To say moving is stressful is somewhat of an understatement. It’s listed as one of the top stressful life events a person can experience — along with divorce, job loss, or the death of a loved one. Between the scheduling, packing, cost and disruption, it’s a lot for anyone to handle.
But there are ways to minimize the stress involved. Going into such a significant life event prepared can help to make such a big transition a lot smoother. Here are four ways to manage your stress before, during, and after you’ve boxed up your whole life and moved to your new home.
Hiring the Right People
One of the critical things you can do to set up a move with less stress is to make sure you have the right people around you. It can make all the difference during the move process. For example, if you are buying a home in Hamilton, you’ll want to hire a real estate agent in Hamilton who knows the area. Local real estate agents can also provide references for the best real estate lawyer, home inspector, or movers.
Speaking of which, consider hiring movers to reduce your stress. If you hire movers, you won’t have to lift a finger on moving day, or deal with driving and returning the rental truck. If you’ve ever been through the headache of a moving day where you’re running the show yourself, letting professionals take care of you will be a welcome change.
Get Rid of Clutter
Clutter creates stress, and you can breathe easier if you tackle this item early and often. It’s a great idea to declutter before selling your home, both by packing away personal items and taking the opportunity to sell, donate or throw out what you no longer use.
Decluttering will make your home easier to clean and sell, but it will also allow you to pare down on your belongings before moving, so you’re not unnecessarily lugging items you don’t need any more from house to house.
Collect Boxes Early
It seems simple, but getting started on collecting boxes early will give you a big head start and avoid a frantic last-minute search for boxes. For several weeks before your move, start accumulating a stack of newspapers and boxes. Ask your friends if they have any extra boxes from their previous moves. Or ask your local grocery stores and retail outlets if they can provide you with some boxes.
Make a Plan
Don’t just haphazardly start packing items into random boxes; have a plan in place. Create a list of tasks that will need to be done on the big day and the schedules of the people helping you. Doing this in advance will help you have less stressful decisions to make in the moment on move-day and will eliminate a lot of stress during your move.
Another great way to do this is to pack your belongings by room. Clearly label each box based on the room from which it was packed. This way, when you unload boxes into your new house, you know which room you should deposit each box in.