Moving House Without Losing Your Mind*

Did you know that moving house is considered one of the most stressful life events you can face? If you’re lucky it can all move forward without too many hitches, never leaving you panicking about finding somewhere to live, but it still brings with it a whole job’s worth of admin, stress and sleepless nights, not to mention the expense!

There are ways to help it go smoother though, between taking time out from the move all together and dividing jobs, you might be able to enjoy the big transition. Here are a couple of those ways that can help you get through it without too much of a headache;

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Plan
Unless you’re very unlucky indeed, moving house should come with a lot of warning, whether it’s you choosing to move or your landlord selling your flat. If the notice period you’ve been given feels too short for comfort, double check both your contract and your statutory rights: reminding your landlord of the contract or of the law of the law of the land may not be comfortable but it will give you the time you need to find a new home.

Using this time effectively is the key to success. Start to set actions to accomplish each month, week and eventually day to ensure you meet the targets you need to move without stress on your last day in your property.

This can include contacting estate agents, organising viewings, finding boxes and buying tape, and packing up each room. Hiring a house packing service. If you’re moving with someone else, be they a partner or simply housemates who you’re sharing with, make sure you’re splitting the load equally. Buying a calendar or wall planner you stick up in the kitchen means everyone can see the deadlines, and everyone knows what they have to contribute which helps people with motivation.

Usually you have one big moving day, if you’re worried about getting everything done within the alotted time, perhaps look at hiring a moving company to help, or rope in some friends with offers of payment in pizza (yes, I’ve done that and it works quite well!)

Take Time Off
You can’t let moving house take over your whole life. While I can’t advocate taking a holiday the week you have to sign your contracts (things worked out fine though), finding a weekend in the middle of the stress to spend doing fun, relaxing things will help to recharge you, and remind you that there is life at the end of the tunnel.

A fun thing you could do is go and spend some time in the area you’re moving to. Trying out local pubs, parks and eateries, as well as hanging out with friends who already live in the area will help you establish your new favourites and reassure you that your social life isn’t going to adversely affected by a move to a new area. Instead you’ll move in feeling ready to go!

Althought moving family home is ranked up there as one of the most stressful things to happen in your adult life, you can make it easier on yourself if time is on your side. Try to look at it as a fun adventure rather than a stressful chore!