Take the Stress Out of Moving with Your Family
If your family home is no longer working for your family, it could be time to think about moving home so you can all get the space you need, and have better access to the various amenities you use as a family.
However, moving is stressful, and it may well be putting you off from doing the necessary.
If that is the case, here are some top tips to help you take the stress out of moving with your family:
Work out the finances
Before you commit to moving home, it’s a really good idea to sit down and crunch the numbers in advance. Take into account everything from buying the home to buyer stamp duty calculation if that is applicable in your area, and then the costs of moving itself.
Once you know how much everything is going to cost, it is far less likely that the financial aspect, at least, will stress you out because none of the costs will sneak up and take you unawares.
Tell the kids as soon as possible
If you have children, breaking the news about the move to them is something that you should do sensitively, and as soon as possible so that they can get used to the idea long before it happens.
Many kids do not like change, so as a parent, it is imperative that you beak the news carefully and ensure that you are there to answer any questions they may have.
The more informed they are, the less stressful it will be for them, and you, when the big day comes.
Declutter your home
Decluttering is a really important part of the moving process. When you have a lot of stuff, much of it never used or even needed, it can weigh you down. It can take you three times as long to pack and unpack, and that is a stressful situation just waiting to happen.
As a family, take your time to go through each room in your home, evaluating everything that is in it. If it is not useful, necessary or loved, donate it or throw it away depending on condition; lighten your load and make your move easier on the whole family.
Referral: CleanArte Maid Service, Houston offers move-in cleaning and move-out cleaning services in Houston, Texas and the surrounding areas. This is an intensive cleaning that includes inside of closets, cabinets, drawers and much more.
Plan for your pet
If you have cats or dogs, they can get particularly stressed out on moving day, so it is a good idea, if you can, to have a friend or family member look after them while you’re loading everything up.
If you don’t have anyone who can take them, then doggy daycare or similar is probably the safest place for them because they won’t be able to get stressed and make a break for it, leaving you looking for them everywhere when you should be packing up and moving on.
Research your removal company
Ideally, you should choose your removal company as soon as you know you are going to be moving so that you can get a slot at your preferred time and date.
You should also make sure that you do your research about the company because some removalists are much better than others.
If you want to find a reliable company, asking friends and family who have moved recently is often the best way to go about it because they will be the most honest with you, but if that isn’t possible, you can use online reviews to help you out.
Oh, and be sure to get a quote from at least three of the best companies so you can choose the one that offers you the best value for money too.
Start packing early
Okay, so you won’t be able to pack everything up months in advance because you need plates to eat off, and bedding to sleep on, and so on; but there are lots of things in the home that you don’t use regularly, and which it would be pretty easy to pack away in advance.
Do that, even if it means packing one or two items a day for a few months, and you can avoid the mad packing dash in the few days leading up to your house move.
Pack by room
Packing by room is also a really good way to take the stress out of packing because it means you can pack the contents of each room, in the same place, so that when it comes to unpacking again, you will have a much easier job on your hand.
Just make sure that you label each and every box with the room and contents or you could be in for a stressful time after all!
Keep important documents safe
Before you move, buy a box file and put all of your important papers, like passports and birth certificates in it and leave it in the trunk of the car or somewhere else safe where it is unlikely to go missing.
Even the best removal companies can lose the occasional box, so by protecting your important documents and keeping them separate, you can minimize the impact on your family if that were to happen.
Move on the weekend
Most people will tell you not to move on the weekend because it is far busier, but if you have children of school age, it’s often a good idea to move on a Friday evening or Saturday morning so that they can have a couple of days to settle in.
Plus, they might even make a neighborhood friend or two before they have to go to class. This will help them to feel more secure in their environment and less scared about starting at a brand new school with lots of people they don’t know.
Set up the utilities
Oh, and if you want to be comfortable at your new home, be sure to set up all of the utilities in advance of you getting there so you can actually use the power and enjoy your first night there.
Finally, if you can visit your new home before moving in, cleaning the place and making it nice will be really good idea too.
