No doubt about it, moving house even when moving locally is right up there as one of the most stressful things to go through in life. It can also get expensive if things get out of control. Luckily, you can minimize stress levels by putting a few steps in place.
1. Get Excited for Your New Space
Moving is a fantastic opportunity for more than just changing scenery. It is also a chance to create more of what you want and less of what you don’t in your home and life. You can ditch a lot of stress by changing your mindset.
If you’re enthusiastic about a new chapter, you can focus on the excitement rather than the strain. Talk yourself into a positive perspective about this beautiful time of change.
2. Plan, Plan, Plan
Moving is one of those times when organizing can only make life easier. Make comprehensive lists of what you need to do when, what you need to pack, and how. It will save you loads of time, money, and stress.
Start with a list of what steps to take and then develop your itemized packing lists etc. from there. Start planning at least six weeks ahead. Try carrying a notebook so that you can jot down anything that comes to mind.
Some essential matters to note down include:
- Dates of removal and moving in that you have scheduled with a moving company
- Date by which you need to disconnect utilities at the old house
- Utility connection details at the new house
- Update address info
- Redirect mail
- Sort out insurance
- Settle outstanding bills
- Dates of drop off or pick for welfare organizations, if you are donating old stuff
- Note any special items that are fragile/valuable that you may need to move yourself
Rather than trying to think of everything on your own, you can download a detailed moving checklist online. Many moving companies have them on their websites.
3. Pick an Off-Peak Date
Removal companies are the busiest on weekends, so you can save money and have less pressure if you plan to move on a weekday. Check with your removal company about the best date.
4. One Step at a Time
Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to prepare and to pack. It is tempting to leave everything to the last few days, so it’s all done in one go, but resist this temptation. Taking your time is much less demanding. Budget twice as long as you think it should take!
One of the best ideas is to sort out your moving boxes well ahead of time. Getting specialized, sturdy, same-sized boxes will protect your goods and help you plan packing. You also won’t need to run around to get more.
It is also best to pack room by room. Slowly work at it over a few weeks, a little every day, and before you know it, you’ll have efficiently packed the whole house.
Going slowly will also give you more time to pack in an organized way — packing and labeling — so you can find things easily at the new house. Be specific when labeling your boxes — you’ll thank us when it’s 11 pm on moving day, and you need to find the chopsticks!
5. Clean Ahead of Time
It may make sense to clean after you have moved everything out, but this is a massive task on top of the core project, which is moving. Make sure you get all rooms cleaned before the removal date, and then do a quick mop if there are any muddy footprints or such once all the boxes are out.
The Takeaway
The stress of moving may overshadow the excitement at times. But follow the steps above, and you can keep your move stress-free.
