It is a volatile time to be moving house. An interminably changeable housing market, off the back of a global pandemic that has visited long-term trauma on a great many people, makes an already stressful experience – juggling solicitors, mortgage lenders, removal dates and contracts – even worse. So here are some simple ways you can bring down your heart rate and keep things calm in advance of the big day.
De-Clutter, Ruthlessly
The very first thing you can do to help yourself out, in the long run, is to de-clutter your home – and to do it ruthlessly. Take your time, but scour your home a room at a time, taking stock of everything you own. Create Keep, Throw and Donate piles, and ask yourself earnestly if you need each item you find. You might be hoarding kitchen sets that haven’t seen the light of day in years, or you might rediscover a wardrobe’s worth of clothes that have gathered dust all the while. Moving house can be an opportunity to reset, and this is where that reset starts: shedding baggage that will only slow you down.
Start Packing Early, and Pack Efficiently
The earlier you begin the packing process, the better – you could even twin packing with the de-cluttering process for added ease. With 62% of people claiming a lack of control as the major contributing factor to their house-moving stress, this is the first place you regain that control. Start to pack earlier than you might think too, to give you time to do it in an active and engaging manner. Label every box, and try not to cross-contaminate boxes with items from other spaces or with other uses. With careful packing, you can minimize the number of boxes in your inventory and know where everything is at the same time.
Hire a Man and Van Service
You might feel like the best course of action is hiring your own van, packing it yourself, and driving to your new home with everything in tow – but with solicitors, contracts, and key collection on your mind, lugging your life’s belongings can be additional stress easily removed. Hire a man and van service to remove your goods on your behalf – the price is not significantly more than hiring your own van, and you can convey your wishes directly in order to have a smooth moving process while you deal with the nitty-gritty.
Stick to an Itinerary
The number of people who do not keep checklists while moving house is extraordinary – and if you want to keep calm during your moving day, you’ll not join them. Ahead of time, draw up an itinerary to include when you can collect keys when you need to vacate your old home when you have your man and van from, and when you need packing complete by. This way you can have a clear image of what needs doing when, and you won’t get lost in the details on moving day.
