It’s no secret that moving home can be stressful for the whole family. As the adults and parents in this situation, you might be struggling with many aspects of the move like worrying about money, packing, and making all of the arrangements for your move. And, the children in this situation, might be finding it hard to come to terms with the move, especially if they’re leaving the only home they’ve ever known and have fond memories there.
When this happens, your family needs someone to be the glue that holds everyone together to make it easier for everyone. So, let’s look at some great ways to organise things so your move can be as stress-free as possible.
Get a team of people together
One of the most daunting parts of moving home is the time and energy it takes to move everything from your old home to your new one, especially if at the moment, it’s just you and your partner doing all of the heavy lifting. Why not make things easier for yourself? Rally your friends and family to help you move! Not only will it take a great deal of stress off of your mind, but it will make the whole process much faster too. In return, you could pay for everyone to have takeout at the end of the day.
However, some people aren’t fortunate enough to have family and friends who can make the time to come and help. If this sounds familiar, it might be worth paying for a moving company to come and pack, remove, and transport your belongings to your new home. While it might be an expenditure you hadn’t considered, it might be worth it if it unloads some of that stress.
Arrange childcare
You want this move to be as easy for your children as possible. Not only that, but having them around when you’re hauling boxes to and fro is just going to make life harder. Instead, take the time to sort out childcare so that your kids can have a nice day with a family member or a friend. You and your partner will be able to concentrate on moving and your children will have a welcome distraction from any anxieties they may have about moving.
Alternatively, if you are using a moving company, you could spend “moving day” doing something fun as a family! Even if it’s something as simple as a nature walk with some disposable cameras, it will give your family the headspace before moving into your new home.
Check out your new area
While you may have viewed your new home, there’s a good chance you haven’t checked out everything that your new area has to offer. Now is the perfect time to do a little research! Go and see what amenities are available nearby, which stores you’ll be shopping for groceries in, and even take the time to do an internet speed test so you know what to expect when you move in. Doing this will allow you to prepare any changes you might like to make before moving in. For example, if the internet speed is slow, you can arrange for an upgraded plan or buy an extender.
Either way, knowing what you’re walking into will help you ease any worries your family might have about moving. Plus, you might even find a hidden gem that everyone will enjoy!
Have a huge sort-out
When packing to move, it’s not unusual to sit back and realize just how much stuff you’ve gathered as a family over the years. Now, you might be in a position to take all of it to your new home, but if you’ve downsized, now’s the time to have a huge sort out of your belongings.
Sit down together and create piles of things you’re going to keep, things that will be donated, and things you’ll throw away. And, if you’re struggling to let go of items, use the six-month rule. If you’ve not used it in the last six months and won’t in the next, and it holds no sentimental value, then it’s probably time to part ways with it.
This is also a good chance to make a little bit of extra cash too! You might have some belongings that you don’t want anymore that you could sell! There are lots of avenues like Facebook Marketplace or eBay that make selling your items really easy!
Find ways of getting the children excited about the move
For some children, the idea of moving into a new home is an exciting prospect. But, for many, it can also be a sad time because they’re leaving their childhood home. And, if you’re moving a considerable distance away, they might be leaving friends behind.
Use the research you did in your new area to get your children excited about the move. You could arrange a tour of their new school, or give them the chance to design their new bedroom in their new home.
Remember that they might simply need time to adjust to their new surroundings too! Giving them a means of keeping in touch with their old friends might also help the transition, whether that’s writing letters or having a weekly Skype call to catch up!
Tie up any loose ends
There are a lot of things to think about when moving home, so it’s understandable that you might be feeling a little frazzled out. Here are some things to remember to do before moving so that you don’t forget:
- Finalize your moving date with your real estate agent
- Warn your service providers like your water, gas, and electric that you’re moving so they can generate a final bill. Then, pay off the final bills that you owe
- Let services like the milkman know that you’re moving home
- Inform your neighbors that you’re moving!
- Transfer your internet service in plenty of time so you’ve got internet on a moving day
- Make any final repairs to your home. This is particularly relevant to those hoping to get a security deposit back!
- Rehome any pets you can’t take with you.
- Arrange transport for you, your family, and any pets coming to the new home
- Get in touch with friends and family members to give them your new address
- Use up food in your home
- Arrange a grocery shop to arrive just after you’ve moved into your new home
- Redirect your mail to your new address
Bid farewell to your home!
Finally, whatever your reason for moving, the home you’re moving out of has been your family home. And, even if you haven’t lived there for that long, there’s a good chance you made plenty of happy memories there.
Take the time to say goodbye to your home! Arrange one last hurrah and invite family and friends to come over for drinks and snacks. Lots of people find that doing this helps to give them the closure they need before starting a new chapter in their lives. It doesn’t have to be anything big either – just some board games, enough drinks for everyone, and a butt load of pizzas will be more than enough to bid farewell to your home.
There’s no doubt that moving home can be stressful. But, as you can see, with a bit of clever preparation, it doesn’t have to be anywhere near as stressful as you’d imagined it to be. Use this guide to help you make your upcoming move as easy as possible for your family.
