It’s well known that moving home can be a stressful experience; studies suggest that it is one of the most stressful a person can go through. Those who are lucky enough to find and secure their forever home will embrace the benefits of such security, but for the rest of us – including those among the growing cohort who are unlikely to ever own a home – the reality of moving is one that has to be taken as one of life’s little struggles.
Given that there is no getting around the reality of moving, one important thing to bear in mind is that the more prepared you are for the experience, the simpler it will be. While it’s never going to be the most enjoyable day of any year, keeping to some rules for a house move can ensure that you all get through the day in one piece – and that there are even elements of the day that you remember with a smile on your face.
Of course, there is always help at hand should the thought of moving house overwhelm you. There are professionals out there just like Atlanta Home Movers, who can make your house move a smooth transition with little to no stress.
The following are some rules that families should keep in mind when it comes to moving day. Keep these in mind, and your moving experience can be a lot less stressful.
1 Divide the labour sensibly and strategically
The work of moving home begins well before you actually start loading boxes into vehicles, and if you’re sensible, it will begin as soon as it is possible to start packing things up. Items that are in daily use must be packed last, but you can have someone packing boxes even weeks ahead of the day itself. More importantly, you should approach the whole process like it’s a military operation.
Someone should be maintaining a spreadsheet, on which is listed every box and container you pack. Someone should be responsible for filling boxes, taping them up and placing them somewhere safe, ready for the move. Someone else should be checking everything in each box is accounted for on the spreadsheet. Don’t leave the job of managing this side of things to any one person; it increases the possibility of missing something and is unfair on that one person.
Just as importantly, you’ll have to take account of who realistically can help with the move, and who cannot. Older kids can do some lifting and organising on the day of the move, but some of the younger ones may be troubled by the noise and the activity, and won’t enjoy the disturbance to their routine. So, another key job for the day of the move may well be babysitting – appoint a trusted friend or relative to take the younger kids for the day and bring them to the new house when everything is in place and you can all have a much-needed rest.
2 Have a methodical system of labelling
Further to the point above about maintaining a spreadsheet, it makes sense to have as much information in that sheet as you possibly can. Each box that plays a part in the move should be recorded in the spreadsheet, and physically labelled. You can label simply by writing on the box in permanent marker, or purchase a label maker which allows you to print out informative, adhesive labels; either way, ensure that the labelling is methodical and systematic.
Each label should uniquely identify the box. If there are multiple boxes for the kitchen, for example, one label could say “Kitchen Box A”. With that box labelled, you should enter Kitchen Box A into the spreadsheet, along with information such as what’s in the box, what the box looks like (allowing it to be identified quickly), and how it is getting to the new house (your car, removal company vehicle, someone else’s car, etc).
When the day of the move comes, you’ll know automatically where each item is, which will make the arrangements on the other end of the move much simpler. You could even include a section on the spreadsheet stating who will be responsible for unpacking and storing away the items in each box, so that the organising can begin as soon as possible, potentially even before everything has been unloaded at the new house.
3 Allow a period of time where you have access to both houses
If you have to clear everything from one house, transport it to the new place, and unpack and store it all away within hours, then two things are certain: it’s going to be a tiring job, and mistakes are going to be made. Even if just for a day or two, it will be helpful if you have a presence at the new house while still living at the old one. This will allow for a “soft move” in advance of the full move.
Things such as the switch-on of electricity, gas and water should be scheduled for the period of this “soft move”. This can also include installation of appliances such as a dishwasher, washing machine and cooker. Items bought specifically for the new home (including those appliances) can be delivered there, rather than brought to your existing house and transported. Someone should be visiting the new house, potentially even working there, every day in advance of the full move.
This will again take a lot of the strain off the moving day, and it will also allow for a situation where there aren’t too many people in a small space at any one time. Along with this exceptionally useful guide from Conveyancing Store, that will allow you to make the move safer in the present-day situation where Coronavirus is such a stressor for us all. Having someone at the new address will also allow them to set up a “decontamination station” with hand wash, fresh masks and wipes so anything that needs to be sterilised can be.
4 Accept that some nights are takeout nights
It’s natural to prefer home-cooked meals and eating around a table. As a choice, it’s better for the family and better for everyone. However, when you are moving house, it is worth bearing in mind that everything is in flux and – even when everything has been put away – it’s going to take some getting used to. So even if only for this one night, it’s probably a good idea to order in when it comes to dinner time.
Check up ahead of time on which takeaway restaurants will deliver to your new place, and if possible submit an order ahead of time. This way, when everything is unpacked and in place, you can kick back and enjoy the first night in your new house. You can use the following day to get your bearings with a new kitchen, a new dining room and all the changes that these things entail.
Having a takeaway dinner on the first night in a new place will mean more time to get settled in, give you one job fewer on what is already a stressful day, and result in a minimum of washing up. Everything else about settling in will be much, much easier after a night’s sleep; and this is all the more so if you don’t have so many little chores to do that you’re hitting the hay sometime after 1 am. Plus, a takeaway adds to the sense of housewarming that should come with the first night here.
5 Keep pets away from the action
If you think that moving is stressful for you, you should hear what your pets are thinking throughout this whole experience. They have absolutely no idea what is going on, but they do know that they are used to one place – particularly cats, who are exceptionally territorial creatures – and they are unlikely to take kindly to being moved to another. You can expect a barrage of noise from your furry friends, and they may well immediately hide when you transport them to a new place.
The wisest possible move during this experience is to have someone look after your pets for the day. If this is not possible, transport them to the new house and sequester them in a room with food and toileting facilities. Most importantly, keep them from going out initially; even if you have cats who primarily spend their time outdoors, they will struggle to deal with this in a new place. Pets may well try to return to their old house and could get completely lost particularly if you have moved more than a few miles.
Give a pet time to get acclimatised to a new place; it may take a month or more before they are comfortable, and it is recommended that you allow at least this long for cats before they are allowed to roam in the garden. On the day of the move specifically, simply keep them out of the way – they don’t react well to upheaval, and with doors opening and closing the possibility of a pet simply bolting for freedom is too high.
Taking the time to follow these rules will ensure that your house move is a lot more comfortable, quicker, happier and more successful than any you have made before. With a little luck, it may even be one that you look back on with fondness.
*This is a collaborative post.
