The thought of moving to a new home can indeed be very exciting, especially if the house you’re moving into is newer and bigger than the one you currently live in, and the neighbourhood is a much nicer one. But the actual task of packing all your belongings, transporting them to the new location, and then unpacking and arranging everything in your new home can dampen your excitement and cause a great deal of stress.
The good news is that there are ways for you to move without getting stressed. Here are a few tips:
1. Plan the Move
You need to plan the move well in advance so you’ll have enough time to carry out each stage of the process. This way, you won’t feel rushed and stressed at any point. Put your plan on paper so you’ll have a guide along the way. Among the things you need to do when you plan your relocation is to gather as much information as you can about your new location. Wherever possible, get a copy of the house’s floor plan so you’ll have a good idea of where to place everything as you unpack.
Planning also involves making important checklists. Make a checklist of the people you need to inform about the move, another checklist for all subscriptions you may have to cancel (cable, utilities, etc.), and still another for the things you’ll be bringing with you in the car as well as those you’ll have the movers transport for you. It may even be a good idea to make a checklist of the things you’ll be giving away as well as those you’ll be throwing out. These checklists will help you ensure nothing is taken for granted.
If you have children and/or pets, you’ll also need to plan how you intend to deal with them on moving day. Will a family member be taking care of them while you supervise the movers and take care of other moving day details? Will your next-door neighbour be willing to watch them for you on that day? This can be a major cause of stress unless you plan for it.
2. De-Clutter
Set aside a weekend to go through each room in your house and box up everything you plan to throw out or give away. The checklist you made during the planning stage should make this task a lot easier and quicker to accomplish. As part of the planning process, you should also have made a list of the people or organizations to whom you’ll be donating your things. You could bring the donations over as soon as they’re packed or perhaps set aside another day to make the trip.
If you plan to hold a garage sale for some items, you should pack the items you plan to sell at the same time that you pack those that you’re throwing out or giving away. You could then set aside another weekend to attach price tags to the items and hold the actual garage sale. It may also be a good idea to get your kids excited for the move by asking them to take part in the de-cluttering and in the garage sale. You could even bring them along when you donate your things. This might make things easier for them when moving day arrives.
3. Pack Early
As soon as you’ve gotten rid of everything you won’t be bringing with you, you can start packing up the things that aren’t used that often. Seasonal decorations and clothing, your CD collection, and the content of the guest room and basement may be the first to be packed. You could spend every weekend to pack your things little by little until only the most basic are left to be packed on moving day. It’s also a good idea to clear out your kitchen in the same manner. Plan your menu for the week such that there will be no perishables left on moving day.
4. Get Help
If you’re the DIY type and you have a vehicle large enough to transport your belongings in, you could ask family members and friends to help you out with the packing, loading, and unloading. Otherwise, it’s advisable to look for reputable movers to help you out. Hiring movers may cost a significant amount of money, but the convenience it offers and the stress-relief you get will surely be well worth your money.
With everything that needs to be done, moving may indeed be time-consuming. But it doesn’t have to be a cause for headache.
