6 Ways To Reduce Your Stress Levels When Moving House

It’s a well-known fact that moving house is one of the most stressful incidents in life following close behind the death of a loved one and divorce, in the high-stress rates.

Luckily there are many things you can do the manage your stress levels during a home relocation, to turn it into a positive and enjoyable process. If you know you are prone to suffering from stress and anxiety during difficult times then the following tips will be a real help in keeping a check on your stress levels and ensuring that you are in control of your interstate move instead of it being in control of you!

1. Book in with your removalist early

As soon as your move is confirmed, it’s a great idea to book your chosen removalist. This is especially true during what are the traditionally busy seasons for moving – Christmas holidays and school holidays. The earlier you can tick off this task, the better. Many removalists do not need 100% confirmed dates for your move at this stage, you can lock those details in when it’s closer to the time of your move.

2. Declutter so that you only move what you need and love

Decluttering is bang on trend currently. With the ubiquitous use of Marie Kondo’s name now as a verb, there’s never been a better time to join the masses and minimise the amount of clutter and junk in your home prior to moving house; there are numerous different Netflix documentaries and reality TV series’, showing you step-by-step how to declutter. Before you even begin the packing process, go through each room of your home and ask yourself the following questions about your possessions.

Do you use it?
Do you need it?
Does it have sentimental value?

If the answer is no to all of these questions, then consider carefully whether it is worth the cost of relocating it. If you go through the larger items in your home initially – furniture, appliances, and bulky items and then move onto smaller items as you begin the packing process, you’ll be well on your way to reducing the amount you need to move and also be feeling organised and in control at the other end of your move when you’re not faced with unpacking a whole lot of items you don’t really care about.

3. Use a trust-worthy removalist

One of the most important decisions you will make when planning your interstate move is who will assist you as your removalist. It is essential that you put some time and effort into making this decision as your choice will significantly impact the outcome of your move. When entrusting virtually everything you own into someone else’s care, you need to know that they are reputable, knowledgable and trustworthy. The internet has made researching removalists a lot easier. One of the best ways to assess a business is by reading online reviews and testimonials left by previous customers. Remember that while the price may be a very important deciding factor when choosing your removalist, it shouldn’t be the only way you make your choice. Read your quote carefully and make sure everything you think you are paying for is included in the quoted price. Common add-ons are storage costs, excess weight costs and added time/hire costs.

4. Stay on task with a moving interstate checklist

Stress often comes as a side product of not being organised and feeling in control of your move. A moving checklist is a great way to stay on task and know step-by-step what needs to be done during each phase of your move. You can find a printable PDF moving checklist here. After you have decluttered your house, this checklist will guide you through the planning stage, where to stay, what equipment you will need and will keep you motivated as you tick off each item you have completed.

5. Pack a survival kit

Having a survival kit packed and ready to use on the day you move is a lifesaver. It is basically a collection of all of those moving day essentials that usually get forgotten in the panic of moving day. All those last minute jobs that can only be done on the day you actually leave your home tend to take over and there’s nothing worse than forgetting something as vitally important as having snacks and their favourite teddy on hand for a toddler who is moving. A survival kit is personal and will contain all the essentials you need to get you through the few days surrounding your move. Only you will know what needs to go in yours but for some ideas on the sorts of things that you may want to include, check out this guide to an interstate removalists survival kit to help you get started on yours.

6. Confirm your insurance

Like taxes and moving costs, insurance is not a very exciting thing to spend your hard-earned money on, but for peace of mind when moving house, it is vital you invest in transit insurance. The best-case scenario is that is doesn’t get used but the worst-case scenario is that you need to use it and don’t have it. Different types of insurance cover different things when moving. Transit insurance when your home contents are transported in a shipped container covers you for instances such as derailment, theft, fire, and collision. You will need to examine your home contents insurance policy to see if it covers your home contents for instances such as a table getting scratched on a door frame when leaving your house or similar as these are the type of instances that are more common when moving house and may not necessarily be covered by the transit insurance policy provided by your removalist.

Stress when moving house is somewhat inevitable but hopefully, these tips will help you manage to keep your stress levels under control. If you try your best to keep calm and organised during your move you will find that much of the stress will dissipate and you can give your concentration and focus to actually achieving the task with a minimum of fuss and hassle.

What is the most stressful part of moving house for you? Tell us in the comments below.

33 Comments
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- - meedee said
  - 22 Apr 2024
    10:44 am
Ive been in this house for over 30yrs. I would hate to have to move

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- - littlehandsofmine said
  - 30 Jun 2021
    7:41 pm
So hectic moving homes, I hate moving, it is so much stress. I would rather not.

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- - mom98408 said
  - 30 Jun 2021
    7:40 am
I’ve moved house a lot and don’t mind moving, maybe it gets easier with practice. I make lists and then work my way through them.

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- - Petal53 said
  - 29 Jun 2021
    5:50 pm
The last time I moved was 4 years ago and I don’t intend to move within the next 10 years.

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- - BellaB said
  - 29 Jun 2021
    2:20 pm
After our last move, I told my husband that next time I was going for a holiday overseas while he dealt with it all.

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- - Danicastefanie said
  - 29 Jun 2021
    10:06 am
We have just purchased our first home and are moving next month. There are some great tips here

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- - Ellen said
  - 29 Jun 2021
    4:40 am
Moving this week. These tips are common sense, but I’m afraid I still experience moving as stressful. I’ve been packing, repairing and painting non stop for 2 months in a row now…very hard with 2 kids with special needs !

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- - bhaythorpe said
  - 28 Jun 2021
    9:21 pm
I’m moving next week, interstate with a baby. Wish me luck ! Once the removalist and cleaners were booked the stress eased a bit though.

