Moving day can be one of the most stressful times in your life, and for good reason: you’re literally uprooting your home and moving it elsewhere. Whether this is across the street or across the country, you need some simple and effective ways to reduce moving day stress.
With all the complications and decisions to make on moving day, how can you keep your calm and ensure a successful move? First, you should hire a reputable moving company who can make your life easier. Next, you need to reduce your stress! This may sound impossible, but with these 7 simple tips, your next moving day will be much less stressful.
- Prepare in advance (way in advance)
Preparing for a move requires a blog post of its own, but a few quick planning tips here will help you beat moving day stress. First, take the time to write out your moving day plan from start to finish. Having a game plan to follow makes things a lot easier (but don’t forget tip 7!). Make sure you ask for time off from work (if necessary) and talk to your family – especially kids – about the move. Finally, take care of logistical items such as shutting off / turning on utilities and securing home insurance documents.
- Have a packing plan
How will you get all your stuff safely and securely into boxes? Some homeowners prefer the DIY approach to packing, but others choose to hire moving company packing services. There are benefits to both ways, but we recommend hiring movers & packers – it’s faster, more efficient, and a great way to relieve the very real stress of packing.
- Make an inventory
Remember the game plan from tip 1? Now create one for each room in your house. Having a complete list of all your possessions, what rooms they are in, and where they are supposed to go, can take a lot of stress out of moving. You don’t have to remember everything! Your moving company will be happy to help with this inventory (and you should get one in your contract).
- Remember to breathe
This tip applies to most stressful situations in your life, but it’s so effective, we had to mention it here. Even during moving day, take a minute or two to simply close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. With your organizational skills and an experienced moving company, everything will be okay!
- Have a plan for your pets
Pets (especially dogs and cats) can add another layer of stress to moving day, especially if they aren’t well-behaved. Having a plan for your pets, like this one can make your next moving day much more manageable.
- Keep essential items nearby
You want to have an emergency stash of food, clothing, and accessories ready in case you can’t get to your stuff right away. Worrying about the big task of unpacking after a full day of moving can be stressful, so packing essentials to get you through a day or two while you unpack can save your sanity.
- Be flexible
This may seem counter-intuitive, but one of the worst things you can do is try and plan moving day down to the minute. Yes, you should plan it out (see tip 1), but keep in mind that things can (and will) change. Kids may cause delays, or there might be an unforeseen traffic jam, and you’ll have to adjust. By building extra time into your schedule and expecting the unexpected, your stress will melt away.
Bonus tip: Hire great help
Just check out these Yelp! reviews – you’ll hear from real people that nothing is more important to a successful move than hiring an experienced and professional Jersey City moving company.
Beating stress on moving day will make the first night in your new home (or first day in your new office) a pleasant and positive experience!
How do you beat stress on moving day? Let us know in the comments.
