There are few things in life more stressful and exhausting than moving home, but don’t panic just yet, there are things you can do to minimise the pressure.
With a bit of forethought and organisation you can take the hassle out of your transition, so I’ve laid out for you the key pointers I’ve picked up along the way for a successful move.
Outsource
Take the pressure off yourself as much as possible, and accept help from anyone who offers as chances are you won’t do as good a job when you’re multitasking. Hire a cleaning service for the property you’re moving out of, and if it’s necessary for one you’re moving into.
It’s not the time to add extra stress onto you as you already have a million other things to focus on, and the small outlay for a cleaner such as Whizz End of Lease Cleaning will ensure you receive your bond money back.
Hire a truck to move things yourself with the help of a few strong friends, or if you can afford it, a reputable moving company who will provide boxes and make the move run as smoothly as possible.
Organisation
Collect large storage boxes over the weeks before your move, and put in items you know you won’t need until you are a bit more settled. Label them by room and place them immediately in the room they belong to on the other side. As tempting as it is to dump boxes all in a pile to deal with later, this will cause you a lot more added stress and mess later as you rummage around trying to find things.
Leading up to your move, try to stop buying as many groceries.
Utilise what you’ve got left in your pantry, if you must shop just try to buy fresh foods that will be eaten quickly. Moving food is messy and difficult, and throwing away all your edible food is wasteful.
Try to organise your move so that there is at least a week overlap from when you have to leave your old property to when you can move in, longer if you have a very large house or multiple people moving with you. This should give you plenty of leeway if something goes wrong, things take longer to shift than expected, or the house needs more cleaning up than anticipated.
It always takes a lot longer to have everything out than you imagine. All of those hidden cupboards and draws filled with bits and pieces are seemingly never ending in those final days, so allow for a little extra time.
Purge
As soon as you find out your moving, start to purge things you don’t 100% want or need.
Sorting, packing, moving and unpacking items for them to be thrown away on the other end is a waste of your time and, ultimately, money. Sell or donate any items that you can, as early on as possible.
If your furniture doesn’t suit your new place it’s better to sell it now and buy another one once you move in, to save having to pay to relocate it. You can both sell your furniture and trade it in for something more suitable on ebay or other buy, swap, sell sites.
The fewer things you have to move the better, and it’s a great time to start fresh.
Whether you’re moving by choice or not, remember that change is always an opportunity for growth. Put emphasis on what you will improve and what you will leave behind.
Moving is often a big job, but you can choose to make it an ordeal, or an adventure. With a bit of planning you can turn everyone’s nightmare into an exciting experience that you might actually enjoy!
