.
Make a Plan
Booking the residential movers is your first step. Make sure you find one in your local area that has a good reputation with many years of experience. Get a few quotes and compare, keeping your in-laws’ budget in mind as you do so. Speak with your in-laws about which one to go with, and book them. Now that you have moving day booked, you can focus on the preparations.
Clear the Space
Let’s assume your in-laws are moving into a finished basement, spare room or loft above the garage. If this isn’t new construction, you likely have a lot of stuff in those rooms that needs to be cleared out. Take this time to purge what you don’t need, from old holiday decorations to old clothes, toys and junk. Donate or recycle what you can, and move the rest to another area of your home to make way for your new occupants.
Do a Deep Clean
Clean the entire space thoroughly. This means give everything a good wipe-down, dusting, scrubbing and cleaning. Disinfect the bathroom and kitchen, have the carpets professionally washed, clean the windows and slap on a fresh coat of paint.
Spruce up the Yard
If your in-laws will have their own separate entrance to their portion of the home, add seasonal flowers to the porch, sweep the walkway, do some landscaping, prune bushes and generally make sure it’s safe for them to enter and exit.
Contact Advanced Moving Company
If you need to coordinate a move for your in-laws, contact us at 210-722-1322 or email us at info@bestmoversintexas.com. We can give you a free estimate when you call or fill out our online form. If your in-laws need help packing their stuff, we can help with that too.
