Most families need to move and relocate at least once in their life. Jobs change, businesses relocate, and also the education that is among the primary reasons for the relocation of families. Individuals and families can feel the stress of relocation when it comes to relocating to a new place. The main reasons for the stress during a move are the number of tasks you need to perform in a limited time.
However, there are plenty of ways to reduce stress during a move. With proper planning and beginning the preparation as early as possible can help reduce the stress and make a move convenient. So, let us dive into some effective tips and tricks to move simple and stress-free.
Stress is a little part of the process
Overcoming anything starts with accepting it as normal, and the stress of relocation is no exception. Therefore, if you understand that stress is a part of every move, and it can be handled, it will not bother you. Accepting the stress as a part of your move will help you to make it easy and undergo every process smoothly. Therefore, the first step of your move should be to accept the stress as normal and not a big thing to bother.
Give yourself Time
People cannot control time, and sometimes an urgent move sneaks up on you that forces you to move in a few days. It becomes challenging to act too fast and prepare everything in a few days, which brings plenty of stress. Therefore, you should have at least six to eight weeks of time to prepare for your move. If you know about your move-in well advance, you can start preparing for it as early as possible. However, eight weeks is enough to relocate without stress.
Plan everything
The first step for a move or relocation is to plan everything according to the available time. As there are plenty of tasks to perform, creating a plan, including to-do lists and day wise tasks. You need to write everything from packing the stuff to hiring a removalist, cancellation of services, and finally moving. Planning things makes it easier to perform every task at the right time during your move. Therefore, every individual or family who wants to relocate should create a practical plan.
Organize the Essentials
Before moving, it is essential to have some important things in order, such as enrolling in school or landing a new job. You need to sort out such things and settle well in advance of your move so that the rest will run smoothly. The last thing you want is a last-minute hiccup, which threatens to jeopardize your plans.
Ask for help
A move requires a lot of people for help. Of course, you can hire a removalist to carry on the packing and moving duties. However, there are plenty of other tasks, such as cancellation of services, arranging the packing materials, and packing, if you plan to pack yourself. Therefore, it is best to ask your friends for help. If any of your friend or colleague has recently relocated, you can ask them to some tips like hiring a mover or packing.
Take a Break and treat yourself
Set some goals like you need to pack the stuff of two rooms within a week. Take a break every weekend or once a week after accomplishing some major tasks. This will give you some rest and relief from the stress of tasks. Take breaks and go out for a movie or dinner to refresh your mind and treat yourself.
Hire the right removalist
Hiring a removalist is not an easy task as you need to do a lot of research for the same. It is best to start the research as early as possible as it takes time to find the right mover like removals Oxenford. You should have at least 3 to 4 weeks for your research. Search online, ask your friends, neighbors, and colleagues can start inquiring about the pricing and services.
Have a backup plan
You don’t need to have a full backup plan for your move, but you need to have options for important tasks. For example, it is best to have a backup of rental agencies and movers so that if any of them cancels the contract, you can immediately hire another option for your task. Having a backup plan for service providers frees up you from the stress of cancellations of contracts by them. Also, you should have a list of helpers whom you can call if your friends don’t show up to help with packing.
Remove the clutter
Every house has some stuff that its family members don’t use. Some items are outdated, like old radios, TVs and pianos that people don’t want to use. You can sell that stuff or donate it to charity. Ask your friends, relatives, or neighbors if they need those items or sell them on websites like Craigslist or eBay. If you are not able to sell them, donate them to a church or an NGO.
Pack yourself
You can choose to pack yourself or get it done by the removalist. Most movers pack your stuff, and the cost of packing is included in their plan. However, some movers may offer you to pack yourself and save the cost of packing. If you have enough time to pack, you can save a lot of money that they charge for packing. However, if you pack yourself, the items may not be covered by insurance against the damage risks.
Get the packing supplies
If you prefer to pack yourself, you need the materials for packing. You can buy the packing materials from a home improvement store. You need the packing essentials like cardboard boxes, box cutters, tapes, glue, pins, markers, etc. Make a list of all the materials you need and get them from a home improvement store, so that you don’t need to rush to the market while packing your stuff.
Categorizing the stuff
It is essential to categorize the stuff in your house to make things easier. Categorizing the stuff into various categories like kitchen, bedroom, living room, furniture can help you to pack them in different boxes and keep them apart. You can also create a schedule for different categories and decide which category of stuff to pack on which day. Creating categories helps you create a plan for packing the entire stuff in your home.
