The Lazy List - Taking the Struggle Out of Moving Home
- Written by News Company
Moving house can more difficult and stressful than first imagined. It often starts out as an exciting venture, finding somewhere new and picturing where everything is going to go, but when it comes to crunch time moving house can be an incredibly expensive and costly exercise.
Quite often, this stress comes not only from the logistics of moving but also the loss of the neighbourhood you have been living in, the comfort of familiar surroundings, habits, parks and cafes. It can be a very disrupting process so the more you do to make the transition easier on yourself, the better.
Plan Ahead
Moving is one of those things that people seem to always put off until the last minute. You don’t want to live in a house full of boxes. The minute you pack something, it turns out that you do use it and need it all of a sudden. But creating a checklist and even a countdown calendar can eliminate a lot of last minute panic.
Plan what you pack, categorise everything as much as you can, and create a room plan for your new house so you know exactly what boxes and furniture you want to go where. Doing this will save a whole lot of double handling and ‘lost’ items down the track.
Removalists
Book a removalist in advance to make sure you get them on the dates you want. Find a removalist that has been recommended to you or has a trusted brand, going budget might save money up front but can be disastrous. Some removalists in Brisbane will even pack and unpack for you which can save you a whole lot of headache.
Make a Moving Kit
Have a designated bag that has your moving essentials in it so that you’re not constantly searching for the pen or tape whenever you start packing a new box. In the bag goes the essentials for moving – Sharpie, packing tape, coloured labels, scissors, Stanley knife, and anything else that you want to add to your essentials (like a room plan). Make a kit, keep the things in there, and stay organised.
Colour Code Your Boxes
You might have noticed coloured labels as part of the moving kit, this is in line with the whole room plan idea. Colour code your boxes so you can easily figure out, or tell the removalist what goes where. It’ll save you time and effort instead of having to lug around the boxes later.
Be Ruthless
You need to be purging as you pack. There’s no point paying to take something with you when you don’t use it, or will just end up throwing it out once you arrive at your new place. So, think about what you’re going to need/not need in your new home and get rid of anything that you aren’t using anymore or that you don’t need. Clothes, furniture, books and other items can be donated to charity, so plan a trip to Salvos and try to have everything sorted out to take in one load.
Either that, or you can have a big garage sale. Garage sales can be great fun and a good way for you and/or your children to make some pocket money. Garage sales also give you an extra incentive to get rid of more things because there’s an avenue to make a bit of money back off them. Whatever you decide to do, be sure to clear out everything you don’t really like or need. It’ll save you time and money packing and moving.
By planning thoroughly and booking in a quality removalist, you can take a lot of the stress out of moving and try to bring back some of that excitement about moving to a new house and exploring a new suburb, city or country!
Image from: https://www.thespruce.com/help-your-dog-settle-new-home-2436395