How to Manage the Stress of Moving Day

It’s M-Day, and not since the invasion of Normandy has so much work gone into planning. You’re in command and your troops are at the ready for their assignments. Question is – are you ready too?

The odds are that you’re the one responsible for organising the move. Sure, your family, friends, helpers and professional movers will be on hand, but they’re going to take their cue from you. So the more prepared you are, the easier the process will be for everyone.

Despite what you may have heard, there are sure-fire ways to survive moving day. Here are Shurgard’s top three tips for a hassle-free move.

Tip 1: Prepare for the big day

1. The boy scouts motto is key: be prepared. Use a moving checklist. There’s no better way to keep track of what needs to be done, by when and who by. Start the list early on and update it regularly, so that every possibility has been considered. Keep it all in one handy notebook, as you never know what information you’re going to need on the day.You’ll thank yourself when it comes to unpacking, as your list will help you find the essentials, such as the tea bags and the toilet roll: after all, you don’t want to run the risk of being caught short on the first night in your new home.

2. Remember to stock up on packing boxes and black bin liners too. And a tape gun and black marker pens always come in handy.

Tip 2: Get some help

1. It may be tempting to build a fort out of storage boxes and hide in it until your move is over. But why not rope some friends and family in to help? You can always turn the move into a social event and celebrate at the end of the day with a take-away and some well deserved champagne. Remember to hold on to a takeaway menu from your kitchen drawer!
2. It’s important to ensure that everyone is dressed comfortably (gloves are a good option) and you have plenty of snacks and drinks on hand to keep the energy levels up.
3. If you have children or pets, enlist the help of a babysitter or friend to entertain them and keep them out of the way. This will make a massive difference. It’s not only safer; it also means you can focus 100% on the move.
4. If nobody’s available, hire a removal van and a couple of packers to lighten the load. They don’t even have to pack your belongings but they’ll make moving heavy boxes look easy, leaving you to focus on unpacking and relaxing.

Tip 3: Prioritise your packing

1. When you’re packing, you can make life a whole lot easier by grouping all the usable items together, like all the toiletries together, all cookware together and all the bedding together. Pack the heavy things in small boxes and the light things in large boxes, and be sure to label them properly.
2. Also make sure you load the heavy stuff into the van first, and then the lighter boxes on top. If you’re renting a van, use that for the large items and use your own car for the smaller items. Or if you’re very lucky and have several cars at your disposal, fill the biggest one first. This will minimise trips and effort all round.
3. If you have a lot to pack but are stretched for time, prioritise things based on their usage. For example, your kettle, pans and crockery will be used as soon as you get to the new house, but your spare bedding can wait.
4. If you don’t manage to get the move done in one day, it’s not the end of the world. You can always store some of your less important stuff in a storage unit until you’re ready to move it in.
5. Remember to leave the vacuum cleaner and cleaning products out and give your house one final going over before you leave.
6. And don’t forget to take the final metre readings!

Lastly, make sure you’re well rested (no heavy drinking the night before), and have a good breakfast, so you’re energised and able to keep everyone else motivated.