Whether you have a new addition on the way or just want a larger home for your family, moving house is not the simplest of tasks. In fact, moving to a new home is one of the most stressful life experiences. Finding a buyer for your current home, picking somewhere to move to, then packing up your entire home, is never going to be easy.
When it comes to moving house, many of us make the mistake of thinking that house hunting is the hardest part. Don’t get me wrong here, searching for a new home that fits all your needs and expectations isn’t easy. However, when you are house hunting, you have an expert on hand to help you find the perfect place.
Whereas, when you are attempting to get organised for the big day, you are flying solo. For me, when it comes to moving house, the most intimidating part is the organisation that comes with it. With so much to deal with, knowing where to start can be a nightmare.
There are no two ways about it, moving house is incredibly stressful. However, there are plenty of simple things that you can do to make the process a little easier for yourself.
Make a Plan
Once you have set a moving date, the next step is to create a plan. When it comes to making the moving process as easy as possible, planning is the most important thing that you can do. This should include what needs to be organized each week leading up to the move. As well as the packing system that you want to use and how long you will have to pack. It’s also a good idea to note down who will be taking care of your kids while you are packing and moving.
The most important thing when it comes to creating a moving plan is ensuring that it is doable. Don’t make the mistake of not giving yourself enough time to deal with each thing, as this will only make your move more stressful. Be realistic with your planning.
Declutter
Before you even think about packing up your home, the first thing that you need to do is declutter. You might think that you need everything in your home, but the chances are that you have some things that you no longer need.
Focus on one room at a time – don’t make the mistake of trying to do the whole house at once. Start in the loft and work your way down through the house. You will find that storage areas, like lofts and basements, will have the most junk in them. So it might be a good idea to allocate more time to these spaces when it comes to decluttering.
Any items that you no longer need, such as old baby bits or children’s toys, throw away or give to charity. Any items that you want, but won’t have the space to store, consider putting in storage. While this will come at a cost, storing any items that you have no room for at your new home, will make things easier.
Boxes
Once you have had a clear out, the next step is to work out how many boxes you will need for packing. This can be hard to calculate, especially if you haven’t moved house before. However, thanks to technology, you can easily work this out.
If you are struggling to work out how many moving boxes you will need, use an online packing calculator. These take into account factors, like how many bedrooms your home has. As well as how many people live with you, and how long you have lived in your home.
When it comes to buying moving boxes, opt for boxes in a variety of sizes. It’s also important to ensure that you get sturdy boxes, as, if they aren’t strong, the boxes could end up ripping. As well as boxes, you will also need a roll of bubble wrap for fragile items.
Decide on a Packing System
When it comes to packing up your home, it’s a good idea to choose a packing system. You might think that packing is packing, but if you want to make moving as free of stress as possible, you need to be organised.
The mistake that far too many of us make is throwing things into boxes without a second thought. However, if you want to make moving easier for yourself, you need to implement a good packing system. Just remember, that when moving house, don’t make the mistake of filling boxes to the brim. As, if you overfill a box; it could end up ripping.
Personally, when I pack for moving house, I like to colour code my boxes. I buy dot stickers in various colours and assign one colour to each room. When it comes to moving house, having a simple packing system in place can make all the difference to how stressed out you feel.
Insurance
One thing that many people forget to think about when moving house is insurance. If you have contents insurance, you need to make sure that your policy covers damage during moving.
If you don’t check with your insurance company before you move, if anything gets broken in transit, you may not be covered. So make sure to contact them a couple of weeks before your moving day. That way, if you aren’t covered, you have enough time to take out another policy.
Hire a Removal Company
At least a month before you are set to move, get in touch with a reputable moving company. While you could hire a self-drive van and move your boxes yourself, this can be stressful. If you want to make moving day easier, having professionals on hand to help you is crucial.
Plus, by having people to rely on for moving your boxes and furniture means that you can spend moving day focusing on your children. For kids, moving day can be a scary experience. So it’s important that you can give them the attention that they need.
Moving house is never going to be easy. However, if you take note of these tips, you can make your move much less stressful.
Rebecca x
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I like the idea of colour coding the boxes – that’s a great tip. Would definitely agree with decluttering beforehand – we ran out of time and ended up packing too much of our clutter and six years on we’re still trying to filter through it all!
Great article!!! Let’s add a tip to this great helpful list: On the day of the big move, turn off the electricity off at the main switch but don’t touch the gas. You’ll need to turn off the hot water system as well. It’s also worth taking readings of your gas and electricity meters by taking a quick photo on your phone. This could come in handy if there are any disagreements over billing after you’ve moved out and also. Follow this amazing post above and you will most certainly have a stress free move!
Moving house is definitely very stressful. I am preparing to move to my new house and I am overwhelmed. Thank you for sharing these tips! They will be incredibly helpful for me!
Last time I moved I did most of the work (though we did have some other people who volunteered to help). I thought I wanted to save money, but with two little kids running around and adding to the stress, I kind of wish we had hired someone to help. Having someone else to help empty out the moving truck, and getting that done in a matter of hours without any mishaps, sounds absolutely amazing. If we ever move again, I will definitely be considering hiring some people to help.