Moving During a Stressful Time

It’s a well-known secret that moving to a new place can be an extremely stress-filled transitional period in one’s life. In fact, most experts rank a house move as one of the most stressful events a person can experience, right after a divorce. If the act of moving itself is stressful – what happens when you are moving during a difficult time?

The first question to ask is: Why now? Sometimes the moving date is not flexible. Maybe you have a lese ending or your business is relocating. If you do have flexibility in your moving date, consider waiting until the stressful time is resolved.

If you can’t put the move off consider these tips:

Start planning earlier than you think you need to. The nerve-wracking formula of Too many things to do + too little time can be detrimental for your emotional equilibrium. Even if you are a practiced mover – this time give yourself more time than you think you need.

Call several moving companies:

Don’t rely on one estimate. Call several and keep the estimates handy. Many times moving companies are small businesses and they come and go. You don’t want to be left in the lurch.  If you have scheduled your move and haven’t heard anything in a while, don’t just assume that your moving company is still providing services. Call just to confirm.

Buy all of your supplies in one go.

You’re going to want to get it right with just one trip to the store, so make sure you know exactly what you’re going to need for your move. You don’t want to get to a couple of weeks before you move and find out that there was a run on packing supplies and what you want is unavailable. And when in doubt, buy extra.

Clean as you pack
When is the last time your ricer cooker has been cleaned? Use this opportunity to sanitize your belongings, wiping items down with disinfectant. That way, when you get to where you are going – all you have to do is unpack. In a stressful time it’s best to kill two bird with one stone when you can.

If traveling for your move, plan accordingly.
Need to book flights or hotels for your move? Make refundable reservations and/or only work with companies that offer free cancellations. Ask about cancellation policies before you book so that you don’t end up wasting money later on. Like everything else – make your plans early and stay flexible!