Taking the Stress out of Relocating | #CP

There may well come a time when you need to move house to a bigger home, to be closer to a better school, or maybe for a new job; there are many possible reasons to relocate, but no matter much you might want to move, it is still an immensely stressful undertaking. I should know, i have done it twice already and i have even written about this subject before on the Huffington Post back in 2015.

Thankfully there are some actions i recommend you can take to reduce the stress levels and keep everyone reasonably sane.

Planning
Once you have a moving date set, make a plan of all the actions you need to take and preparation that needs completing. Make sure the whole family gets stuck in helping with the preparatory tasks, and encourage the kids to feel motivated by getting them to start planning their new bedrooms. Make sure you list all the key dates in the process and that everyone knows what they are responsible for.

Disposal
People tend to accumulate hordes of possessions over the years, so if you don’t use it or need it, get rid of it. Sell, donate, recycle where possible but be ruthless about keeping your old junk. It will involve time and expense to pack, move, unpack and sort at the other end, which you can avoid if you have a good clear out.

Storage
Consider what you have in your house or garden that you don’t need but don’t want to get rid of. Anything that is not essential to your day to day life can be boxed up and stored while you move. You can then concentrate on getting your new home sorted and ready to live in without scores of boxes full of things you don’t need, cluttering up your new home. Take as many of your belongings as you can to a secure self storage facility, such as the units at Morespace Storage, then you can tackle the unpacking when it’s more convenient.

Moving day
The big question will be whether you hire a van and move everything yourself, or get a specialist removal firm in to do it for you. The decision could well come down to finance. After all, removal firms can be pricey, but they will save an enormous amount of work and stress, even packing for you if you want them to. Moving under your own steam can be a lot of fun if you get friends and family involved to ease the load. It’s worth considering moving the smaller items yourself and getting a relatively low-cost man and van service to take bulkier items or the contents of sheds and garages. The key is to get as much help as you can.


There’s no avoiding an element of stress when it comes to moving to a new house, but with a degree of planning, you should be able to minimise the effects. Keep in mind the outcomes resulting from all your efforts, for example, how great it will be for the kids to have their own rooms, or a bigger garden to play in. Take some time to plan and make a realistic timetable, and your move should go more smoothly.

Karl Young

Part-time daddy and lifestyle blogger. Father of 2 boys under 2. Golfer, scare-fan, tea-lover, traveller, squash and poker player. I write on the @HuffPostUK http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/karl-young/

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