Moving house is one of the top five most stressful things you can do in your life, up there with major illness or injury, divorce, and death of a loved one. It’s no wonder then that so many of us dread it. Not only are there the legal and financial parts to deal with, but there’s also simply the organising, decluttering and packing that has to be managed. Especially difficult as you might not be just packing for yourself – bring children into the equation and the stress quadruples! Below are some tips to keep your anxiety levels to a minimum and sail through the moving process with a smile on your face.
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Do One Room at a Time
It can be tempting to leave smaller, more fiddly items (think jewellery, little pots and ornaments etc) until last. But don’t fall into this trap! Crack on and finish packing up your old house room by room, then you can close the door and know that entire section has been completed.
Declutter Before You Start Packing
As moving date gets closer and closer, all good intentions of carefully sorting through every cupboard and cabinet start to go out the window and old, broken and unused items get chucked in bags. Start decluttering early. When there’s talk of moving (even before anything has been signed and sealed), it’s worth beginning the process. That way, you aren’t tackling two major jobs at once – you know everything in your home are things you definitely want to keep.
Hire Professionals
Although it might be more economic to hire a van and shunt everything from old to new house yourself, think about what kind of toll this will take on you compared to allowing Your Local Furniture Removalist to come in and waft all the bags and boxes away, as if by magic. They’ll take so much of the stress out of moving and will advise you every step of the way so you can be confident that your possessions are in safe hands.
Have a Haven
Try and find a spot inside your house that you can keep (reasonably) clear of boxes and other clutter. This could just be a small space where you can sit with a coffee away from the chaos of the rest of the house. If that’s not possible, is there a coffee shop or a friend’s house nearby where you can allow yourself to take refuge for a period of time each day? Take something with you that’s completely unconnected to the move and turn your phone off for as long as you can manage. If you can find a space to relax, separate from the packing and other worries that go hand-in-hand with a move, the process will be much easier.
There are many ways to manage your stress when moving and this list is just a few of them. Hopefully you’re feeling inspired and like you can manage your move more easily now. Try and hold onto the positive things that will come with living in your new home and look after yourself and you will easily transition from one home to the next!