Would you like to know how to move home, without going insane. Moving home is one of the top life stressors, but it should not be that way. Whether you rent or buy, moving home should be a simple case of packing up belongings, and moving on. Of course, much of the stress is often due to estate agents and letting agents. See alternative ways to rent & let and alternatives ways to buy or sell.
The obvious way to make moving less stressful, is to have less stuff. Simple living is not about living in a white box, but about going through your house, garden, garage, shed, loft, basement, car and storage – and gradually streaming down anything you no longer use, love or need. This leaves time to do the stuff you love (walks in the park, reading in the garden, strolls by the beach, quality time with loved ones, more sleep etc). Then you’ll find moving quicker and more relaxing – as you won’t get into a muddle. Read books on simple living.
Moving Home Checklists
The simpler your life, the easier moving is. It also means less chance of forgetting something important:
- Confirm the date of move, and give notice
- Buy removal boxes, and order removal vans.
- Cancel utility supplies (take photos of meters)
- Arrange donation/collection of unused furniture
- Sell, donate or recycle stuff you are not taking
- Cancel newspapers, milk etc.
- Send out new address cards
- Learn quickest relaxing route to new property
- Pack essentials like a kettle and mugs for arrival
- Arrange to collect new keys, and drop off old keys
- Register with a doctor, dentist & vet.
- Set up home, broadband & home insurance
- Confirm new schools registration
- Get car serviced, check breakdown cover
- Redirect your mail
- Register with local council
- Charge mobile before leaving
Read The Art of Happy Moving (the author has moved 10 times in 11 years). This upbeat guide covers finding the best place to live, clearing clutter and moving with children or pets. Learn how to stage homes for buyers, and organise packing.
If Moving with Pets
Pets often find moving stressful (especially if older or abandoned in the past). Blue Cross has tips on moving with dogs and moving with cats. Also see how to deal with break-ups as a pet owner:
- Use familiar beds & toys, to help settle them in
- Keep food and bowls nearby, for arrival.
- Ensure new ID is up-to-date on day of move.
- Look up best local dog walks, near new property.
- A familiar friend may wish to pet-sit, while you move
It’s easier to find pet-friendly homes by giving references from previous landlords, paying a higher deposit and offering to replace carpets at end of tenancy (often many ‘non-pet-friendly landlords’ change their mind:
- Let’s With Pets is a site run by Dog’s Trust, with info on finding properties. It also has info for landlords, on why pet-friendly rentals find more tenants.
- Pets Lets (London) finds pet-friendly properties in good locations, and can also insert a pet’s clause into a contract. Run by Russell (who sorts out legal stuff) and his sidekick Biscuit (a beagle who sniffs out places to eat!)