Moving house is frequently described as one of life’s most stressful events. While there are tips you can take on board to manage the stress, it’s hard to avoid it altogether. This is particularly true if you’re a young person moving out of home for the first time or have been in the same house all your life, and now it’s time to move on. As you stare at the piles of planning, packing, driving and hauling that await you, it’s normal to wonder how you can make moving home for the first time easier.
Here’s the good news: whether this is your first time moving or your thirty-seventh, there are methods you can use every step of the process to decrease the stress. As experienced local and interstate removalists, Ready Movers has some first-time moving tips for you.
Planning Your Move
Whether you’ve hired a removalist or you’re doing it all DIY-style, the process of planning your move starts long before the actual date you’ve booked. As soon as you start packing, you’ll realise you have more possessions than you thought and more to do than you anticipated. It’s best to start planning two months, or at least several weeks, in advance. Here’s how:
Create a realistic budget
If you’re moving out of the family home and in with flatmates, you’ll need to consider a number of costs. These include both the costs of moving and moving equipment and one-off fees like rental bond and electricity connection. Before you make a move, work out what you can afford to spend and create a budget.
Decluttering
There’s no better time than right before a move to declutter. Go through your stuff and figure out what you need to keep and what you can sell or give away, and you’ll have a lighter load to contend with when it’s packing time.
Do you need a moving company?
Hiring a moving company may sound like the more expensive option, but the costs (financial and emotional) of a DIY move can add up, too. For starters, there’s finding and hiring a moving truck, sourcing the right packing materials, and paying for any repairs and expenses out of pocket. Choosing between DIY and a professional removalist depends on factors like the size and the timing of your move and how far away you’re relocating.
Packing tips
Packing is one of the many stressful tasks involved in moving house, and there’s almost always a lot of it to do. Tips for taking the stress out of packing include gathering boxes early, purging your unwanted possessions as you pack, and clearly labelling each box with what’s inside and which room.
Moving Day
The big day has arrived! Depending on how much stuff you have, moving day can easily turn into multiple and busy days. If this is your first time moving, here are some tips to help you take the stress out of the event.
How to pack the car
Loading your car up for a move can save you money on a moving van, but it can also feel like an impossible game of real-life Tetris. Fortunately, there’s probably more space in your vehicle than you realise, especially if you don’t have any passengers to carry. Some tips for taking the stress out of packing the car include:
- Rather than just packing the car with boxes, use bags and other flexible packing materials that you can squeeze into smaller spaces.
- Wrap delicate items in materials like towels, clothing and bedsheets to protect them on the drive.
- Start with the essential items. If you pack too much and have to remove some of it, you don’t want the non-necessary stuff to be too hard to reach.
- Spread items evenly throughout your car to keep it balanced and maximise fuel efficiency.
Unpacking tips
Reducing the stress of unpacking after your move is all about unpacking efficiently. Some tips for easy, stress-free unpacking in your new place include:
- Start with the most necessary items. Getting the kitchen set up first, as well as the often-used appliances like the kettle and toaster will help your new place feel like home faster. The bedrooms and bathrooms are great parts of the house to move on to next.
- Plan what goes in each room before you unpack too much.
- Clean as you go. Unpacking can make quite a mess. The cleaner you keep the space, the less you have to worry about doing it later on.
How to efficiently set up your new home
To make your new home feel more like your own, tips for setting up the space include:
- Assemble and arrange large items of furniture first. Find the appropriate space for large items like couches and tables so you can arrange the décor around them.
- If you’re feeling stressed, decorating with your favourite family photos or artwork can make the place feel more like your own and create a calmer environment.
- Make sure essential utilities like electricity, water, gas, etc., are set up before you move in.
Tips for Moving On a Budget
It’s likely you’ll be moving on a tight budget, especially if you’re leaving home for the first time. Some tips for moving home for the first time if you’re short on cash include:
- Make a tight budget and stick to it.
- Sell any possessions you’re happy to part with for some extra money.
- Avoid peak moving times, like during summer or just before school starts.
- Find some free boxes from supermarkets, stores, recycling centres or sites like Gumtree.
- Hire affordable professional removalists who can complete your move on time for you.
Ready Movers Can Handle Your First Move!
If you’re moving home for the first time and feeling a bit overwhelmed, Ready Movers can handle your move for you. We can take care of all the stressful parts (including packing and unpacking) so you can get on with life and settle into your new location.
As an AFRA-accredited company with more than 20,000 successful moves behind us, Ready Movers has all kinds of moving services, depending on how much (or how little) you want to do. Our written no-damage guarantee on local moves provides you with the peace of mind that your possessions are in safe hands.
Our home removals are at the core of what we do, and the Ready Movers team is trained to handle moves both large and small, local and interstate. We have two men and a fully equipped truck, but we’re happy to provide more hands if you need them.
Packing is one of the most time-consuming parts of any move, no matter your experience level, and Ready Movers takes the stress out of it. We can unpack everything from a single room to an entire home and handle large and bulky items. If you prefer to pack yourself, we can also provide high-quality packing material.
To take the stress and strain out of moving home for the first time, contact the Ready Movers team and get your moving quote.
