Moving House Made Easy: Here’s How I Did It

They say that moving house is in the top five most stressful things you’ll ever do. As someone who’s lived in more than her fair share of houses, I can confirm this! The stress of organising a mortgage or rental contracts is hard enough. Then, on top of that, you’ve got the full day of moving cardboard boxes.

 

I recently made another big move, but this time I felt totally in control. Lots of practice had made me comfortable and confident! Here are some of the tricks I used to make the process simple and smooth.

Moving House Made Easy - Here's How I Did It

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Purge all your clutter first

 

The best thing about moving house is that you get a fresh start. You get a clean slate to purge everything from your life that you no longer need. We all build up clutter and useless items over the years. We keep hold of them because we might just need them in the future! The truth is you won’t. So, use this opportunity to get rid of it all. The more clutter you can purge, the easier the moving process. Firstly, there’s much less to pack up before you leave. Secondly, there’s less stress at the other end.

 

Take an extra day off

 

However long you think the move will take you, take another day off work. You can guarantee that something will go wrong. Something will slow the process down, and you’ll be left with a house full of boxes. The stress of an early start for work on the Monday will play on your mind all weekend. Instead, take the Monday off, and take the whole process at a slower pace. There’s less pressure, and it gives you a clear mind to get things sorted. Use the spare day to start turning your new empty house into a home.

 

Get the boxes well in advance

 

Finding cardboard boxes is always harder than you think. It’s something that seems like it should be straightforward, but unfortunately, it never is. Start sourcing your boxes as early as possible. Begin to pack things up a week or two in advance. Just leave the essentials until the last minute. Books, CDs, DVDs, and clothes are all things that can be packed up early. On the morning of the move, make sure there’s hardly anything left to pack up.

 

Liaise with the movers early

 

The best movers start the planning process nice and early. They’ll ask you for a map and directions to your new house. They’ll even come and take a look at your bigger items and make a game plan for packing it up. I even gave them a picture of the new house, so they could figure out where to park the lorry up and unload.

 

Label your boxes and make a floor plan

 

I’d never done this before, but it made a huge difference. We all label our boxes (books, kitchenware, towels etc). But, in addition to this, colour code them according to which room they will go into. Then, give your movers a floor plan of the house. That way, all your boxes can go straight to the right room. It’s a little thing that makes a big difference!

 

Once you’re all moved in, order a takeaway and open a bottle of celebratory wine! You made it!

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