Your Guide to an Anxiety-Free Moving Experience

Moving can seem like fun. Maybe you can start an entirely new life, you can build a new reputation and be whoever you want to be without feeling like others are going to notice or judge you for it. Maybe you can move into your dream home, complete with a hot tub and an outdoor bar. Maybe it’s the excuse you need to finally get rid of that junk you have stocked up in your garage.

It sounds like exactly what you need.

But before you try to convince your spouse that moving to Sacramento is the right choice for you, take a moment to think about the realities of packing up and transferring your home.

Moving is a stressful and drawn out process. It can take months of preparing, and even after that you can be caught off guard by overseen details.

However, by keeping in mind a few tips, you can avoid the stress and have an anxiety-free experience when making a move.

Bucket List

Even if moving day is in a couple months rather than a couple weeks, there are some clever moving hacks you can get started with as soon as you find out you are moving, maybe even before you find out where you are moving to. You can get started with this one right away.

Don’t Miss Out

Whether you are dreading leaving your current home or you can’t wait to get out of this wreck of a house, there is likely something you’ve been wanting do since you moved into your current address that you haven’t gotten around to. Yet.

Maybe there is a local restaurant that you’ve been meaning to walk to, a community pool you didn’t take full advantage of, or a nearby, forgotten path that was always waiting to lead you on your daily walk. You can also celebrate your time at your current home by inviting your friends and family over.

Take time to add these activities into your schedule before you make the transfer; not only will you enjoy the remaining amount of time before the move, these activities can also act as a stress reliever when you need a break from the logistics of moving.

City-Wide List

If you are moving to a completely new city, you can compile a city-wide bucket list. You may need to budget for this, but it will be worth it. If the activities that come to mind are simply too expensive or you need to save your nickels and dimes for the move, then plan simple and free activities.

You can pack a lunch and enjoy a picnic at a park, take a walk downtown and peek inside all the cute shops, or you can bike around your favorite section of the city.

Do whatever you need to do to enjoy the last few moments at your current place. Take pictures and make a few more memories here. Choose doable activities and get started with your bucket list today!

Take Inventory

Less Is More

You may think this is the perfect time to invest in new home decor, and while that may be true, it is important to first focus on the objects you already have at home.

One of the most frustrating parts of moving can be sorting through the junk you have lying around and having to decide where to put it when you get to your new house. Take a moment to eliminate this irritation and sort through your belongings.

When deciding what items you can live without, consider the following. You may need to declutter your kitchen, clear out the unused outfits in your wardrobe, and relieve yourself of any unloved decorations you have in your home.

Give It Away

If you want to try to make some money to cushion you moving expenses, you can plan a moving sale, take items to a pawn shop or consignment store, or sell them through Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace.

If you are looking to simply get rid of the stuff you no longer you want, you can offer your used items to friends and family by displaying them on soci, and you can take everything that is left to thrift stores.

Box It Up

Where to Get Them

Start collecting boxes well before you think you’ll need them. You can always buy boxes, but, as purchasing them can get expensive, there are plenty of alternatives. Ask your friends and family through social media if they have any boxes you could use. Check for boxes behind grocery stores; just make sure they feel sturdy enough to hold your belongings.

Give Yourself the Advantage

Once you have started collecting boxes, you can start packing away any items that you won’t need until you move into your new house. This way, you’ll get a head start, and packing won’t seem so daunting when you get closer to your move date.

Another solution that will serve the triple purpose of getting ahead on packing, eliminating the need to unpack in your new home, and looking nice in your current home is plastic containers.

Buy durable containers to help organize your rooms. You can place items inside that can stay in there after you move, so all you will have to do is transfer the container over, and you are done!

One Is a Lonely (and Tired!) Mover

You can imagine how much of a pain moving is before you sign the papers for your new place. It’s possible to do it without movers, but when your furniture feels like it was made of stone, the stairways look steeper than you remember, and the doorways have shrunk just in time for your move, you realize that you could use the help.

Hire Movers. Do It.

Hiring movers can seem intimidating. How can you have strangers handling your valuables? Are they going to judge you for your belongings? How long do you need them? How much should you tip them?

Let me put your worries at ease. As with any other profession, they’ve seen the worst of the worst, and then some. Everyone’s life is a mess when moving and all they really care about is how you treat them.

Organize Your Mess

As for keeping your valuables safe, you don’t have to worry about it when you hire a good company and by organizing your move. You don’t need to keep everything clean and tidy, but think about the layout of your move.

You can do the majority of the moving yourself if you plan to have the heavy boxes and furniture ready for the movers. If you have a couple days for moving, get as many items out of the house as you can on your own, and schedule the movers for the second day of moving.

This way, you will feel more in control about your move, you will have a better estimate of how long you will need the movers, and you can save money by aiming to do the easier parts yourself.

Eating Out While Moving Out

The cost of moving can build pretty quickly. While considering your budget, think about what you will do for food the days you are moving.

Consider that your kitchen items may be in boxes, that your water may not be running in your new kitchen, and that you may simply be too tired to prepare a homecooked meal for a few days.

You may want to budget some room for eating out for a few days, or you can buy a couple loaves of bread and sandwich ingredients to save money. Also consider that you will be lifting heavy items and staying in motion all day, so keeping healthy snacks and water around is a good idea to avoid dehydration and crankiness.

Call Ahead …Way Ahead

If you want to avoid challenges such as not having running water or electricity in your new house when you move in, make sure to call ahead. Keep organized and make a list of every service you need to call. Gas, power, water, internet, cable, etc.

Don’t Delay

Oftentimes, companies can be booked up for a few weeks. Not scheduling an appointment ahead of time could result in going without internet for about a month. Don’t attempt to imagine the depth of inconvenience you would have to endure, but do make sure to call weeks or even a whole month in advance to schedule your appointments.

Stay Organized

In addition, make sure you have a system that works well for you to remind you of your upcoming appointments. Put them on your phone calendar and set a reminder for one day, one hour, and fifteen minutes before each appointment. You’d be surprised how forgetful and oblivious to time you become when transferring all your items from one house to another.

Personalize your move as necessary. If your timeline is somewhat flexible, allow time for breaks and pace yourself. Trying to get everything done in too short a time period can be stressful, but extending the experience will prolong the pain. Do what you think is best, plan before starting your move, remember to take time to take care of yourself and your family, and you will be sitting in your new living room enjoying a cup of tea before you know it.