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Those who have done it, know that moving house can be just as stressful as a new job, a relationship breakdown or even a bereavement.
That said, there are a few things that, once remembered, will keep your sanity close to normal levels when you're moving house ...
At least a week before you move, do a massive clothing/bedding/bric-a-brac/tat clear-out. There is no room for sentiments or emotions … be ruthless! Granny’s Christmas Cards might be worth keeping and cherishing, but do you really need 30 of them? If you haven’t used/looked at something in at least 6-12 months, is it really worth keeping and (with the added expense!) moving it to your new place? Don’t forget your local Charity Shops who may be grateful for those things that are in great condition but no longer of use to you.
It’s wonderful when friends offer to help out with your move. Be warned, though – it’s all very well to have your friends over for an afternoon/evening and then wave them off with promises to phone/text etc. It’s quite another when 27 pals are rummaging through all the drawers and passing remarks on your belongings! “How much stuff do you have?” repeated for the umteenth time can exacerbate the stress and build tensions.
Similarly, Emotion is the Great Enemy of the house-mover! Reminiscing over old photographs or hugging your old baby toys/blankets will only slow things down. A professional Removals Company can keep things emotion-free. Be sure to be upfront with everything you want the Removal Guys to do … you don’t want a situation of renegotiating fees on the day of the move because you forgot about the wardrobe in the box room!
It possibly sounds counter-intuitive, especially these days, but spending a little can often remove a whole load of stress! Scratching your head over how exactly to assemble a wardrobe? Somebody will gladly (and quickly!) do it for €50! Planning on lugging a whole house-worth’s of Ikea homewares on the bus? Maybe consider getting a taxi instead! Yes, we are all pre-programmed these days to baulk at the idea of throwing hard-earned cash about. But when it’s a toss up between a lighter wallet or my sanity, I know which one I’d choose!
Take the important stuff – medication, toothbrush, clean underwear, the kettle, the remote control for the TV, mobile charger – and carry them with you. It will make your first night in your new place a whole lot easier! And a supply of lightbulbs, especially with the mornings/evenings getting darker are definitely a necessity!
Yes. We are. We are talking about loo roll. The importance of keeping toilet paper close to hand can never be stressed enough. Getting caught short and having to resort to a multi-purpose kitchen wipe or the packing paper you just unwrapped from your lamp is something that never EVER should happen!
Aaaah! How lovely! You’re in a relationship and moving into your first place together! And you’re floating around like one of those smiley, huggy couples on those telly mortgage ads ... REALITY CHECK! Be prepared for days of simmering tension and the odd flare-up. It is probably best to know now that this is part-and-parcel of the house moving process, and probably not an indicator that you’re destined for the Relationship Scrapheap! Make a pact, even before you go anywhere near packing, to resolve any tiffs on the spot. Go easy on each other!
It might sound obvious, but LABEL ALL YOUR BOXES!!!! Mark the boxes according to which room they belong in. You might think you can keep track of the “small” boxes or the “double taped” boxes but by the time you have packed everything you will be drowning in a veritable sea of boxes unless they have be marked in some way to let you know where to put them! Looking for one particular thing that *could* be in one of thirty or forty boxes is not a fun thing to do.
Some people think the idea of unpacking is dumping it out of the box and chucking it somewhere randomly. It makes more sense to find a place for everything that emerges from a box or bag as you go along. If you happen to have some people “helping” you, consider sending them for a long walk, or even the pub while you get on with tidying as you go along!
There’s something about Moving House that seems to throw people into Feral Survival Mode. Heading out to the convenient cafe on the corner for breakfast? Getting a takeaway every lunch/dinner? Put another way, you can end up living as though you’re in a holiday home for the first week or so … possibly because you feel like you’re a tourist in your new neighbourhood! It is permissible for the first day or two after your move to treat yourself to a pub lunch or nice breakfast in your new area. But don’t make a lasting habit of it. Get back to the regular routine of cooking your own food as soon as, um, you’ve found the saucepans! As well as being a bit of an unnecessary expense, you’ll appreciate the routine.
Would you like to get your rental deposit back? If you notice dings, snags or broken stuff in your new house, take a note (and/or pictures) of them and let your landlord know. This will be particularly handy when you are leaving your new place and negotiating the return of your deposit. And believe me, it pays dividends to act civilised towards your landlord!
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