Moving to a new house is undoubtedly one of the most stressful events in your life. However, with the right planning and perspective, you can ease the strain and make the whole process more straightforward and manageable.
Take a look at these handy tips on coping with relocation stress that will help you go through this challenging time.
1. Accept the change
Perhaps the very first thing to do is to embrace the right attitude. You might be relocating for a variety of reasons, both exciting and less exciting, but once it’s a fact, the way you think about it will define the whole experience. Go for a lighter view – after all, it’s a new chapter in your life!
2. Come up with a moving plan
And not just that – stick to it and complete all tasks one by one. If you don’t want your relocation to drag on for months, come up with specific deadlines for each big task. Terminating your rental contract with a landlord or selling your house, sorting out utility services, packing, disposing of unnecessary belongings and a myriad other tasks – all of this takes time. Start well in advance and take one step at a time.
3. Start saving
On top of being emotionally challenging, moving to a new house can be quite expensive too, especially if you’re relocating to another state. To plan your moving budget accurately, you can request quotes from moving companies. Most of them do this for free. Based on the volume of belongings you want to take to your new place, they will be able to provide you with a cost estimation.
4. Hire a moving company
Unless you’re moving locally, hiring a moving company is important to make your relocation process easier. For a long distance move, make this task one of your priorities. Working with a reliable long distance moving company will also help you sort out insurance and secure your belongings during transportation.
5. Start packing early
There’s a good reason everyone dreads a house full of cardboard boxes and the mayhem it creates. Things always go hectic with packing but at least when you start early, you can spare yourself a tremendous last-minute stress.
Before anything else, decide if you want to pack on your own or order your moving company to do that for you. If you want to handle this task yourself, start sourcing packing supplies. Local shops owners will probably give you lots of cardboard boxes for free.
6. Dispose of unnecessary items
The more belongings you’re going to take with you, the more expensive your relocation will be. It’s quite hard to discard your things, especially if they have an emotional value, but more often than not you just can’t take everything with you.
Put aside things that you’re not going to need – and do so before you start packing. You can help your moving budget by selling some items on eBay, Craigslist or social media.
7. Take care of your documents
Create a box with all personal documents, credit cards and valuable paperwork. Losing passports and credit cards in the hustle and bustle of relocation is more common than you think. The same goes for keys.
8. Choose the big day carefully
Not everyone has a luxury of plenty of time when relocating. Sometimes, this decision must be taken very quickly. But if you do have enough time ahead of you to plan most things, carefully consider the date. Is it in the middle of a crazy holiday season? Is half the country going on vacation? Is weather expected to be nasty? Moving company quotes might differ based on such variables so it’s better to consider them when planning your move.
Try to come up with a date that falls in a category of a normal business day.
9. Pack your survival kit
When the real fun starts on your moving day, it’s important to come prepared. Pack a bag of essentials a day or two before and make sure it’s always within an easy reach. This bag should contain a provision of snacks and drinks, toiletries, cash, keys and phone chargers so that whatever happens, it’ll get you through the day.
10. Use all the help you can get
The more helping hands you can get, the better. You can’t afford to break your budget by having to order every single service from third parties. Talk with your family and friends and keep them posted on your progress. Having someone to talk the process through can also help you come up with creative ideas and solutions.
11. Be supportive
If this is a family relocation, remember that your loved ones are going through just as much stress as you do. Offer support, sympathize and share your own perspective. Children and elders are particularly sensitive to big changes so offer them all support you can.
About the author: Alice Korobka is a content writer for TMQ.us with a keen interest in the moving industry. Her content usually covers practical tips for people looking forward to their relocation.
