Moving house is one of those rare life moments that you look forward to and possibly dread at the same time. On one hand, it marks the end of one chapter of your life. However, on the other hand, it represents the beginning of the next phase.
While this can be both an emotional and exciting time for many families, it also runs alongside the practical chaos of packing up boxes, managing schedules, and completing to-do lists. When children are involved, the process can be even more mentally taxing because everywhere you look, memories live in bedrooms, hallways, and backyards.
With that in mind, it’s not surprising that they say moving home is one of the hardest things you have to do in life. That said, with the right approach, families can make the move feel much calmer and organised.
In this post, we’ll explore some stress-free moving tips families can embrace as they move from one home to the next. Hopefully, they will make relocating a little bit easier for you.
Why Does Moving House Feel So Emotional for Families?
For many Aussie families, their homes are much more than just the buildings where they live. They are places that hold routines, milestones, and familiar comforts, which can also help them feel comfortable and secure.
Children, in particular, often form strong emotional connections to places because they associate them with safety and a sense of belonging. Adults can also feel this, especially when they’ve been in a home through significant life stages, such as getting married and starting a family.
The emotional impact of moving house isn’t necessarily obvious at first. Instead, it can sometimes be a slow burner that affects people in different ways. For example, children might become withdrawn or unsettled. At the same time, adults can feel pressure to keep everything running smoothly, which often leaves them feeling a bit tense or snappy.
How to Prepare Children for a House Move
Some children do not like change. So, the best way to prepare yours for a house move is to start the process as early as possible. Kids cope better when they know what is going on and why it is happening. Therefore, try to have a few simple conversations with them to keep them in the loop.
It is also a good idea to get them to help you pack their room. At the same time, try to get them excited about moving to the new home. Good ways to do this are to take them to a viewing and get them familiar with the local area, in particular, parks, swimming pools, and playgrounds.
Ways To Make Moving Home Less Stressful
For any family moving home, there is plenty to organise. So, it pays to have a plan. Following these stress-free family moving tips with Muval is a good start. But here are some other things you can do.
1. Create a Moving Checklist
The first thing you should do is create a moving checklist. In other words, a timeline that outlines all the major tasks you need to work through. This is important because once you’ve written down what you need to do, it becomes easier to complete those tasks. You will also be able to keep track better of everything you have done.
After curating this list, it is a good idea to assign small tasks to each family member. This will ensure that the workload doesn’t fall entirely on you. For children, you can actually turn their tasks into a game and even incentivise them to do it by saying you’ll give them a treat afterwards.
2. Declutter
When you know you’re moving, it can be tempting to start packing everything you own right away into boxes. However, a better approach is to declutter first.
Moving house is always a good opportunity to reset and streamline your possessions. Therefore, take the time to go through every room in your house and divide your belongings into five categories. These could be:
- Keep
- Sell
- Donate to charity
- Recycle
- Take it to the rubbish tip
By doing this, you will reduce the number of items that need to be packed, transported, and unpacked in your new home. Decluttering can also be very beneficial to your mental health.
3. Pack Strategically
For many families, packing is the most stressful part of the whole moving process. However, it pays to take a strategic approach.
To start with, you’ll need to gather all the necessary materials, including boxes, packing tape, bubble wrap, and void filler. Once you’ve got this, you might find it helpful to pack your stuff on a room-by-room basis.
In doing this, you’ll retain a sense of organisation and control. Just make sure you label all your boxes with the name of the room they were packed in. This will make it easier to unpack when you arrive in your new home.
4. Pack a Moving Day Bag
Amid the chaos of moving day, many families forget to pack a box of essential items that they can easily access. Usually, this is taken with them in the car rather than in the moving truck. It is particularly important to do this if you are relocating long-distance and will need to stay somewhere overnight.
The essentials box should contain items you’ll need whilst in transit or for your first night in your new home. This may include:
- Changes of clothes
- Toiletries
- Chargers
- Comfort items (especially for small children)
- Books or toys
- Snacks
The last thing you’ll want is to not be able to recharge your phone or change into a new set of clothes because you packed everything in the truck.
5. Settle Into Your New Home Quickly
Moving home can be a real upheaval. So, when you land in your property, a wise thing to do is to try to settle into it as quickly as possible.
Many experts suggest setting up the kitchen first, followed by the family’s main bedrooms. Once you’ve done this, you will all have somewhere to make meals, relax and sleep in.
You might want to order an Uber Eats delivery for your first night in the house, or have a prepared meal you can heat up. At the same time, regardless of how much packing you have to do, make sure you take time out from unpacking to relax with your partner and the kids.
The sooner you start treating your new place like a family home, the quicker everyone will settle into it. Here are some other ways to make a new home feel familiar.
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