5 Ways to make moving house easier on yourself

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Moving house is one of the most stressful things you can do – it really is right up there with getting divorced and suffering bereavements. I’m still tired out from my big move, so much so that I can’t bear to start thinking about unpacking and am still up to my elbows in boxes! But there are ways that you can make the process of moving house a little easier on yourself – here are some tips to help.

Sort your belongings as you pack

First of all, make sure that you sort out your belongings as you pack – keep some bags for trash and for items that you’ll be donating next to you at all times. When you move into your new place you’ll be relieved to be starting over with a clean slate instead of trying to find a home for all the clothes you haven’t worn in the last three years and all the books that you’re definitely not planning on rereading.

Organise your boxes

It’s important to make sure that your boxes are organised. Label each side and carefully mark which boxes contain fragile items. Remember to put heavy items on the bottom of each box and lighter items on top of them, and use soft items like clothes to protect more fragile items so that you don’t have to use too much bubble wrap or paper. Pack by room, so that you can put each box into its new home as soon as you get to your new house.

Pack a first night bag

Make sure that you pack a box that you can use in your first night in your new house – you don’t want to have to go hunting through everything you own to find pyjamas or deodorant for the next morning. Keep toiletries in there along with towels, bed sheets and some basic food and drink items like tea bags, coffee, cereal, long-life milk, and crockery and silverware (or paper plates and plastic knives and forks).

Hire sitters

If you have kids or animals, it’s time to hire some babysitters and pet sitters. If you get lucky, you might be able to find someone who can look after both! Moving house is a prime time for any dogs or cats to go missing in all the confusion. Some cats can get stressed by moving house (I was really worried about my two furr babies during my move) and can start over-grooming or having toilet problems so it’s a good idea to only move them at the last minute, once all the mess and banging about has been done. And if you have young kids who can’t really help with moving then you want them kept safe and out of the way until the basics of your home are set up. Remember – as soon as they hit their teens they can absolutely help you carry some boxes!

Invest in professionals

It’s a great idea to invest in some professional help – after all, professional movers know what they’re doing much more than you do, and it’ll definitely help to get some of the burden of packing off your shoulders. It’ll also mean that you won’t have to rope in your friends and family to help you too much, and no one will get any injuries from picking up heavy boxes incorrectly. It’s also a good idea to hire some storage space, particularly if there’s a gap between getting out of your property and moving into your new one – check out companies like Extra Room Self Storage which can help you.

Good luck with you house move – I hope it goes smoothly and you don’t end up being as tired as I am after my big move! Please share any tips you have for moving home in the comments below – how did you make the process easier for yourself and your family?

This article is a sponsored collaboration. The pink links in the content indicate a sponsored link or information source. The blog post reflects my own experience and the sponsor hasn’t had any control over my content 🙂