One of the most stressful-but exciting-things you can do during your adult life is move house. But I am about to share some tips that work to make moving house stress free and exciting.
I spent the first ten years of my life in our family home but after that, moved practically every year to a different city until I finished high school. And then, it was moving house every two years. I have to confess I loved the packing and making lists and moving and unpacking and settling down in a new place. Strange, I know! I wonder what Freud would have to say to that!
But while it is an incredibly exciting time as you envision living in your new home, ensuring you have done absolutely everything needed for a successful move is enough to cause stress to even the calmest of people. My folks certainly stressed over it.
Whether it's organizing a removal team to help on the day or remembering to get all of the paperwork signed, you need to ensure you're as organised as you can in order to remain calm.
In our family, I have become the go-to for making lists and keeping-calm-and-moving-on.
I made a list for my friend to make moving house stress free and exciting.
1. Plan Everything In Advance
One of the best things you can do to ensure you remain calm during your move is to make sure you're planning everything in advance. That doesn't necessarily mean you won't run into any problems-but it at least means that when your moving day arrives you know exactly what you're going to be doing and when. Whether it's planning where you're going to be picking the keys up from or what time you're meeting the movers, having it all written down and recorded will be incredibly useful.
2. Pack Everything Before You Move
Yes, this may seem obvious, yet a lot of people forget to pack until the last few days before the move. Of course, you have to manage in the time you can spare-but packing as soon as you possibly can is important if you want to stay calm. Whether you're finding the time to pack little bits in the weekends running up to your move or you spend two or three days solidly packing - having absolutely everything in a box by the time your moving date arrives is essential. It all takes more time than you estimate. Here's a guide for tips and tricks when it comes to packing for a house move.
3. Have a backup plan, just in case
Some people tend to worry about all the worst-case scenarios while moving house. If you are one of those, here's a tip. make a list of all of the issues you think could arise. Once you have done that, write down all of the possible solutions to each problem. Although you may not necessarily need to use them throughout your move, you can relax knowing that you have a contingency plan in place to make moving house stress free!
4. Have A Good Support System
Moving house is certainly stressful and it is important to have a good support network around you from the start. Whether it's having someone to go with you to look at potential properties or having someone by your side as you move into your new house, having people you know and trust there will make the whole process easier. For tips and tricks to building a solid support network, visit this guide here.
5. Triple Check Everything
Even if it looks time-consuming, make the time to triple-check everything as you go. This will prevent or at least minimize any mistakes. Preferably, leave things a day or two before you check over them again, giving you time to have space from the situation. From packing to going over all your booking details - checking them over is the best way to ensure you're doing everything right. This will also make sure you have not forgotten anything.
6. Remember It Will All Be Worth It In The End
Throughout the timeframe of packing, moving, unpacking, settling-remember it will all be worth it. Even if you encounter some incredibly stressful experiences, when you're sitting in your new lounge enjoying your first night in your new home-none of that stress will matter. This doesn't mean you won't come across any issues, but holding on to that attitude makes it easier to deal with. Whether you're moving into your first family home or going through a hdb resale portal, that first night will be incredibly special.
Now, for some tips to ensure everything goes smoothly!
Staying calm is important during your move. But there are lots of different things you can do to minimize any issues that might crop up. Here are five ways to ensure your moving house is stress-free and runs smooth!
1. Hire A Removal Company
I can tell you from personal experience that hiring a removal company for all the heavy weight lifting is sensible. During one move I thought I could handle the packing and lifting but it wasn't easy. Only my ego prevented me from whining. And of course my guitar arrived with a broken fretboard. Not at all a nice feeling. Hiring professionals to do the job not only ensures your things are packed properly and loaded into the van, but also unloaded at your new house. This makes unpacking infinitely more enjoyable as you put things away in their designated places.
2. Label All Of Your Boxes Correctly
I cannot emphasize this enough! When it comes to packing on your end, it's important to label all of the boxes with the correct room they need to go into. This might take a bit longer to pack, but believe me, it saves you a lot of trouble while unpacking. When you are surrounded by boxes in your new home, it really helps to know what's in each box. We numbered all the boxes and noted this down in a diary. Still have it!
3. Unpack As Soon As You Arrive
You will probably be tired, but it is better to start unpacking as soon as possible so that you can get organized. If you've hired a removal team, you will actually look forward to unpacking. Happily, unpacking takes far less time than packing! Here's a nifty guide that offers tips and tricks when it comes to unpacking after a move.
4. Pack Your Essentials In A Separate Bag
This is probably the most important tip. Just in case you're too exhausted to start unpacking right away, it makes sense to pack essentials in a separate bag so you have enough clothes, toiletries, food, etc. to carry you through a couple of days. When we first arrived in the city we're living in now, we received some bad news and had to travel out the next day. Luckily, we had packed a couple of suitcases with all the things we'd need for a week and that made it possible for us to manage comfortably.
5. Find Alternative Accommodation For Your Kids (And Pets)
Sometimes, the move can take longer than anticipated. If you have young kids and pets, now is the time to let them go to that sleepover or stay with friends, if that's possible. They will also be a little nervous about the move-so keeping them out of the way as you get all the important stuff done is probably best. Once you start to unpack they'll be able to come in and see how amazing their new home is!
When we moved house, our neighbors insisted on taking care of our meals for those two days since we had to pack up the kitchen stuff. Children at home were welcomed at their friends' places. It was wonderful. And we cried buckets when we left.
And here is a bonus tip! Involved everyone at home in this process. It makes it that much more exciting.
Have you moved house recently? What helped you manage everything? Were you stress free when you moved house? I would love to hear any tips you can add to these!
