Moving house can be one of the most stressful times in your life. For many people it’s right up there with divorce and bereavement.
When you break it down and think about what is involved, it’s no wonder either.
Finding somewhere new, finding a buyer if you have a house to sell, being in a chain and totally reliant on the others in that chain are stressful situations on their own.
Then there is the packing. Packing up your entire life into boxes is hard work. It was hard enough just packing for university when it was just me, but packing up a large family is a whole other level of stress.
The more you do it the better and more efficient you become but it’s not fun.
Then there are all the things you have to cancel and rearrange. Utility providers, changing your address with everyone and his dog, and letting everyone know you’ve moved are just plain annoying tasks which no one has time for.
Once you’ve made the move of course, you have to unpack which can take forever. So how can you reduce the stress that moving house can bring?
Get organised
It pays to be organised when moving house. You can’t have too many lists and systems. The more organised you are the easier the packing AND unpacking will be.
Try to pack strategically. Think about what might go where in your new home in advance, and think about what you can manage without initially. Pack all the essential items together and mark them clearly. These might well be the boxes you pack last.
Prepare a list of all the people you need to contact to switch your utilities and tick them off as you go.
Use a removal firm
We’ve moved with a removal firm and without in the past. Now clearly it depends on how much stuff you have and if you have people to help you or not, but I can safely say our least stressful move was when we used a professional removal firm. Apex Removals & Storage Group are an example of a company who offer removal services. They also offer packing services and storage as well, which you might want to consider, depending on your situation.
Let the professionals do the heavy lifting and transporting, so you can concentrate on other things.
Pay for Royal Mail re-direct
This Royal Mail system is a life saver. One of the most time consuming and annoying things about moving house is changing your address details with everyone.
This comes at a price but it’s worth every penny in my view as it allows you time to change everything over without missing out on your post.
Give everyone a role
When you are packing give everyone a role. Whilst you might think it’s easier to do everything on your own, a few helping hands can make things easier. There will be jobs you can give to every family member, so don’t try and do it all yourself.
If you are offered help on the day from anyone, take it. Another pair of hands on move day can be really valuable.
Don’t rush the unpacking
One of the reasons for packing strategically in the first place is so you can unpack at your leisure. There is nothing worse than arriving in your new home and not knowing what box to open first to find those essentials.
Think especially about what you will need in the first week and try and pack all of those things together. Everything else can wait.
Don’t kill yourselves putting beds together late at night either. Everyone will be fine on a mattress on the floor – it’s not serious.
Good luck with your next move!