At one point or another, we all end up uprooting our lives and moving house. It can be an exciting time, full of opportunities and new beginnings, but boy oh boy if it isn’t one of the most stressful times in our lives.
It doesn’t need to be stressful, though. Like anything in our lives, adequate preparation, and organization can make a stressful situation much less of a hassle. You can avoid the frantic panic of packing up the moving boxes, sorting final bills, and quickly trying to book a moving van, all you need to do is plan it out.
Plan your move much like you might plan a family vacation. Ensuring everything is pre-booked in plenty of time, that everything that can be packed in advance is boxed up as soon as possible, and by organizing your packing so that there is no unnecessary effort required.
Moving house doesn’t need to be an agonizing, stressful experience. Let’s talk about how.
Preparation For Moving Day!
The best way that you can pack for moving home is simply to start earlier. Think about it, sometimes even getting hold of enough boxes is a troublesome feat, so the minute you start thinking about moving, start collecting them. Getting a lot of Amazon deliveries? Save the boxes.
Even the little things count here, so start doing little bits and pieces early on, and you will find that having done these smaller things in advance will pay off a great deal when you are rushing to get out of the door and to your new home.
It’s Moving Day!
Moving house is a part of life, whether you often move, or if this is your first time. It is notorious for being very stressful, and it can take a toll on even the most successful organizers.
Although moving is never a walk in the park, there is much that you can do to make it a little easier. You can find ways to be able to pack and unpack faster, reduce the amount of work, and ultimately make the process of moving just go a bit smoother than it may otherwise.
It might sound a bit too good to be true, and we get it. But, trust us. We have a list of the things you can do in order to make this notoriously draining process a little softer on the soul.
25 Moving Tips For A Zen Like Moving Day.
We have a selection of 25 top tips for moving. If you manage to combine all of these, your move should be more zen than stressful. Even just using one or two of our tips should provide a more relaxing moving experience.
Some of these might sound like stating the obvious, however, when you are running around like a headless chicken trying to make sure everything is going perfectly and that you are not forgetting anything, you might end up forgetting these things, So, we are here to remind you of these possibly obvious tips, that might slip your mind in the heat of the rush to get everything ready on time.
1. Call utility and moving companies.
It is very important to arrange your utilities early on, things such as electric, gas, oil, solar, cable etc. Do this early when you move house, not only does doing this save you a lot of stress closer to the moving date, but once you are moved in, you will have more time to settle in and relax in your new home, and actually do the things that you want to do.
Similarly, do not leave it too late to contact the moving companies. Shop around and look for a good deal with a moving company, some may be cheaper than others, especially if you are moving quite far, there can be some significant price differences. One reason not to leave it too late is simply that if you leave it too late, you may not be able to get a slot with your chosen company, and you may need to go with another company with higher rates.
2. Set a realistic budget.
This might sound obvious to some, but in the chaos of the move, it can often get overlooked. Moving is an expensive thing to do. Not only with the costs of the property, but there are many other expenses on top of it that can make moving a bank busting burden. You do not want to end up with major sticker shock on top of everything else you need to deal with in the move.
So, be sure to take advantage of things such as online moving cost calculators, and set up a budget accordingly, so you know what you will need to spend, and how much you need to save. Doing this early on can give you a chance to save if you need to.
3. Plan out packing supplies.
Similar to the aforementioned cost of moving, and sensibly budgeting, planning out the supplies you will need for packing is also very important. While you can of course start gathering materials early on, such as saving any boxes from things you have bought online or get free ones, it is also a good idea to look at what you will need overall. It is also best to have too much instead of too little. You do not want to be running back to the store to get more packing supplies on the day before you move, because you are one box too short.
4. Dismantle furniture that requires it.
If you ever bought some flat-pack furniture and put it together, it can be worth dismantling it early on. You can create more room in your moving van by dismantling furniture that requires it early on, and packing it up. Tables, chairs, shelving units, and so on. Some sofas may also be able to be partially disassembled. By dismantling any furniture that needs to be dismantled as soon as possible, you can easily save time closer to the move.
