You’ve probably heard many times that moving is one of the most stressful events in a person’s life. And while that statement is true in itself, the process of moving from one place to another doesn’t have to be characterized by anxious and nervous moments.
There are proven methods for coping with stress when moving, and one of the main tricks for escaping unscathed from the enormous pressure of the move – and especially on the notorious Moving day – is to be 100% prepared for what’s coming. It’s easier said than done, right?
There are 4 major stressors during a residential move, so once you manage to eliminate each one of those stress-inducing factors, one by one, you’ll be able to pull off a stress-free move.
Find below the best way to handle the stress of moving so that you can move stress free.
What makes moving so stressful?
In order to have a stress-free move, you need to first understand what makes moving so stressful so that you can eliminate the cause of the moving stress. Once you do it, you won’t be affected so much by the stress-inducing factors of residential moving.
A stress-free move sounds too good to be true, isn’t it? The good news is that it can be done so it’s entirely up to you to deal with the stress of moving in the best possible way. In most house-moving cases, it pays to be proactive when it comes to stress, anxiety, and fear.
So, why is moving so stressful in the first place?
- Time. You’ll only have a limited time window to prepare for the move and leave your current place. The less time you have until the move-out date, the more stress you’re likely to experience simply because you won’t know for sure if you’ll be ready on time. This means that having only a few days until Moving day (a last-minute move) will be the most stressful scenario when moving out.
- Money. Everybody knows that moving house is expensive. However, the real question is just HOW expensive is it? Do you have enough money to cover all the moving expenses? Can you afford to hire one of the best moving companies in your area? Not surprisingly, the financial aspect of the upcoming move will be a major stressor for you.
- Friends. Moving away from your friends, and sometimes family members, can easily be the single most stressful thing you’ll have to do when moving between two homes. Also, you will be taken away from your comfort zone and your familiar surroundings.
See also: What makes moving so stressful?
Handle the TIME stressor
Will you have enough time to complete all the tasks before having to move out?
The single thought of having to sort out and pack up all your belongings is enough to seriously stress you out even before you start the packing process. So, how can you ensure you use whatever time you have until Moving day in the most efficient way, without wasting even one minute of it?
The answer may or may not surprise you: MOVING CHECKLIST.
In fact, following a moving checklist – a detailed to-do list that contains nothing but move-related tasks – is the only way to make sure you’re using your pre-move time efficiently.
A moving timeline will not only guide you on the things you should be doing now but will also suggest what tasks you should be working on next, thus eliminating any unnecessary downtime.
By making good progress on your preparation, you will notice that you will start to feel more and more confident that you will be completely ready by the time you are scheduled to move out. And all this means that you won’t need to worry about insufficient time to get ready, so it’s one less thing to be anxious about.
Keep in mind that packing is the most time-consuming job during a house move so you must start working on it as soon as you possibly can – that is, right away.
Must-see: Packing timeline for moving
Handle the MONEY stressor
Besides time, another major stressor when moving to another home is money. And the reason for it is more than obvious – when moving locally, the average cost of local movers is in the range of $480 – $3,600, whereas when moving long distance, the average cost of cross-country movers is in the range of $2,525 – $8,100.
Basically, there will be three things that will keep stressing you out when it comes to the cost of your residential move:
- How much will your move cost?
- Is it better from a financial point of view to hire movers or move by yourself?
- How can you pay less money on your local or long-distance move?
It can be really stressful when you have no idea whether you have enough money saved to cover the moving expenses. What will you do if it turns out that you don’t have enough dollars? You can’t just cancel your move in the middle of its preparation, can you?
The only way to be sure that you got enough money to move is to create a moving budget and see for yourself. You just must know in advance how much your move will cost you so that you can do what’s best for you, your family, and your savings.
Useful info: How to create a moving budget
To have a stress-free move, you will also need to know the more affordable option for you: hire movers or organize a self-move. You should never assume that using professional moving services is always the more expensive way to move house – on the contrary, it can be the cheaper option to move over great distances due to a large number of hidden costs when moving by yourself.
See also: Hire movers or move by yourself
Judging from the price ranges mentioned above, you can easily see that moving house is not cheap by any means. Luckily, you should be able to bring down the moving price by using a number of smart cost-reduction techniques:
- Reduce greatly the number of items you’re moving with you to save time, money, and storage space. Proper decluttering prior to packing will surely help you cope with moving stress.
- Pack by yourself to save the money you would otherwise have to pay professional packers for the job. Another way to tackle packing is to use the hybrid option: you can pack whatever you can by yourself and leave to the pros any specialty items that require special packing skills.
- Get free moving boxes to keep packing costs to a minimum. On average, you’re going to need around 60 boxes to pack up the content of a home, so using free packing materials is a great way to save money, and thus reduce stress when moving.
Handle the MOVING AWAY FROM FRIENDS stressor
The dreadful thought of having to say goodbye to your best friends is enough to send you into a state of panic. In fact, this is one of the most difficult and stressful things you’ll have to do when moving away – to part with the people you love and care about.
The truth is that you really, really don’t want to move away from your friends but you’re also left without a choice in the matter. When circumstances force you to move out, there’s only one thing left for you to do – accept it bravely and think of the best way to say goodbye to your pals to keep the levels of stress within healthy limits:
- Tell your best friends that you’re moving away as soon as the move is confirmed. Don’t let them learn about it from other people since that might hurt their feelings. Remember – it’s your responsibility to break the news to them.
- Make an effort to find time in your busy moving schedule to spend with your best pals. It may seem impossible at first but working together with a good moving checklist should enable you to steal some quality time for your friends. Create some great memories by doing something you all love – playing sports together, going to see a movie, or just taking a walk in the city park.
- Throw a memorable going-away party for your best friends – the perfect way to get loose and release some of the moving pressure that you must be feeling inside. Make it a special party – singing, dancing, sharing memories, playing games, and ultimately – celebrating your friendships. Don’t forget to promise each other to keep in touch after the move – something that’s really easy to do in the Information Age.
Read also: How to say goodbye to friends when moving
