Seven Tips to Follow for a Stress-Free Move
It’s no secret that moving house can be stressful. Whether you’re worried about packing effectively, finding your dream home, or putting down a deposit – there’s a lot of work that goes into executing a successful move. As such, it’s hard not to feel like every minute running up to the big day is fueled by stress and anxiety.
Despite this, there are plenty of ways in which you can work to reduce your stress during this time. This way, you can get excited about the changes you are making in your life, whether you’re moving to a new city or just around the corner.
With that in mind, here are seven tips that you can follow for a stress-free move!
1. Get your current home ready for the market.
In most cases, you’ll need to be able to sell your current property in order to finance your move. You can put your best foot forward by ensuring that your home is sales-ready. For example, you should:
- Carry out any necessary maintenance and repairs.
- Deep clean and depersonalize the space ahead of property viewing.
- Improve your curb appeal.
The more effort you put into staging your home, the easier it will be to sell. In fact, a recent study found that “a staged home spends 73% less time on the market than a non-staged home.”
2. Inspect Your New Home.
Before putting in an offer for your new home or apartment, be sure you’ve thoroughly inspected the property for any signs of damage or persistent maintenance issues. For example, while there are many check-ups you should complete before moving, you should keep an eye out for mold, mildew, and other forms of damp. After all, this can be difficult to remove and could impact your health and well-being. If identified before the move-in date, however, you can request that this issue be tackled on your behalf.
In some cases, identifying maintenance issues means that the seller will lower the buying price, which means it could be a great way to save money while moving while also giving you a greater understanding of the work you have cut out for you.
3. Get the Kids Involved.
If you’re moving house with kids, it’s crucial that they are as involved in the process as possible. Otherwise, they may begin to feel stressed and overwhelmed when the big day occurs. After all, if they’ve lived in your current property their entire lives, this marks a significant change, especially if they’ll have to change schools or make new friends as a result of this. Fortunately, there are many ways in which you can ensure your children feel involved, such as bringing them along to property visits, having them pack up some of their own belongings, or letting them pick out furniture for their new bedroom.
4. Start packing sooner rather than later.
A lot of work goes into moving house, which means that packing likely falls to the bottom of your to-do list. However, leaving this task until the last minute will only increase your stress levels. After all, there’s a lot that can go wrong when you are trying to pack your entire life into some boxes. For example, doing so last minute could lead to you damaging fragile items or leaving something important behind.
As such, the sooner you can start packing, the better. Start by packing away seasonal items you will not need before the move, then go through your property room by room until you’re all packed. To ensure that you aren’t weaving your way through boxes during this time, you may want to consider hiring a local storage unit. This way, you can rest easy knowing your items will be stored safely and securely while you focus on the big move.
Hiring a storage unit can also make unpacking easier, as once again, you can ensure you’re not surrounded by boxes and clutter, making it easier to decorate your new home.
5. Put Together a Moving Checklist.
Another way in which you can make your move as stress-free as possible is by making yourself a moving checklist. After all, this will provide you with an easy-to-follow guide throughout each step of the process so that you don’t forget about any important tasks or duties. For example, this could include steps such as:
- Put together a moving budget
- Decluttering your home
- Forwarding your mail
- Informing friends, family, and employers of your move
- Enrolling your children in a new school
- Hiring a moving company (and confirming the details)
6. Take Good Care of Your Pets.
If you’re going to be moving with pets, it’s equally important that you take good care of them during this time. After all, sudden changes to their home environment and routine can be stress-inducing for all animals, leading to significant behavioral changes. Fortunately, there are many ways in which you can minimize their stress levels during this time.
For example, you could arrange for them to be cared for by a friend or family member on moving day itself so that they’re not overwhelmed by the chaos happening around them. Then, once your new property is set up and ready, you can bring the home!
On a similar note, you should also ensure that you connect with a local vet in your new town or city so that your pet can continue to get excellent care should they fall sick. After all, it’s far easier to know who to call in advance when things go wrong instead of having to scramble to find support at the last minute.
7. Stay Focused on the End Goal.
Whether you’re drowning in moving paperwork and housing contracts or feel as though you’ve been packing for days on end, it’s easy for stress to take hold. However, you can help to minimize this by remembering why you decided to move in the first place. Remember, the work you put in now is making it easier for you to move into your dream home, where a world of opportunities awaits!
Each time you begin to feel stressed out or overwhelmed, give yourself a break from whatever you’re working on. Go for a walk, practice meditation, or simply talk about how you feel with someone else. These strategies will help you to clear your head and think about the bigger picture, proving that it will all be worth it in the end.
Final Thoughts.
While experiencing some base level of stress and anxiety is completely normal when moving, there are specific steps you can follow to ‘unpack’ this – making the entire transition much smoother. For example, you should:
- Get your current home ready for the market.
- Inspect your new home.
- Get the kids involved.
- Start packing sooner rather than later.
- Put together a moving checklist.
- Take good care of your pets.
By following the above steps, you can help keep your stress to an acceptable level instead of allowing it to consume you during this time. After all, the moving process can often stretch over several months, and this kind of prolonged stress could otherwise take its toll on your health.
Conversely, by working to keep your stress levels down and asking for help or support when you need it, you can focus on the fun side of moving. For example, you can start planning how you’ll decorate your new home or write down a list of things you’d like to do or see in your new town!