Getting the big stuff out of the way sooner rather than later will help you ensure you have everything done faster. Similarly, keeping large items together may seem easier, but it can also leave you with less space in the moving van, and it might not fit through doorways, so dismantling things can save you hassle down the road.
5. Color code boxes.
It is always a wise idea to color code your boxes. If you do not want to color code, you can always use a sharpie and make notes on the boxes. You could use stickers, or multicolored felt tip pens. You can use this system to assign a color to each room, so you can move boxes into the correct rooms as you move in. This will save trouble sorting out everything as you unpack.
Similarly, you can also note what is in the boxes as well as color coding them. Color coding is the best way to stay organized, and using stickers will make it easier to organize things as you are packing up too.
6. Take a picture of the contents of the boxes.
Similar to our aforementioned point, snapping a quick photo of the insides of your boxes can be helpful. If you need to jog your memory about what is where, it can be useful. Okay, you won’t be able to capture every single item in each shot, but it can help to give a general idea of what you will find in each box. This is especially good for rooms like the kitchen, where you may have large and small utensils in different boxes, but they may need to be set up together.
Once again, you can use a felt pen to note what is in each box as well as color coding as an alternative to taking photos of the insides of your boxes.
7. Wrap things that can spill.
Have you ever gone on a vacation and opened your case once you got home to find your shampoo bottle had an accident during transit and now all your clothes smell like lavender.
This is the last thing you want when you’re going through a stressful move. To prevent these kinds of issues from taking hold, it is wise to prevent these spills by using plastic wrap to secure lids of things that may spill, such as soap, shampoo, cleaning supplies, perfumes, makeup, and so on.
Alternatively, you can wrap them up in a sandwich bag too, or put all your toiletries together in a waterproof and bag, so this way you know where they all are, and that if anything might spill it is safe in that bag
8. Plan for a moving essentials bag.
Many people will forget this, however, it is always a good idea to compose a moving essentials bag. Pack together a small duffle bag or a suitcase with the items you will need access to during your move and right after you have arrived at your new place. We would recommend choosing any items that you may need within 24 hours of arriving at your home. This means any important documents, medications, chargers, basic toiletries, a change of clothes and so on.
If you are moving far away and your journey to your new home may take a day in itself, pack essentials for the next 48 hours. Once you get to your home, it will take a while to go through all the boxes, and you don’t want to be panicking, rampantly opening boxes to try and find where you put your toothbrush.
9. Leave clothes on hangers.
You might feel compelled to neatly fold all your clothes, or separate your clothes from hangers when you are packing up. But we would recommend against it. It is so much easier while you are packing and while you are unpacking to leave your clothes on their hangers. Just keep them there, and you can group them up, and wrap them in large garbage bags, or even hang them in a wardrobe box, making life easier for yourself when you are unpacking at your new home. When you are getting unpacked, you won’t want to have to unfold your clothes and put them back on their hangers. If they’re already on their hangers, you can just pop them in the wardrobe and move onto something else that needs doing.
10. Get rid of stuff.
Every now and then we will declutter our homes, however, when you are moving home, it is even more important to do so. Before you even think about packing, you need to also decide what you will sell, donate, and throw out. By doing this, not only do you get more of a fresh start when you go to your new home, but you will also keep down house removal costs as there will be fewer boxes to move.
It can really give a fresh feeling to your new home when you get rid of all the things you do not need to bring to your new home. A true new beginning.
11. Pack a cooler.
Packing a cooler will help you get through the days around your move. Stock up this cooler with easy-to-grab items. Things like water bottles and quick snacks to help you keep your strength up throughout the day.
Move it with you in the car, instead of the moving truck, you have access to it whenever you need. This is even more important if you are moving far away, and your new home is a few hours drive from your new home. You will need the energy on your journey to your new home, and so keeping your cooler full of energy revitalizing goodness will keep you going on the long journey and when you are unpacking too!
