Tips For A Stress-Free Moving Day

If you are like most people, then moving house can be a double edged sword. While it’s always exciting to be moving into a new house, neighborhood, or even a new city, moving comes with a lot of stress, heavy lifting and large costs. However, with the proper planning, moving can be fun and even stress-free. Before you even think about packing, run the “what I need to book” checklist.

This can include organizing the switch of necessities like power, phone and internet connections. If you are using professional movers make sure you book them well in advance. If you are moving on the weekend, like most working professionals, a mover’s booking sheet can fill up fast, so you want to make sure you get in there quickly to avoid disappointment. Another thing to book early is the cable guy. These digital installers tend to work odd hours and weekend bookings can fill up fast. With New Zealand going digital later in the year, procrastinating on this could lead to a few weeks without television. Another important item is changing your address at the post office. If you have a few weeks before you move, then it makes sense to change it there first, timing the change for the move in date. That way you have a grace period of a few weeks to get your address changed permanently at the various places like the bank, doctors office etc. Organising insurance is another major issue. Make sure you contact your insurance provider and arrange for your change in address. This is important for those renting as well as home owners. Lastly, think of anything else you receive at your current address regularly, like the newspaper and change the address accordingly.

Packing up the house

Before you start packing it is a good idea to stock pile newspaper and boxes. However many boxes you think you need, it’s probably more. Ask around at the local supermarkets and fast food restaurants, they generally have tough boxes and have no problem giving them to customers. It’s a good idea to pack methodically room by room, ensuring the heaviest items are placed at the bottom of the box. Make sure you label the boxes with the items and room they will be shipped to. Try to even out the weight in the boxes i.e. if you have soft toys and books, try and fill up half the box with books and the other with soft toys. Moving is also a great excuse to get rid of that clutter you have been meaning to clear out. Give family members or friends any belongings you may have borrowed, and sell or donate anything else you no longer have a use for. Try and do a little bit every night after work or on the weekends. Taking your time will ensure nothing gets missed or broken and by the time moving day arrives everything is done and ready to go. There is nothing worse than hysterically trying to pack boxes while the moving truck is outside.

Organise the move

If you are hiring movers then the hard part is done. Just be sure to take an inventory of your belongings and clearly label the fragile items. If you are moving yourself then you will probably need to hire a truck and enlist the help of some unsuspecting family and friends. While most of your belongings will go into the moving truck, it’s a good idea to keep the important stuff close by, this is specifically important if you are moving cross or out of-country. This includes things like jewelry, medication, documents such as financial and banking information, passports and birth records, and anything else that is particularly precious or irreplaceable to you and your family.

Keep the most needed items close by

When you get to the new house, chances are you will be living in a forest of boxes for a few days. It’s a good idea to separate the things you will need right away. I always look for the coffee, bedroom linen, towels, toilet paper and other sundry items, cleaning supplies, rubbish bags and kitchen elements like mugs, plates and cutlery. Keeping these things close by means you won’t be tearing apart several boxes at once to find coffee filters and shampoo.

Unpacking and setting up

Unpacking can be a daunting task, especially for a large household. It is a good idea to start with the things you will need the most like kitchen items and furniture. Once the furniture is in place, the rest seems to just fall in with it. Having all of the labeled boxes in their individual rooms also helps reduce clutter in one area. Try and unpack the main living area first and carry on from there. Once there is space to move you can start doing the fun stuff like taking measurements for pictures and other decorative items.

Remember moving can be stressful but it also can be a lot of fun. Setting up life in a new place can be an exciting experience, and with the proper planning and attitude, it can be easy as well.