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- - mom160421 said
  - 28 Jun 2021
    8:04 pm
I have moved house a couple of times and it is very stressful in the lead up to moving day.

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- - snazzy007 said
  - 27 Jun 2021
    8:54 pm
It is always a stress to move and planning definitely is required some great tips

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- - mom101628 said
  - 06 Jun 2021
    11:25 pm
These tips are great and so too your printable lists. I know this will have to be dpone sometime in the future and not looking forward to it. So I am starting to declutter and try to reduce what is in the house. Thanks so much

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- - becstalou said
  - 31 May 2021
    9:52 am
Just the sheer volume of stuff to do. I think decluttering and having a survival kit are both great bits of advice.
- mom478886 replied
  
  30 Jul 2021 , 5:30 am
  Yes I agree, both of these tips would help me feel more in control and less overwhelmed
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- - mom460689 said
  - 27 May 2021
    9:09 pm
These are some great tips. I think decluttering before moving is definitely important. Less stuff to take

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- - mom7108 said
  - 27 May 2021
    4:12 pm
Highly recommended toilet paper, hand soap, paper towel and snacks in a box that travels in the car and easily accessible when you arrive at your new home

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- - shanika said
  - 27 May 2021
    2:50 pm
Thanks for the tips. I know it is really stressful.

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- - mom322089 said
  - 27 May 2021
    11:03 am
definitely a trusted revivalist as also labeling boxes.

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- - rovermum said
  - 27 May 2021
    9:09 am
All great tips that we used when we moved 12 months ago. The TO DO LIST is key and also helps with motivation as you tick things off.

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- - mumof3 said
  - 27 May 2021
    7:33 am
Yes 100% If you have the money hire a removelist! We moved over an hour and a half away whilst I had a newborn and 2 toddlers and it was during lockdown, it was the best thing we ever did. They packed everything on the truck for us and they also took everything off and put it all in our house for us. One less thing we had to worry about.

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- - Danicastefanie said
  - 27 May 2021
    6:35 am
We are moving shortly so I love these tips. Also love reading the comments here and everyone else’s useful tips. Moving is the worst! So any way to make it easier is appreciated

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- - K13 said
  - 27 May 2021
    2:12 am
I have just recently moved house and here are my tips.

if anyone says “let me know if i can help” then assign them a job immediately. you could say “i would love it if you could spare an hour or two to help me pack”
theres lots to do before you pack such as washing clothes, dusting off furniture, washing your kitchen items that haven’t been used in a while they could even take the kids off your hands for a few hours while you pack, move or unpack

wash your curtains a week before you move so they are fresh and ready to hang in your new home.

buy stripey bags then go from room to room and put your “essentials” (things you between now and the move and din the few days after you move) in that bag and label it with what room it is from

a lot of larger stores have skip bins out the back where they dump styrofoam, bubble wrap and other items that can be used as packaging.
collect smaller boxes from bunnings or the bottle shop as these are good to pack fragile ornaments into and then you can put the smaller boxes inside a big box. the smaller box gives your fragile item more protection

start in one room and pack everything that is not essential. declutter along the way..
write on the box exactly what is in it and what room its from
buy some brightly coloured paper so you can use this as a label for your fragile stuff.
once the first room is packed up, you can use that room to store your packed boxes. make sure the room is easily accessible for the day you move.

leave your clothes on the hangers, lay them down on a sheet and then tie the sheet around the hangers.
use your linen closet items to wrap breakables.

make sure boxes are full before you seal them with plenty of tape.
make sure your cords and remote controls are in a bag and attached to your tv or other electrical items

if you are giving things away, tell people they have till a certain date to collect the items as you dont have the space to store things you dont need and the less you have laying around, the better

on moving day, if you have pets that might get in the way or may get excited with all the activity, send them to a pet sitter for the day.
make sure you have an extra bag with medications, tea, coffee, milk, phone charger, kettle etc and make sure you always know where that bag is. it is also a good idea to put important documents (birth certificate, passport, insurance papers etc) in that bag.

if you can’t afford a removalist, ask a friend with a van to help you and they’ll probably do it for a case of beer or whatever they drink. dont forget to give them petrol money, vehicles are not cheap to run

on the day you move, move the furniture first and position it. then take in the boxes and put each box in the room it belongs in an unused corner

first thing i suggest you do is make your bed as youll be too tired by bedtime.
when unpacking, start on one room. pick up a box and deal with every single item in that box before opening a new box.
dont make piles of things, put each item in the place it needs to go.
dont flatten that box.
as you empty each box, you can put the folded down boxes in the first box rather than having a messy pile around

when it comes to books, dvds etc, just put them where they need to go, you have the rest of your life to sort them into author, genre or alphabetical order

if you have a lot of boxes to get rid of, advertise on facebook marketplace and by the time the person gets there, you’ll probably have another box of empties ready to go

dont procrastinate. the day you move in, start unpacking.
if you are someone who is not motivated, make sure you spend at least 1 hour each day unpacking and putting away things. you dont want packed boxes laying around for months on end. ask a friend to come over and help. your friend could sit and unpack the boxes while you put the items away, the time will fly by

i am physically disabled. i moved a 2 bedroom unit on saturday and by wednesday everything was put away and the boxes went to a new home, i have no boxes laying around and im enjoying my new home. if i can do this alone with physical disabilities then an able bodied person can do it too.

when packing, moving and unpacking, try to get someone to mind the kids for you. if the kids are around, get them to help you by passing you items that need to be packed up or put away. if they are there on moving day and too little to help carry things, make sure they have a bag of food and drink and something that is going to keep them busy for a long time.
the weekend you move is a great time for them to spend the weekend with ther grandparents

packing, moving and unpacking doesnt have to be hard unless you make it hard.

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