Moving house is challenging for most people. However, something need not be disastrous just because it is difficult. It is feasible to transfer homes in a way that reduces the stress that comes with the procedure.
Moving house is an inherently chaotic process because you have to break up the order you have imposed on your home. But below we explain how you can make the process easier for yourself.
BRS Property Management brings you these steps that will help you impose order on the chaos of moving. By being able to move house in an orderly manner, you will reduce the amount of stress you experience.
1. Start early
When faced with a difficult task, most of us tend to put it off until a more convenient time – when we imagine the work will be easier. But postponing a chore never makes it easier. Indeed, it becomes harder because, in addition to the difficulty of the job, we are now under time pressure, as well.
The number one way to ease the stress of a house move is to plan and start early; it gives you enough time to fix your mistakes.
2. Pack your stuff gradually
Part of the difficulty of getting started with a house move is the overwhelm you experience when you think of it. Neutralize this feeling by breaking the work into small packets.
Rather than thinking of how much work it will take to clear out a room, think of how much time it will take to pack the contents of a single drawer. Start your packing weeks before and you will be surprised at how far you can get.
3. Plan your move
If you don’t have a solid plan for executing the move, you will be pulled in many different directions at once. You are likely to give attention to whatever catches your fancy or appears easiest. The result is you will have a lot of unfinished packing since you constantly abandon one task to begin another. In the end, you will expend a lot of energy but fail to accomplish much.
Having a plan means estimating the number of packing supplies you will need, the time it will take to pack, how many hours you need to dedicate each day, and which rooms you should begin with. It also means devising a method for packing and labeling boxes that makes them easy to handle and identify.
4. Pack in phases
Preferably, begin by packing the least used items in your home. If you start packing early and do it indiscriminately, you will only add to your stress. That’s because you will end up packing stuff you will need before moving day.
You then have to unpack boxes to find those items. And if you don’t know which boxes they are packed in, you may have to search through every box. This not only disorganizes the boxes, but it will explode your stress levels. Every home has items and spaces that are seldom used or that you can manage without. Begin with those.
In addition to making the packing process simpler, packing in stages will guarantee that your goods are organized when you get to your new house.
5. Create an inventory
Making an inventory of your belongings will keep things from going missing. It will also let you know the contents of each box without needing to open them up. To inventory your stuff, keep a dedicated notepad with you as you pack.
After having identified a box correctly by labeling it with the right color code, record each item as you put it into the box. When you unpack in your new home, you will do the reverse by ticking off each item as you take it out of its box.
6. Make space on your calendar
If you have to worry about things that are left undone, while you are packing, you will not do a good job. The more focused you are, the less stress you will feel, and the more efficient you will be. If necessary, take time off work, schedule a whole weekend, or get someone to look after your small children. Also, get some sleep before you start to pack, it will help you relax.
7. Get some extra hands
You can bribe your friends and family to help you; promise lunch, pizza, drinks, or something they would like. Two or three pairs of hands are much better than one. You will have fun and finish the packing in record time. If you don’t want to involve anyone from outside your home, marshal and organize your family. Even little children can help, as long as you guide them.
8. Keep valuables close
Worrying about the safety of your valuables during a move will make you tense. Save yourself that stress by packing important stuff – financial/medical documents, medication, jewelry, personal records, credit cards, laptops, Smartphones and chargers, keys, etc. – in a bag that you keep with you all the time.
Finally, in a separate suitcase, pack everything you will need on your first night in your new home. This should include a change of clothes, bathroom and toilet essentials.
