Moving house is said to be one of life's most stressful events, next to weddings and having children, which really does say a lot about the impact it will have on you! Ask any estate agent and they'll confirm what a huge upheaval it is, unless you plan and execute your move with military precision and today, we're going to tell you exactly how to do that! Follow these 12 handy tips and you'll find that your next move is not only easier, it might also actually be an enjoyable experience, so let's find out how!
Before you start anything, sit down and draw up a timescale that you need to work to. You could also make sure that you have all the packing boxes and protective materials that you need in place as well, as a last minute scramble is never stress-free!
With a timescale settled upon, you can draw up a to-do list, with necessary completion dates included. Preparation really is key when it comes to a house move and if you can allocate specific jobs to different members of the household, you can evenly disperse the work.
Next, be sure that you have the right dates for when you can enter your new home and when you need to vacate your current one. It's so easy to get this wrong, which will lead to massive amounts of stress. Also, if you're hiring a van, be sure that you've booked it for the right dates as well.
Friends and family are an amazing resource of unpaid help when it comes to moving house, but make sure you sweeten the deal a little bit! Don;t pack up the kitchen too quickly, so you can offer a good supply of food and drink for your support team!
Organisation is key, so mark your packing boxes clearly and take it one room at a time. When it comes to unpacking at the other end, place boxes in the rooms they correspond to and everything will be so much simpler.
Naturally, kitchen utensils shouldn't be in the same box as your bathroom toiletries, so always use well-labeled boxes for each room, but as an extra touch, load your removals van logically as well. Put your boxes in, in reverse order of how your new house is laid out, so you don't have to walk further than you need to.
You might think that blasting through a house move is the best way to go, but this could make you burn out from all the stress. Instead, take regular breaks and only commit to a certain number of moving hours every day.
Now this is key to reducing the stress of a house move! If, for example, you always go to yoga on a Tuesday, make sure you stick to that! It can be tempting to totally usurp your whole routine in a bid to get a move completed more quickly, but this will impact on your sleep and health, which is an absolute no!
Always be sure that you have easy access to a box of emergency items, just in case things go a little awry. You don't want to be sifting through a whole van just to find the aspirin, after all! A fire extinguisher, some toilet rolls, a first aid kit and a list of contact numbers should be within reach.
Don't forget to take final readings at your old property and initial readings at your new one, or your could find yourself liable for more costs than you originally thought! Call your utility companies and give them your readings as soon as possible and you can tick that chore off the list.
We really hope that we don't actually have to tell you to take some days off when you move house, but just in case you thought you'd be able to work full-time AND orchestrate a serious life change, let us tell you that you can't! Focus on one thing at a time and everything will run far more smoothly.
This might sound like a strange tip, but music can have a very powerful effect on your energy levels and mindset, so put together an upbeat playlist that will make every stage just seem a bit more fun and enjoyable. Don't forget to include some private joke songs, to remind you why you're packing!
It's going to be so tempting to ditch the diet and immerse yourself in a junk food diet while you move, but this will make you tired, sluggish and less motivated to get everything finished up, so try to stay on the healthy side and treat yourself to a pizza when you're in your new place!
For some handy home-selling tips, take a look at this Ideabook: 8 essential tips to help sell your house.