Moving to a new home can be an exciting adventure for families, but it can also be a source of stress and anxiety. As a family, you might be wondering how to make this transition smoother and more eco-friendly. In this guide, we’ll share some practical tips to help you navigate the moving process while keeping your mental health and the planet in mind.
Plan Ahead for a Stress Free Move
Moving homes is widely recognised as one of life’s most stressful events. However, with careful planning and organisation, you can reduce the stress and make the process more enjoyable. Start by creating a detailed checklist and timeline, and consider delegating tasks to family members or hiring professional help. Not everyone is a list person, but for those who aren’t, a home move is a great time to experiment with becoming one! A game plan – with detailed lists – is, well, a game changer when it comes to ensuring a smooth move.
First Things First
Not everyone is a list person but for those who aren’t a home move is a great time to experiment with becoming one!
A game plan – with detailed lists – is, well, a game changer when it comes to ensuring a smooth move. Not only does a checklist help you keep track of everything but it also makes it easier to delegate tasks to others and means less chance of forgetting something crucial. Irrespective of whether your list is a handwritten one attached to a clipboard or neatly done on a colour-coded spreadsheet, it’s less about what it looks like and more about how it works to keep things organised and on track.
Plan as far ahead as possible, considering the move from the literal A to B. And don’t forget about the admin in the run-up to the actual day, such as cancelling the WiFi or informing your insurance of your new address, for example.
Plan Ahead for a Stress Free Move
The inexperienced mover may ask “what could be so hard about packing up your possessions?” While hard to quantify or explain (it’s one of those “you need to have been there” things) but the combination of physical effort, the disruption to an established routine and, in some cases, the emotional magnitude of having to deal with our things, can be far more complex (and tiring!) than one imagines.
To this end, it helps to go about the packing process smartly and systematically. Start packing well ahead of time, label each box or bag clearly and, whatever you do, resist the urge to just throw random things together. Your future self will thank you for the effort in this regard more than you can imagine in that moment of putting the colander and the TV remote in the same “miscellaneous” box.
Take care with fiddly fixtures and fittings like screws and brackets. Consider placing them in sealable plastic sandwich bags, and stick appliance and gadget wires down with tape to prevent them from dangling about while being moved. Large bin bags work well for transporting clothes – particularly transparent ones. Simply slip hangers with clothes on into a large bin bag and tie a few hangers together with a rubber band for easier carrying.
And when it comes to precious or fragile items like jewellery, personal electronics and even important documents, consider taking those in your car or on your person to ensure extra safety.
Ask for Help!
Moving isn’t the time for being the DIY hero. Doing it all yourself is stressful and frankly, unnecessary.
Sweepsouth recently added Moving Cleaning services to its offering, which means it’s as easy as booking a trusted Sweepstar to take care of the cleaning for you, whether you’re moving out or in, though it’s the smart move both ways.
“Let’s face it, moving is stressful enough without having to worry about the cleaning too. Our Moving Cleaning service is convenient, thorough and reliable, and means you have one less thing to do,” says Lourandi Kriel, CEO of Sweepsouth.
Research on the most stressful events in life places moving home right at the top. In fact, in a survey done by US-based market researchers OnePoll, respondents pegged moving home as more stressful than divorce or having kids. Minimise the toll of a move by hiring competent help on the day, advises Kriel.
“Leaving the space you’re moving out of is tidy and clean makes a good impression with potential buyers, landlords or new tenants. Hiring a cleaner to help you sweep floors, dust, and wipe down counters frees you up to focus on all the other logistics of moving day. Bear in mind too that empty properties being moved into are often dirtier than you’d expect, so they typically need a deep and thorough cleaning of all rooms, surfaces, cupboards, and hard-to-reach areas. Ideally you want to leave your old space spotless as much as you want to move into a sparkling clean home,” adds Kriel.
Move Day Survival Kit
Extend the supreme organisation around your move to the actual day too.
Moving days are exhausting so aim for a good night’s rest before and then start the morning with a balanced breakfast. Take regular breaks, drink plenty of water and don’t skip lunch. You want to keep your energy levels up!
It is also a good idea to assemble a survival kit – pack a box of essential items to see you through the day and your first night, and keep it in your car for easy access. Consider these items: a phone charger, screwdriver, sharp knife for opening boxes, glasses and mugs, a kettle, provisions to make hot drinks, cleaning cloths, bin bags, washing up liquid, toilet rolls, and a small medical kit.
Breathe!
When the day comes, the best you can do is the old “keep calm and carry on”. Accept ahead of time that the day will be hectic and make sure to breathe deeply and accept it for what it is.
Music is a mood booster, and listening to music you love triggers feel-good chemicals that make you happy and less anxious so consider creating a playlist ahead of time. If you don’t have time to collate a playlist, type terms like ‘Happy Hits’, ‘Mood Booster’, or ‘Good Vibes’ into Spotify and slot into a bouncy, energetic playlist. It’s one way to banish moving day blues and embrace it as the start of a new chapter in a new home.
