Countdown To A House Move

Everyone in the house is on Code 1: Panic Stations. You’re moving house and it feels like the world is ending. Your time is spent flitting your mind between worrying about the new neighborhood, delighting over the idea of new space but then becoming dangerously close to flipping out over how much you have to do in so little time.

Okay. Deep breath. You’ve got this. It’s going to be fine. While there is (sadly) no way of waving a magic wand and making the stress of moving vanish, transporting you into your new home right now… there are ways and means of making it easier. The countdown may be on, and the panic level might be set to “stratospheric”, but you’re going to be okay. All you need is to manage your time and you’ll be settling in front of your new fireplace before you know it.

One Month Before

It’s time to start calling your various utility suppliers and informing them that you’re moving. In some cases, they might take the opportunity to upsell you to a new contract. This is not the time for that kind of decision. Just keep things focused on moving things exactly as they are.

It can be tricky to calculate the diary around this. You don’t want to lose your supply at your current home too close to the move, or you’re going to extend your stress even further. So long as you have a firm moving date in mind, you should be able to coordinate the switch off/switch on pretty close together.

Two Weeks Before

It’s time to begin the great decluttering – it’s going to take a while.

If you’re moving a vast distance, then you’re going to want to take as little as possible. That means focusing on necessities only; anything else is just going to add cost and stress when it comes to dealing with long-distance moving companies – so don’t do it. You want to transport as few items as possible, so be ruthless and get rid of absolutely anything you don’t need.

For shorter moves, you don’t have to be quite so cut-and-run about the process. But you are still very much going to need to thin the herd when it comes to your possessions. So get started around the two-week mark, so you have plenty of time to get rid of the discarded items and recycle what you can.

One Week Before

And now, the packing can begin.

Begin with the items you’re unlikely to need in the coming week before you move. Seasonal items, most clothes, children’s toys, and anything else that you don’t have to have to hand at any point. Leave yourself with a skeleton amount of cutlery, crockery, clothes, and various toiletries to see you through to moving day.

While you’re packing, have the washer whirring in the background. You need to have access to seven days of clean clothes through the last week, so you (and your kids) can change outfits every day without having to dip into boxes. Try and operate with a philosophy that once it goes into a box, it’s not coming out until you get to the new house.

Moving Day

It’s almost over! Only a little bit more to survive, and then your new home is yours to enjoy.