7 Easy Tips for the Stress-Free Moving

7 Easy Tips for the Stress-Free Moving

Moving is one of the most stressful events in your life. It usually involves adapting to the new environment and the actual process of relocating. While you need to work with your family to build new social networks and get accustomed to the change, there are things that can help you make a smooth transition from one location to another.

Make a plan

Planning is the key to staying organized. This is why you need to make a plan, even as early as two months ahead. The plan should involve the budget for the move, dates, order in which you will move things and any home renovations involved. You want to spend the least possible amount of time coexisting in a home with contractors working on renovating it. Whether your new home requires adaptation, your old one needs fixing or you are staging to sell, you should keep the construction work further away from you. Depending on whether you are renting or you bought a new home, check how soon you can get the keys. Depending on the size of the project, give it an extra couple of days. This will allow for any unpredictable situations to be dealt with before you move. When it comes to your old home, schedule renovations there only after you move and move out early if you need to.

Make a checklist

The checklist should involve the inventory as well as the order in which you pack, getting the props, booking a moving company, and finding someone to babysit your children and your pets. The inventory should be done once you decide which items you need to take. Do not forget to actually use it throughout the process. People tend to make it and keep it in a pocket until they start unpacking and realize they are missing something. You should also obtain cardboard boxes, bin liners, newspaper, bubble wrap, sticky tape, and some markers.

Declutter

The last thing you need is to spend time packing and unpacking the things you do not use and clutter your new home. Use this move as an opportunity to purge and get rid of everything you haven’t been using in years. Stay green and recycle everything you can instead of simply disposing of it. Put aside the things which are still usable and organize a yard sale, it will help you fund the move. Alternatively, you can donate some of these things to a charity of your choosing. This should be done at least some 4 or 5 weeks before the move to ensure that everything you no longer need is gone before you start packing.

Pack wisely

Start with things you do not use every day. You can do this some 3 weeks ahead. If you want to be really efficient, put out some clothes you will wear for the following couple of weeks, as if you were going on a holiday. Pack the rest. Do a similar thing for everything else around the house. Leave only those dishes in the kitchen that you actually use. Utilize everything that looks like portable storage starting with your luggage and duff bags any decorative boxes, laundry baskets, wardrobe boxes, etc. I would suggest packing your clothes into bin liners and using bags, boxes, and suitcases for heavy and sensitive items. For example, books are really heavy and they are best to be moved in backpacks and suitcases with wheels so you do not have to carry their weight in your arms. An average-sized cardboard box full of books is almost impossible to carry and it can easily fall apart. Do not forget to label all the boxes on all sides.

Move wisely

First of all, you need to establish the stages of the move. Do you have to do it all at once? Probably not. If you start packing early, you will have a lot of bags and boxes laying around. If you have a key to your new home, start moving slowly what you have packed and as much as you can fit in your car. When you get your belongings to their destination, store them somewhere where they will not be in your way when you start moving your furniture. If the new property has a garage or a cellar, these are the perfect places to keep the boxes until the rest of the home is moved. If there is already a kitchen there, give it a quick scrub and start emptying your boxes. You will not only have a part of the move completed and a part of the house functional, but you will also be able to reuse the packaging. This, of course, is not an option if you are moving to a location that is far away from where you currently reside. In this case, look up a website with details of a local storage company that can accommodate your things until it is their turn to be moved. Keep in mind that staying clutter-free will make you stress-free.

On the day of the move load things in the order opposite to the way, you need to unload them. This way every single thing can go straight from the truck and into its place with no need to jump over and avoid obstacles.

Book the movers

Keeping up with your schedule according to the plan you have created, is crucial to keep the tension low. Once you make your plan, find the right removalists. Look for references and consult people for recommendations. Check that their terms suit you. Make sure you arrange the details in time and book the move. Some of them even have a website where you can find out the details you need and book online so you have proof of what was arranged, as well as a reminder.

Ensure your belongings

Your valuables and breakables need to be packed carefully. Always know where they are. Perhaps you can keep your valuable items in the handbag you will have around for the day. The breakables should be carefully wrapped in bubble wrap, newspaper, old linen, or towels. Get insurance for these belongings to set your mind at ease.

Staying well-organized and allowing enough time for the relocation, will help you keep your head cool. There are plenty of things you need to take care of and worry about once you are in your new home. Do your best to make the move itself a breeze.

13 Comments

  1. These are some amazing tips for moving stress free. I have only ever moved twice in my life. The first time was super close to the other but the other way across country. I am going to have to try these tips for the next time I move.

  2. We will be moving in a couple of months so i am glad i have read this. Thanks for sharing.

  3. I know moving is stressful but I love to move. If it were up to me I would move every 5 years or so.

  4. Plan is king! When I moved I had a huge spreadsheet with all of the relevant details.

  5. Oh my- the thought of moving seems overwhelming. A checklist is definitely important to keep track of all that has to be done!

  6. Moving is so stressful. My boyfriend and I will be downsizing from roommate situations to a studio apartment together so we have to be super careful about what we pack, do and bring.

  7. Angela Cardamone @marathonsandmotivation.com

    Moving is incredibly stressful! I said that I would actually never move again after we bought our current house…haha! Great tips here!!!

  8. I will be moving soon so I enjoyed reading this!! Such helpful tips 🙂

  9. I *so* could have used this four years ago! haha! Very good tips. I need to save for my next move, because it wont be long!

  10. Saving this list. We are planning to move in the next year and this would be SO helpful. It can be so stressful. The part I worry about the most is selling and having to clean and clean every second with two small kids at home. But… decluttering and basically having a staged and nearly empty home will help.

  11. I can’t imagine all the stress that I’m going to go through whenever I move. This is really helpful tips and I will try to do them all.

  12. Ugh, I have moved 10 times in the last 10 years. It’s never fun but I find it a great way of going through everything we have and deciding what to keep and what to sell or donate.

  13. I remember when I moved it was so stressful. You hit all the great things I should have done. Thanks for sharing.

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