For many of us, moving to a new home is incredibly challenging. In fact, some studies have shown that moving home is often considered to be more stressful than divorce.
That doesn’t mean a high stakes, high tension home move is guaranteed – there are, in fact, many ways to reduce your stress and help you and your family feel settled without too much time and hassle.
Here are some practical tips to help you settle into your new home and ensure that you’re super organised during your move.
LEAVE THE HEAVY LIFTING TO THE PROFESSIONALS
‘I can manage this’, you snap, before the beloved family heirloom smashes into a thousand pieces on the floor. Indeed, someone, somewhere right now is arguing with a loved one about moving house, struggling under the weight of a box and clinging onto it in a way that would have Occupational Health grimacing.
So, first things first, it’s essential that you’re working with experienced moving companies when shifting all your stuff to a new location, rather than your famously clumsy kid brother or an over ambitious partner keen to carry everything and likely dropping half of it.
To avoid both injuries and flared tempers, leave the heavy lifting to the professionals. To check your tradesperson is certified and reliable, you can see if they are TrustMark certified and a member of the appropriate Trade Association.
MAKE A LIST OF EVERYTHING YOU NEED
Getting your new home into a liveable state can seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. Start by writing a list of everything you need to do, and ordering it by importance.
Some tasks, such as painting or putting up your artwork and pictures, are less urgent, while others, such as telling your doctor and bank about your address change and getting furniture, should take priority. Work out what you need to do straight away and what can wait, and then the project will feel more manageable.
You could even apply something popular in the corporate world, the Eisenhower Decision Matrix, to prioritise tasks. The core principle behind the matrix is that tasks of ‘urgency’ and ‘importance’ deserve distinguishing and separating in order to help you manage your time more effectively.
Daily tasks are divided into columns – important and urgent, important but not urgent, not important but urgent, not important and not urgent – and are then prioritised in terms of what you should do yourself and what you should delegate or abandon. Moving house never looked so optimised.
SET YOURSELF UP FOR A SYMBOLIC FIRST SLEEP
Now that you have a list of tasks in order of priority, you need to jump right into the elements that will restore that sense of ‘normality’ after your move as quickly as possible. For example, if you don’t have a safe space to sleep, including a comfortable mattress and bed, then you need to get that as soon as possible.
That first sleep in your new home is hugely symbolic, whatever the state of the property and your progress in unpacking. Fortunately, companies exist who can have you sleeping on a new mattress the day you move in. MattressNextDay are one such company; you can view their memory foam range here alongside pocket sprung options, divan beds and more.
You don’t want to be tumbling into your bed surrounded by dusty boxes, that’s for sure. So, endeavour to create a calming atmosphere in the bedroom as a matter of priority, by setting up your bed with fresh sheets and pillows and minimising the clutter in here for your first night.
REDIRECT YOUR BILLS
In the early stages of moving to a new home, it’s easy to get mixed up and overlook an important bill. There are many different providers and accounts, which can mean that it’s hard to keep track. Paper bills can easily get lost in the clutter that comes with moving to a new house. If you forget to pay a bill when it’s due, then this can lead to expensive late payment fees that can quickly mount up and take the shine off that ‘new house’ glow.
This is a rather long-winded way of saying that you’ll also want to get your mail redirected, ideally before you move in. The Royal Mail runs the official UK redirection service for the princely sum of a minimum £33.99. Yep, all that just to receive more bills; proof yet again that the world is trying to shaft us at every turn. A necessary evil, unfortunately.
Similarly, setting up new utilities before you arrive at your new gaff is important, too. You’ll want to ensure you have hot water, heating and electricity from the off, so set up utilities in your name, in advance – from the day you move in – so you’ll be accurately paying for your usage and not the previous occupants’. Items such as your TV licence and internet provider can usually be simply switched over to your new address, so check out the feasibility of this in advance, too.
Read: Moving house? Stress free relocation in 5 simple steps
THE BOTTOM LINE
Moving house is one of life’s most stressful events, but it’s also one that’s fulfilling, rewarding and defining. Settling in quickly is essential to avoid disruption and to start off your new life on the front foot. Good luck!