How to make moving to a new house stress-free!

Moving to a new house is undoubtedly the most painstakingly long and stressful process one can go through, especially for those people whose jobs or lifestyle (army officers, ambassadors, local government officials) requires them to move around a lot. However, organization and planning is the key to making the move stress free and doable. Here are a few useful tips to make relocation a much easier process:

1. Accept the change

Uprooting your belongings and in some cases even your life to shift to a new place can be very hard. A lot of the times, people don’t want to move, so it can be this mindset that makes them drag the process as long as possible. The first step is accepting this change, with the right perspective. The move may be hard, but what lies ahead could be much more exciting. It’s going to be a permanent part of your life, so welcome it with optimism!

2. Come up with a moving plan

Planning beforehand makes any task easier. Same goes for moving, but more importantly, when you make a plan make sure you also follow that plan to ensure a smooth transition process. This will save you a lot of time. Set deadlines for each task, including selling your previous house or finish your contract with the owner, giving away items you don’t need any more, packing the things you need to take with you, paying utility bills and terminating utility services, the tasks are never ending! Hence, it is best to start a few months early so that by the time you have to move, every task is complete.

3. Start saving

The minute you decide to shift, you should begin saving up. Although it depends on how far the move is to determine how costly it will be, you will still need finance to pay a moving company, maybe buy furniture or other home accessories that you may decide to throw away while moving. Fortunately, your budget can also be planned. Just call a moving company and they will give you an estimate on how much it will cost you to move depending on the number of things you want to relocate, as well as how far away the relocation is. Out of state relocations will be very costly, so you must have extra savings for those.

4. Hire a moving company

If your move is local, then this isn’t one of your worries. However, it’s the complete opposite if you are moving far away. Your moving truck will have every single one of your belongings so make sure this is the first thing you get done. Find a trustworthy company that can help you with insurance as well as guarantee the safety of your possessions.

5. Start packing early

There probably isn’t a single person in this world who likes packing up their whole house into cardboard boxes. It can be the most stressful task especially if done right at the end. Hence, it is best if you start this chore at the earliest convenience. Pack up things that you don’t use on a regular basis – fancy crockery, decorative items, extra clothes, books etc. Put these away first and only leave the things that you frequently need till the end. Trust me; this will save you a lot of stress from an overdue task.

Also, before you start packing, you can also choose if the moving company will pack for you. In that case, it takes the problem completely off your hands. However, if you prefer doing things on your own, firstly, you’ll need to collect packing supplies. Try going to a local supermarket where you are bound to find cardboard boxes probably even for free.

6. Dispose of unnecessary items

There are two kinds of people, those who only keep the necessary items and those who are hoarders. Being a hoarder, in this case, will not benefit you. It is inevitable that you won’t be able to take everything with you. The more items you take with you, the more costly your shifting will become. Hence, let go of all the unnecessary things that you do not need. This can even help you make some money. Instead of giving things away, sell them online on Craigslist, eBay or social media, or to any local retailer who buys second-hand items e.g. an old refrigerator, out-dated furniture pieces etc. You should do this before you begin to pack to make your work easier.

7. Take care of your documents

A very common problem everyone faces while relocation is losing important documents and paperwork. It happens a lot more than one would think. Finding these is practically impossible, and getting new ones is also quite a hassle. Make a box of all your valuable documents – financial papers, deeds, degrees, academic results, credit cards and so on. Make sure you keep them in a safe place so that they don’t get lost through the messy process of moving. Label the box and take it with you.

This problem can also occur with keys so put them aside as well if you think they can be misplaced easily.

8. Choose the big day carefully

Granted, a lot of times, moves can be very sudden with not a lot of time to make decisions like these. However, in case you do have time on your hands, think carefully before you set a date. Pick one that is most suitable for you. Check the weather to make sure there are no thunderstorms or rain which can ruin your belongings or delay the move. Check if the moving dates don’t fall within a holiday season when everybody will be on vacation, making your move more stressful for you. It is best to choose an ordinary weekday for your move when you can get maximum help.

9. Pack your survival kit

Definitely didn’t think of this one, did you? Amidst all the flurry of moving and preparing, no one would have time to think of snacks or other things. Put aside a bag with all your essentials – snacks, drinks, cash on hand, important keys, phone chargers and all other things that you’ll need to get through the day because with all your belongings packed, these things will come in handy. Keep this bag with you so you can reach it whenever.

10. Use all the help you can get

It is best to choose a normal business day so that you can get friends and family to help you out. On moving day, no amount of help is enough so get all the help you can. Talk to people who can lend you a hand and keep them updated. Not only will this make the process a whole lot quicker, more people means creative ideas and a variety of solutions to problems.

11. Be supportive

If you’re moving along with your family, keep in mind that the move can be as hard on them as it is for you. Be empathetic; tell them you understand what they are going through. This emotional support will make it easier on them as well as you. Youngsters and the elderly are more sensitive to changes like this. Children have to leave schools and friends behind which can seem really hard at the time, whereas elders are just resistant to change at that point in their life as most of them prefer to be settled down by that time, so let them know that you are there for them.