Think about it. You’re going to pack up everything you own, every stitch of clothing; every knife and fork; every bottle in the wine rack; everything except the kitchen sink; pack them into a truck, drive them to a new place, unload them and put them away again.
And that’s going to go perfectly smoothly? Yeah, right.
Moving is one of life’s most stressful events for obvious reasons. Especially if you don’t move often, it means uprooting your comfy existence, and, as exciting as it is to move to a new home, it’s not easy.
But there are ways to reduce the amount of stress you experience throughout the move and better manage any stress that you can’t avoid. Here are our top 5 ways you can have a less stressful move:
1. Be Prepared for Problems
You can’t prevent something from going wrong. But the more prepared you are for the fact that, no matter what precautions you take, there will be problems, the better you’ll be able to deal with the inevitable when it happens.
It’s important to keep things in perspective too. If someone breaks a drinking glass, it’s no biggie. Of course, for those things that are ‘biggies’, you’ll need to make sure you do everything you can to protect and handle them so they aren’t damaged. But try to keep your perspective on what’s really important to minimize the number of items that might stress you out if they get a scratch.
2. Make a List & Check it Twice
Even though it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to stick to them point by point, the more you plan and make lists of ‘things to do’, the better prepared you’ll be for everything you need to do. Most people don’t realize the incredible number of details involved in every move and planning gives you a good idea of what you’re up against.
3. Keep One Room in the Old House & One in the New House Completely Free of Boxes and Clutter
Clutter is one of the great stressors in our home. That’s why it feels so good when you clean up. In the midst of your move, it’s good to have a place to go, for a short break, or to have your meals, that is as removed from the stress as possible. Designate one room as the ‘stress-free’ zone, and, while you can move things into and out of the room, don’t leave any boxes or other clutter in the room.
4. Get Rid of Everything You Can
Before the move, get rid of anything that you can live without. Have a garage sale, ask friends if they need anything, give stuff to charities or recycle it; however you do it, when you get rid of things before the move, the less you’ll have to stress over during the move.
5. Think Twice About a DIY Move
Moving can be costly, even if you don’t go out and buy all new stuff so you have less to move. So you might not want to add to the cost by hiring a mover. But when you weigh the ‘cost’ of the added stress of a DIY move, the extra time it takes and the increased risk of damage and/or personal injury, and compare it all to the relatively low cost of hiring even a reputable mover, the less sense a DIY move makes.
It’s Your Move.
It can be less stressful. Call us here at Bradford Moving & Storage to find out more.