How to Manage Stress on Moving Day

Client: Shurgard

It's M-Day, and not since the invasion of Normandy, has so much work gone into planning. You’re in command and your troops are at the ready for their assignments. Are you ready?

The odds are that you're the one responsible for organising the move. Sure, your family, friends, helpers and professional movers will be on hand, but they’re going to take their cue from you, so the more prepared you are, the easier the process will be for everyone.

Despite what you may have heard, there are ways to survive moving day without growing a single grey hair.

Here are three top tips for a hassle-free moving day.

Tip One: Prepare

The boy scouts motto is key here - be prepared. Make sure you’re well rested (no heavy drinking the night before) and have a good breakfast, so you’re energised and able to keep everyone else motivated.

Another must-have is a to-do list. Used by the successful and the chronically disorganised, there's no better way to keep track of what needs to be done, by when and by whom. Start the list early and update it regularly, so every possibility has been considered. Keep everything in one handy notebook, as you never know what information you’re going to need on the day. You’ll thank yourself when it comes to unpacking, as your list will help you find the essentials, such as the tea bags and the toilet roll - no-one wants to run the risk of being caught short on the first night in their new home.

Tip Two: Prioritise

When packing, you can make life a whole lot easier by grouping all the usable items together, like toiletries, cookware, and bedding. Pack the heavy things in small boxes and the light things in large boxes, and be sure to label them properly.

Also make sure you load the heavy stuff into the van first, and then the lighter boxes on top. If you’re renting a van, use that for the large stuff and use your own car for the smaller items. Or if you’re lucky and have several cars at your disposal, fill the biggest one first. This will minimise trips and effort all round.

If you have a lot to pack but are stretched for time, prioritise things based on their usage. For example, you’ll need your kettle, pans and crockery more urgently than your spare bedding.

If you don’t manage to get the move done in one day, it’s not the end of the world. You can always store some of the less important stuff in a storage unit until you’re ready to move it in. However, if you do manage to pack everything in one day, don’t forget give the carpets one last going over with the hoover, and make sure you haven’t left anything behind.

And don’t forget to take the final metre readings!

Tip Three: Get some help

It might be tempting to build a box fort and hide until your move is over, but why not just rope in some friends or family to help? You can always turn the move into a social event and celebrate at the end with a takeaway and some well deserved champagne – remember to hold onto a take-away menu from your kitchen drawer!

Getting your friends to help will ease a lot of stress, as they (hopefully) won’t be charging you by the hour, and you’ll feel more relaxed with them.

It’s important to make sure that everyone knows their role and stays hydrated and fed – both to maintain energy levels and keep them in good spirits. And make sure you’ve pre-allocated tasks to minimise time wastage.

If you have children or pets, enlist the help of a babysitter or friend to entertain them and keep them out of the way. This will make a massive difference. It’s not only safer; it also means you can focus 100% on the move.

If nobody's available, hire a removal van and a couple of packers to lighten the load – they don't even have to pack your belongings but they'll make moving heavy boxes look easy, leaving you to focus on unpacking and relaxing.

Good luck!