Every person has to move properties at least once in their life. Whether it is moving to the city for a job, after marriage or when you are ready to start a family, various considerations are taken into account when changing properties. Moving can be extremely stressful with the number of things that need to be considered. It includes legal, financial and other aspects, which require you to be extra careful and mindful of your actions. This article will provide you with some tips on how you can make the moving process less stressful.
Why Stress in the First Place?
According to a survey by Zillow and Care.com, more than 60 per cent of respondents decided against moving because of the stress they experienced. Hence, the anxiety or, for some, the depression that comes with planning to move houses is a very real problem. As humans, our daily routines and surroundings affect our comfort levels. Where individuals are already familiar with a particular environment in their house, it feels weird to adapt to something new. The uncomfortable feeling that comes with moving to an unknown city and having to worry about other family members, including children and pets, is a mental strain for the adult/s responsible. It is also stressful because of the amount of money involved. For example, moving to a new place requires a down payment and separate money for the movers, new furniture and other things.
Eight Ways to Make Moving Less Stressful
Moving to a new place can be mentally draining. This includes the struggle to move on from your emotional attachment to your old house and the mountain of things you must do now that your address is about to change. After collectively making a family decision on where you are moving into, here are eight of the most realistic tips that you can use to reduce stress.
First - Recognise That Moving is a Milestone Event
No article on the internet will give you enough tips to eliminate your stress completely. Stress will continue to play a role until you move and finish unpacking all your furniture and organising your home. But there are ways you can reduce it. Before ignoring your emotions, however, you need to acknowledge that you are moving and that it is perhaps a milestone event. Depending on the reason why you are moving, it could be a positive or negative milestone. Regardless taking a breath and acknowledging that it is not an easy matter is a start to handling and controlling the stress.
Write Down Your Checklist
Once you acknowledge the mammoth tasks ahead, it is time to look at ways to alleviate stress. Stress occurs when you do not know what to do. Hence, making a checklist tells your brain exactly what it needs to focus on. Write them in order of priority so that you will automatically check off one thing at a time from the list to ensure everything is under control. Doing this at the get-go leaves ample time to complete all that is needed. Note that it is vital for you to write down the checklist in a place you will constantly see.
Research on the New Neighborhood/City
As one reason to stress is the fear of the unknown, it is helpful to research the new area you are moving to comprehensively. Most people would have done this prior to confirming the house. However, there is nothing wrong with going through your past research again to assure yourself that the right choice was made. Look up the nearest grocery and fuel store, all of which will help you visualise the surroundings of your new neighbourhood. Knowing where is what is a way for your mind to train itself for the new environment. In other words, it helps to gain some form of comfort.
Time to Decide What You Need to Take
Most people struggle when deciding what to pack. The majority of the time, it is impractical to pack up everything in your old house. You, therefore, need to determine what items will be taken and donated. Hence it is crucial to start early. Make piles, separating what you will definitely bring and what you will leave behind. Children will find this part hard, choosing between what toys, for instance, are worthy enough to be taken. The way you pack the items is another crucial step. Be particularly careful with glass items which are prone to easy breaks. Pack them safely and label them, so it is easy for the movers to separate them.
Consider Professional Moving and Packing Help
Getting help is another significant tip to reduce your stress. Instead of calling your friends or family, talking to a professional move-in and pack-up service makes your life easier. Either they can handle the moving and packing up responsibilities or only be responsible for the safe delivery of items. Although this may be costly, it is money spent well. Not only does it provide you with a form of mental assurance and removes the stress of transporting the items, but it also guarantees the safety of all kinds of materials you are packing. Such services do not simply deliver the items to the new house.
Make Sure to Label Properly
With the number of items being moved, it may be hard to keep track of what you packed. Labelling, therefore, is an essential part of the packing process. Not only does it help you to clarify that you have packed a group of products, but it also makes it easy to find if one of the first things you want to unpack is that type of box. Moreover, having a label specifying which group it belongs to also helps those who handle the transportation of goods to be more careful. For instance, if the package is labelled ‘glass’, anyone carrying that box understands that more care must be given.
Dealing with Paperwork
You need to be careful with a range of documents when moving places. Pack everything securely, especially your lease, insurance policy, binding estimate, and inventory list. You must also store your identification cards in an accessible place during moving. This includes your driving license, passport, birth certificate, vehicle registration, medical records and related documents. Having all of these in a binder or categorised envelopes is best. Instead of packing up the file in some baggage, you should place it in your vehicle glove compartment, for instance. This is because some of these documents are needed while travelling to a new place.
Unpack Slowly
Once you get everything to your new home and you can finally focus on unpacking, note that you can take it slow. You should not strive to unpack everything on the first night. First, you need to thoroughly clean the house, no matter how brand new it is. Second, unpack section by section. Start with the kitchen or a bedroom, for instance. Consider which parts of the house you will most occupy for the day and prioritise that section. Do not also do it alone. Get other family members to help or find someone to assist you. While moving is an emotional process, during the moment you have to unpack stuff, it can also be physically tiring.
Being Organised is Key To Less Stress
Making a plan, being aware of what you pack, how you unpack, ensuring all documents are filed, and other tips mentioned above all come down to being organised. When you make a plan and implement it, you stay in control of the moving process. The more in control you feel, the less stress you are likely to feel. While there is no guarantee that your stress will completely vanish, you can prevent any anxiety or panic attacks from occurring by being organised. Acknowledge that moving is a hard process and have the mindset to be as thoroughly organised as possible.