Label the Boxes
Many times, families need some items after they have been packed in a box. It becomes difficult to find an item if you have not marked the boxes, and most of them are similar. Labeling the boxes with the category of stuff you pack inside them allows you to determine which box to open when you need something.
Pack an Essentials box
With an essentials box, we mean a box that contains all the items that you need on the moving day immediately after arriving in your new house. Every family needs to relax after traveling on the moving day and need items like nightwear, footwear, toiletries, food, etc. Therefore, you should pack a special box and put things like nightwear, toilet items, disposable plates, glasses, some crockery, and clothes, etc. You can mark this box with any name and open it immediately after arriving at your new home to use the items.
Pack a travel box
You should always pack a travel box whenever you need to move or go on a trip. Pack some food items, disposable plates, glasses, spoons, tissue papers, and medicines in this box. You can halt at a place to have your meals, or take a break from the long trip to relax for a few minutes. The box should be small and not too large, as you will need to fit it into your vehicle and open it while traveling.
Secure your documents
There are some important documents for every individual and family. You should save all your important documents like identity proofs, address proofs, educational certificates, and work-related documents in a special box that you should carry on a moving day. It is best to lick the images of all the documents or scan their copies and save them in a cloud storage service. Having scanned copies helps you to retain them in case any document gets lost or misplaced. You can also save the scanned copies in a hard drive, pen drive, Google Drive, or Dropbox.
Update your Mail Address
Every family receives some letters, documents, products, and services at their address. When you relocate, you need to receive everything at your new address. Therefore, you should update your mail address in all the accounts, both offline and online, so that you can receive documents and products at your new address.
Cancel or transfer the services
A family avails many local services such as house cleaning, newspaper, milk, cooking gas, electricity, and internet connection. You need to apply for the cancellation of all these services at the right time to avoid any extra charges. Many of these service providers require you to inform about the cancellation in advance. Some services like school admissions are transferrable, and you need to apply for their transfer at the right time. Therefore, you should apply for their cancellation in advance to avoid the stress of extra charges.
Prep your new home ahead of time
Moving is not enough to settle in a new house. You need to prepare your new house to make it worth living in. For example, every house needs a thorough clean before you can settle there and open your packed boxes. Moreover, someone else has been living there before you, so it might need some repair work. Therefore, it is best to visit the house before moving in to get the repairs and cleaning done, although you could ask a friend to get it done for you before you move.
Furthermore, as part of preparing your new home, you may also want to look into things like utilities, insurance and home warranty. This can be done once you have moved in, but it is easier to get it done prior to moving in if you have time. You can usually find good information regarding this sort of thing online; for example, if you are moving to or within Nevada and are unsure where to get a home warranty plan from, you may want to speak to the team at First American Home Warranty. They do, of course, cover other states as well though.
Eat well and Get Enough Sleep
These two items are first on the list of overlooked items, and they are the most important factors to keep you safe and happy. So, make sure you get enough sleep and have a balanced diet. Don’t skip your meals and try not to live on coffee (although it can be hard not!).
Go with the flow
Even if you hire the best mover, you know, some things might go wrong due to any reason. There will be unplanned incidents, and you need to be versatile and give yourself some extra breathing room to manage these issues. Maybe return to your timeline and task list and work in a few extra days if you can. Allowing some wiggle room will ensure that even when the chaos abounds, you can adjust and feel calm.
Kitchen and Clothing
Kitchen and clothing items are often considered to be the three most important categories, so make sure you have a system that allows you to quickly identify those items. Even if those items are identified correctly and efficiently, keeping some of them on hand may be helpful. Make sure you have a change of clothes for moving day, for example, as well as a nightwear and a clean outfit for the next day.
This technique also extends to kitchen products; ensure that important objects like the coffee maker are readily available, rather than concealed under other things’ layers. If you know you ‘re going to crave a hot chocolate, a toast, or even popcorn, do yourself a favor and make sure you’ve got access to the equipment at the end of a long day of activity. Having these items on hand will save you the stress of seeking them afterward.
Final Words
These are some tips and tricks to make you move stress-free. However, you should be prepared for some stress as it is a normal feeling during a move. Things will be delayed, and some may also go wrong. So, going with the flow and be prepared to solve the problems as soon as they occur is the key to a stress-free move.
Emily Bartels is a content writer at Paradise Point Removals. She enjoys writing on various topics mainly associated with Home Improvement, Gardening, Technology and Gadgets. Her famous articles are on the topic of Home Improvement , Technology and many more.