12. Plan for the children and pets.
If you have pets or kids, you will need to plan for them as well as yourself. Moving on your own can be a lot more simple than when you have others moving with you, even if it is just Fido.
If your children are too young to help out on the day of the move, it can be a good idea to have them stay with friends or family to make things easier on you and keep them safe. This goes for pets too. You will be happier and they will be too.
If your kids are old enough to help, letting them pack their own things and teaching them how to pack, label, and organize can be a great way to introduce them to new life skills.
13. Be fully packed by the day before, latest.
There might be a few things you want to leave until the day before to pack, however, it is really best to get everything you possibly can packed before the day you move. Last-minute packing can slow down the whole day, so it is best to make it your goal to be completely packed up before your mover arrives, or before it is time to pick up the rental truck.
This way you can focus entirely on accomplishing the task at hand and there is no faffing around. It can be tempting to leave one thing until the morning of the move, but it is not recommended, because that one thing you thought would only take an hour, could end up taking two and all of a sudden you’re behind schedule.
14. Make sure there are light bulbs in the new house.
We said earlier that during busy and chaotic times like this it can be so easy to forget the simple things, this is why this list exists after all. One of the things that can so easily slip our minds while we are running around like headless chickens trying to sort everything out, is lightbulbs.
Before you move it, or even start packing, it is best to ensure that your new home has light bulbs. At the very least, it can be wise to take some spares with you, in case a lightbulb might blow in the first few days. Before you move in, do a check of all the lightbulbs in the house, and if there are none, pack some to take with you. LEDs are the most recommended for low-energy costs, and least likely to shatter.
15. Start with logistics.
Before you move, planning and preparation should be your bread and butter. Take the time to figure out how you are going to get from point A to point B. This means planning the journey from your old home to your new home. Think about how long it will take to get there, consider an hour or half an hour contingency in case of traffic on the roads. Timing can really be everything when you are moving house. Sometimes in life we can wing it, but do not try to wing it with this. Planning is important, do not flake on the nitty-gritty details.
16. Pack now, sort things later.
Having loads of time to plan, prepare, and execute your move is fantastic. Sadly, though, it does not always work out that way and so sometimes it is best to just pack now and sort later. Sometimes time is really of the essence and sorting out our things to pack is not the number one priority. If you find that time is not on your side, focus on taking care to properly wrap valuable items, breakables, and sharp items. Try not to pressure yourself into organizing or labelling your boxes. You can figure that out later when you are not being chased by the clock. It is not ideal, but sometimes things work out this way, and when this happens, it is all about how you prioritize what needs doing.
17. Leave some difficult/ specialist tasks to the movers.
If you work with a moving company, which is certainly a good idea, then you can leave some tasks to them, especially when it comes to moving large, heavy, or awkward items. Other things that can be left to them is wrapping up furniture, and getting last-minute items into boxes. Just remember that if they do end up helping out with some of this stuff, then it will take time, and thus some cash, adding additional costs to your final bill.
That being said, for some this is not such a bad thing, and it can really work out in the end, as these people do this for a living, they know what they are doing and so for some difficult tasks, it is best left to the professionals.
18. Move the furniture first.
Woo! You just got to your new house, kudos, now for the hard part. You got it all out of your old house, now to put it back into your new house. Where to begin?
Rule of thumb: big stuff goes first. Move the furniture into your house first. If you hired a moving company to help you out, then they will likely have put the furniture to the back of the truck. Last thing out, first thing in and always use moving straps or hand trucks to save your back from serious injuries.
So, why do we put the furniture in first? Well, the big stuff needs to be set up, it takes up the most space and therefore needs priority. If you don’t, you’ll probably just end up moving boxes around again to make room.
19. When unpacking, start with the kitchen.
Some of the biggest and most complicated items in our homes are in the kitchen, it is also where the food goes. Starting with the kitchen will give you a sense of accomplishment right off the bat, and it will also allow you to fully focus on the easier rooms after. Having the kitchen done first will also ensure that even if you don’t have a television set up after your first day, or if you are sleeping on a mattress, at least you will eat well, and be able to have a cup of coffee the next morning to get you going.
