Moving the family home can be very stressful in of itself; the children may need to adjust to a new school and you may be moving for a new job or some other situation that means added stress with or without a move. While moving may always be somewhat stressful, there are some things you might do to make a move faster and easier on you and the whole family. Note a few tips.
Help the family purge
The more items you get rid of, the fewer you need to pack and move. The children might be more prone to purge items if they can give them away or sell them at a tag sale and earn a bit of money for them. Start early and have your children choose items they no longer need and that they can give to friends or a nearby charity, or have them list items for sale online. You can then also organize a family tag sale a few weeks before the move so you can earn even more money and pare down the items to be packed and transported.
Mail items ahead of time
If you have someone at your new location who can receive packages, you might mail some items ahead of time. This keeps you from having to move them when the furniture removalists arrive and gives you a chance to spread out the chore of packing over several weeks. Start with items you know you won't need before your move and that mail easily, such as out-of-season or school clothes, linens, your children's mementos, or holiday decorations.
Prepare furniture items ahead of time
Don't wait until the day before your move to start breaking down or otherwise preparing furniture and other bulky items for the furniture removalists. Choose an area of the home or pieces you know you won't need between now and the move and get these items prepared; for example, you may know that you won't grill outside again before your move, so disconnect the propane tanks and clean the grill thoroughly, then tape down the lid to keep it securely closed. Take apart the bed frame in the guest bedroom or dismantle smaller tables that you can do without between now and the move. It may be more work to prepare these items for moving than you realize, so start early and this will make the move easier on the whole family overall.
Share29 August 2016
Moving can be really expensive! But I move regularly for one reason or another, and I've become pretty good at moving on a budget. I can always find a cheap removalist and get some great deals on packing supplies. I also have some good tips on smart packing to reduce the amount of boxes that you need to move, which can help to minimise the costs as well. People are always impressed with my budgeting mojo, so I thought it would be good to start a blog to share my tips as well as create a place for others to share their ideas on moving on a budget.
