Your Ultimate Guide To House Moving Without All The Stress

Most of us have to move house at least once in our lives. And most of us wish we never have to do it again! It can be so stressful, and it can also be incredibly expensive. When you first get excited about buying a new house, you carefully check your savings account, your mortgage offer, and your budget. But when it comes to actually moving, the final cost of getting into your new house sky rockets, along with your blood pressure. We’ve put together a great guide to doing what needs to be done without it costing you a full head of hair and all your savings too:

Reasons

There are lots of reasons for moving house. You may have an exciting new job in a new state. Or maybe you want to move closer to your extended family. Sometimes a relationship breakdown means you have to sell the family home and find somewhere new. Each of these reasons will bring additional stress to your move. Managing the emotional side of this isn’t easy, but it’s important not to bring the negative side of these to your new home. Find a property that suits you rather than just being convenient for the situation. Pick a place you can easily love.

Declutter

Before you pick up the keys for your new home, it’s time to clear out the clutter of your old one. Most of us are hoarders, so chances are you have a lot of stuff lurking in the closet you haven’t seen for years. This is the stuff to say goodbye to first. Shedding personal mementos can be quite freeing and help you feel like a new, exciting life is about to start. Of course, if you have anything of value, selling it can help cover the cost of the removal firm.

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You might gift some of your old things away. Charity stores always welcome generous donations of clothes and household items. Perhaps you’ll try and raise some cash through an online auction service. Of course, this can cost you a lot of time and hassle when it comes to postage and packaging. The best place to sell your stuff when you’re in a hurry to raise some cash easily could be an online service that manages the postal side of things for you.

Packing

Once you’ve cleared out everything you no longer need, you may start thinking about packing. You’ll need to get hold of lots of boxes from your removal company. Try to pack things up by sorting them into the rooms they need to go in. Keep all your kitchen things in one set of boxes, and bedroom bits in another. If you’re likely to need storage for a while, don’t pack any food items! Mice, rats, and insects will find their way in, then destroy all your other stuff looking for more.

By now your kids will definitely be clued up about the impending move. They may be quite reluctant to go because they’ll miss their friends. Give them a chance to organize their personal possessions into boxes. It helps them to take ownership of the task. And it means they can be responsible for ensuring their treasured possessions travel safely. It can also help you get through the packing process a bit more quickly!

Kids

Your children may be very excited about the move, or absolutely heartbroken. Either way, there will be a few moments of insecurity. To turn the experience into a more positive one, arrange a day trip to your new town. If you can get into your new property as well, that’s even better. Explore your new neighborhood. Let the kids track down their new play park and leisure center. Maybe you could encourage them to sign up for a couple of classes or a sports team?

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Pick a fun family restaurant that will become your new Friday night hangout. See what is on at the movie theater that you can all enjoy your first weekend here. Why not go and check out the new school and see what kind of teams and activities go on there? And if you do get to check out your new house, why not let the kids pick their bedrooms while you’re there? All these things give the children plenty to look forward to. It helps make the situation a little more real to them too so they can say their goodbyes at home.

Paperwork

When you’re busy trying to clear out a house and pack, you can quickly lose important things like documents and paperwork for the sale. Choose a cupboard that is empty and keep everything to do with the sale and purchase in there. That way you’ll always know where it is, and you can catch up with forms and things when you get a break later on.

You will also need to tie up loose ends at your current home. Make a list of all the subscriptions and utility companies you use. In the final month before your move, jot down all the companies that write to you so you can inform them of your new address. If you need the internet, phone and cable ready to go when you arrive at your new place, let the companies know as soon as possible.

On your last day, you will need to take all your meter readings so you can close the accounts for your old house. Get a clipboard with a pencil attached and some note paper on top. This can make life a lot easier for jotting those last minute details down. Alternatively, take pics of each meter on your phone, so you have a time and date stamp for each of them in the case of a dispute.

Removal Company

When the removal company turns up, be clear about what you expect of them. If you have fragile items, keep them all together in one place, clearly marked. Make sure all the boxes are marked up with the room you want them to be put in at your new house. You should also write down your new address and your phone number on a piece of paper. Hand it to the driver to be absolutely certain you’re both going to the same place!

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You’ll probably have quite a few bits left over to take with you and the kids in the car. Put these in a place where they won’t be picked up by mistake. Double check the garage, shed, loft and basement are all cleared out. If you’re going to stay in a hotel overnight, let the removal company know which one in case they struggle to get hold of you.

Cleaning

Moving house is a messy job. There will always be rubbish to get rid of a vacuuming to do. But moving into your new house can be just as messy. Sometimes a property is not left to the standard you expect. You can either go ahead of the removal company and give it a good scrub down before your things are moved in. You may even have a day or two to give it a fresh lick of paint. Or you might hire a cleaning crew or decorating team to do this for you.

You’ll also need to clean up your old house. Why not invite your friends over and ask them to help? Make sure you have everything you need. Antibacterial wipes are sometimes more convenient than bottles of spray and sponges. If the carpet needs a clean, give yourself an extra half day to ensure it dries out before you need to lock the windows shut.

The Journey

The long journey to your new house may take you more than a day. Keeping the kids entertained while you drive can be hard work. If you prepare in advance, you can make sure they have plenty of movies, games, and books to keep them occupied. Why not gather a list of fun car games you can all participate in? Check your route ahead of leaving for plenty of places to stop and rest. You may want to pick some good places for a meal. Don’t forget to give yourself an option for an overnight stay if you’re feeling tired.

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When you finally arrive, you may have to wait hours or even days for all your furniture. Make sure you have a hotel booking in place! If you’ve packed an overnight case for the move, you might even enjoy camping out in your empty house with the kids! Of course, to settle their worries and fears, a fun night in a family hotel may be best. Perhaps there is a pool or a kid’s play center on site?

The secret to a stress-free move is organization and planning. If you stay ahead of things, you can make sure you’re ready to tackle any potential hold-ups or problems. There are lots of moving templates you can download from the internet. And if it does start to get a bit stressful, be sure to treat yourself to a relaxing massage. Love your new house.