20. Get rid of boxes as they get emptied.
Sometimes, if you have a lot of boxes to empty, the process can get a little droll, and it will start to feel like there is no end to these boxes. However, to stop this feeling from sinking in and driving you up the walls of your beautiful new home, it is useful to break down the boxes after each box is emptied of its items. Break it down and recycle it, giving you a physical marker of your progress, as well as keeping space clear in your new home.
As the boxes start to disappear into the recycling, it will be easier to get through them, as the more free space there is, and the fewer boxes you can see, the more of a sense of achievement you will have. Thus, giving you the drive to finish the job and get everything placed in its new home faster.
21. Plan for food and order a guilt free takeaway.
We aren’t going to lie to you, we all want to think of ourselves as doing our best, trying to be healthy, and eating well in every circumstance. But, cut yourself a break, you just moved in! You won’t want to be cooking as you settle in and unpack, and no one wants to be eating a plain salad or a sandwich for their dinner after all their hard work.
Cut yourself some slack and gift yourself a guilt-free takeout so that you can focus on getting all your stuff moved into its new home. We aren’t saying that moving house is an excuse to live off of Taco Bell for a week, but when you have only just moved house, and you have unpacking to do, cut yourself some slack. Besides, you can unpack and eat pizza at the same time, but you can’t unpack and eat spaghetti!
22. Don’t overload boxes.
When you are packing, you might want to just throw everything into the box just to get it packed, especially if you are in a rush. Be cautious of overloading your boxes, though. The last thing you need during a stressful move is for your box to break and your possessions to end up scattered all over the floor, or maybe even broken. It’s not ideal or useful, and so know when your boxes are at their capacity.
This is another argument for why you should always buy more boxes than you might need. It is better to pack a small amount in one box than to try and shove it into another box and risk it breaking.
23. Do a little at a time.
When you are unpacking your items in your new house, try to leave behind the rushing mindset you probably had as you were packing up to move. You aren’t on that tight deadline anymore. Relax, do not stress yourself out trying to get every single box unpacked right away.
Focus on getting the most important things done, and then focus instead on just doing what you can. It will all get done eventually. While some people might find it therapeutic, others will find it stressful, so just take unpacking at your own pace. It will all get done in the end, so do not rush it and stress yourself out.
24. Don’t empty all drawers, instead, leave them there and wrap the drawers.
When you are packing, you might feel like you need to empty out all your dresser drawers. This makes no sense, why empty them, and then fill them back up when you get to your new property? Just take the drawers out of the dresser if you can, leaving the items in there, and secure them by wrapping up the drawer in a plastic or bubble wrap. If it is not too heavy, you can also just leave the drawers in the dresser and simply wrap up the dresser.
It is much easier than having to put everything back in its original place at your new home. Unless of course you are getting rid of some items or perhaps if you are thinking about rehoming some of your possessions to a different set of drawers or so on.
25. Don’t leave things to the last minute.
Try not to leave things to the last minutes, whether it’s contacting utilities, or a moving company. Even things like updating your address, registering to vote, and so on.
Moving is not all just about the packing, although this is often the most stressful part of moving, it is not all about that, and so, when you are moving, try to get as much as you can done as soon as possible. The moment you know you are moving, get all your affairs in order, contact everyone who needs contacting and arrange all this beforehand, that way, when it gets closer to the move your only worry will be packing and nothing else.
The least thing you need is to be in the middle of packing and realize that you haven’t told your bank about your change of address. Get these things done as soon as you can, so they’re out of the way.
Summary
So many of us will write downtime management and organization on our resumes as skills we possess, yet the true test of these skills is moving house. If we are true to these then we can indeed make moving less of a stressful experience, and we may find that we can actually find it to be a refreshing experience, etching towards a new beginning.
We could give you a whole speech about how these things are all equally important, but the most important part of moving is simply organization and time management, not leaving things to the last minute, and being prepared.
Now, it is time for you to pack up, get your affairs in order, and move on to your beautiful new beginnings.
