One of life’s most stressful events is moving from one house to the next.
However, with careful planning and preparation, it can turn into a smooth ride without any hiccups.
Here are a few tips if you want to minimize moving stress and enjoy the exciting journey of establishing yourself in your dream home:
#1 – Pre-planning
DIY vs Professional Movers
The first thing that you want to decide is whether you are going to move everything yourself or if you are going to hire professional movers.
DIY is cost-effective as it won’t cost you as much as it would when you hire a company to do it for you. You can always ask neighbors, family, and friends to cart your belongings to the new home if they don’t mind doing so.
If you do decide to hire a moving company, lock down a date as soon as possible. The best teams are usually booked months in advance.
Mid-week and mid-month moves are often cheaper. Try investigating discounts if you haven’t set a date yet.
Notify friends, family, and work
Try taking a day off before the move to organize the last few things. The less external pressure you have, the smoother moving day will be for you.
Let friends and family know that you are moving so that they can take care of kids or pets, or maybe even send over a hot meal at the end of the day.
#2 – Packing
Source supplies
Stock up on the necessary boxes, plastic bags, bubble wrap and polystyrene holders for your belongings.
You can buy these brand new or simply ask your local grocery store if they are willing to give you whatever is in their storage units.
Start early
The most important thing for you to realise is that you cannot start packing the night before. This has to be done quite early before moving day.
The easiest way to do this is taking one room at a time and pack all non-essentials in boxes that are labeled by room. This will give movers a clear idea of where you want the boxes put in the new house on moving day.
Starting in advance gives you time to sift through things that you don’t necessarily want.
Keep track
As already mentioned, label your boxes with the names of the rooms where the boxes need to be unpacked.
Use a numbering system to ensure that nothing gets left behind. Put labels on the sides and not on top so that you can see them when boxes are stacked on top of each other.
Have a list of the boxes and its contents to make it easier for you if you need something.
#3 – Moving
Day-before do’s and don’ts
Do defrost your fridge and freezer and empty the drain pipes and dirt traps on your dishwasher & dryer.
Pack a go-to bag for the moving day with essentials that you might need before you get to unpacking. Put valuables in your own car the night before to avoid breakage.
Don’t water your plants. This will make them heavier and the water might stain other items.
Avoid leaving unpacked boxes for anything other than the essentials on moving day.
On-the-day essentials
Essentials that you should set aside for the moving day can be things like a fresh change of clothes, basic toiletries, headache tablets, snacks, and drinks.
It is also useful to have a few black bags, a dustpan and a brush close by to clean up after moving day.
Try sending pets and kids to family so that they are safe and out of the way. If that is not possible, have activities on hand for them to keep busy with.
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