Moving house can be an extremely exciting time for anyone, whether you’re just leaving your parents’ home, or settling into your retirement property! You’re starting a new chapter in your life, inside a beautiful new abode. However, this excitement can often be overshadowed by the actual process of moving – it is known to be one of the most stressful times of our life, after all!
But, by following these five, simple tips, moving house will become less traumatic and (a little!) more relaxing.
1. Start early
Packing your whole life into cardboard boxes can be very stressful, and can be made even worse if you leave it until a few days before your big move. But, by starting early, and organising and scheduling your time, you’ll be ready when the big day arrives.
Pacing yourself through the packing up process will also allow you to still have a life outside of your move. So, take some time to enjoy the things that matter – whether it’s a pint on a Friday night, or spinning class on a Saturday morning.
And, gather all the essential equipment you may need in advance, including boxes, tape and bubble wrap. It is key to start these processes as soon as possible to ensure a stress-free move.
2. Organised packing
Be selective with your belongings and dispose of any unwanted items. It can be hard to throw things away, but if it isn’t something valuable or important to you, then you’ll only be giving yourself extra things to pack and unload at the other end!
If you are taking larger items with you, then try to dismantle them before you leave, putting screws in clearly marked bags to ensure you don’t lose any parts.
It’s also important to think about the essentials that you will need as soon as you arrive at your new home – put these items in the same place to avoid searching through hundreds of different boxes to find them!
Finally make sure that you label every single box – this will help make the unpacking much easier, as you will be able to spot which boxes belong in each room.
3. Budget
Buying or renting a new home is expensive enough, without over-spending on moving too. Little things such as tape, boxes and bubble wrap can seem like cheap items that you don’t need to budget for, but the amount can soon shoot up! So, look online for fair prices, and order in advance to ensure that they’re delivered before moving day.
The larger expenses involved with moving include conveyancing and surveying, and you may even decide to use a removal van. These things should all be factored into your budget, so shop around to compare costs before going ahead.
4. Visit your new neighbourhood
Moving to a new area can be very stressful. Where you live now will probably be full of friends and acquaintances, and leaving that comfort zone can be quite daunting.
So, to avoid this stress, visit your new neighbourhood ahead of moving there; find out where your closest shops are and go for a drink in your local pub. Get chatting to the people that work there – they’re likely to introduce you to new faces!
5. RELAX!
This is the most important tip of all! There is always a lot to do when moving house but it is crucial for your health that you try to relax and unwind at the end of a busy day. It is easy to allow the packing away of belongings to become a stressful process, but it is important that you take time away from it all to socialise with friends and family.
No one ever said that moving home was easy, but if you follow these top tips, you’re more likely to remain sane throughout it!
Good luck!
