Moving home can be, well, hard. That’s to put it simply. It can be a lot of other things too; exciting, life changing, sad – it’s a rollercoaster ride of emotion! However, sometimes you need to do what’s best for your family. Sometimes, what’s best for your family is moving. While moving home is never an easy task, there are certainly some things you can do to make it easier for you. Try the following tips and advice and see what you think:
Make a Big Checklist
The first thing you should do is make a huge checklist of things that you’ll need to do. Write down as much as you can think of. You can continue adding to it as you remember more things, as you are sure to do. It’s best if you do this about 2 months in advance, so by the time it comes to calling certain companies and telling them about the move, you know the best place to start on the list. You will need to include things like:
- Make sure there will be a smooth hand over of the keys with the estate agents.
- Clean out storage and sell/giveaway unwanted belongings.
- Eat all of the food out of the freezer.
- Notify bill companies of the move.
- Cancel home insurance and get new home insurance.
And more! You get the idea.
Ask Family and Friends to Help You
With family and friends helping you with the move, I’m sure you’ll find the process much more bearable. They are usually more than happy to help you settle into your new home and leave the old one behind. You might ask them to help you spruce up the old house with a lick of paint, keep your things in storage until you move in, or take you over to your new neighborhood to have a look around.
Start Well in Advance
As mentioned earlier, you need to start planning what you’re going to do at least a few months in advance. In fact, try to order the things on your to do list in an orderly way, so you don’t miss anything out. You could write subheadings, such as ‘6 weeks before the move’, for example. Do this right up until you’re on the day of the move.
Hire Companies to Make the Job Easier
There are many companies that will make the process of moving much more bearable for you. A company like The Professionals Movers Company, for example, could help you to transport your things from your old house to your new house. It’s silly to think you could do this yourself, unless you have hardly any possessions that you’ll be taking with you. Some movers will even pack up for you! It’s best to write on each box what the contents are, and the room they are due to go in too, so you know as soon as you reach your destination and don’t get frustrated. Create an inventory including each thing you’re taking with you, which you will then be able to compare with the mover’s inventory to make sure everything is safely there. If anything has gone amiss, you need to call straight away.
An estate agent and solicitor is also important, to help you deal with any legal and complicated aspects of the move. You may even want to hire painters, decorators, and other companies to help you. It’s up to you and how much money you have put away in a budget!
Have a Large Cash Cushion Behind You
Having a large cash cushion behind you will help you to feel more secure in your move. This way, if anything crops up, you won’t need to think twice about forking out the cash. You may even be able to take some time off work so that you can prepare your new home.
Create an ‘Emergency’ Moving Box
An emergency moving box should be kept in the car as you make your way to the new home, and each family member should have one of their own. These will include things such as pyjamas, mobile phone chargers, knives, forks, and other things that you might need to grab at a moment’s notice. You won’t need to fumble around with boxes this way!
Have a Small Get Together to Say Goodbye
To make it easier to say goodbye to your old house, have a small get together. Invite your family and friends, and your children’s friends too. This should give you some closure and help you to look forward to life in your new house.
Make Sure You Research Your New Neighborhood
It’s no good moving to a new neighborhood without doing any real research first. Make sure you know where the best schools are, all of the amenities you could possibly want, and what the crime rate is in the area. This way, you’ll know exactly what to expect before you move in.
Find a Sitter for the Day of The Move
If you have pets and children, finding a sitter for the day of the move can be a massive help. They can get under your feet when you’re doing something important, and tempers can run high. You don’t want scared pets, crying children, and stressed adults on moving day. Find a sitter and then pick them up when the house is suitable to live in. You don’t necessarily need to get their rooms ready for them though; asking them to help unpack and decorate their room will help them to get excited about it.
Try to Keep Calm and Breathe
Moving is stressful, we know this. Please try to keep calm and take deep breaths if you think anything is getting on top of you. Things could be much worse – you’re only moving house!
Try to take everything in your stride, and make sure you start very early on so you don’t have too much to think about on the day of the move!
