How to Prepare for a Moving Day as a Family: A Few Useful Tips

After thinking about it for a while, you’ve finally decided — it’s time for a move. You’re ready to leave your old house and neighborhood behind and start a new life in a better place. As nervous as you are, you’re also quite excited!

But if you have a family, things aren’t quite as simple as packing up and leaving once you’ve made a decision. You have to consider their needs and feelings too and prepare for the move together as a family. We’ve asked a moving company how to do that painlessly and effectively. Here are a few tips they shared with us.

Discuss the Move on Time

As soon as you start thinking about moving, make sure you bring it up to your spouse or partner. They should have just as much time to consider whether it’s a good idea and what needs to be done. Talk about your wishes and plans openly and honestly, and stay open to all feedback, whether it’s negative or positive. You can’t start any serious planning until you are both on the same page.

 

If you have children, you need to tell them as soon as you make the final decision. It won’t be easy, and you can expect some tears and complaints, but it’s better to let them know early. That way, they’ll have enough time to process this fact and prepare, as well as say goodbye to their old life.

 

And don’t keep any family members in the dark about the details of the move. You may not think your children need to know too much about it, but that’s only likely to make things harder for them. Give them as much information as you can — that will keep any potential anxiety at bay.

Make a Moving Checklist Together

A moving checklist will help you stay on top of all tasks, so it’s good to make one right off the bat. Put as many items as you can think of on it — packing, hiring a moving company, canceling various services at your old home. If you can, try to dedicate a specific date or a time frame for all these items. That way, you won’t find yourself rushing to check off everything in the last week.

And since your family is moving too, they can help you make this checklist, as well as tick off a few things. You could delegate different tasks to each family member. For instance, your partner could take care of calling and canceling services, and you could contact various moving companies. Even your kids could get their own tasks, such as deciding which toys they want to bring and which to leave behind.

If the whole family participates in the moving process, things will go much more smoothly. No one will feel burdened by too many responsibilities, and it’s an excellent opportunity to get even less enthusiastic members to feel excited about the move.

Start Packing Together

Packing is probably the most time-consuming part of the moving process. After all, you need to put your entire life in boxes and transport it to a new house. And you can’t bring everything either — you need to decide what deserves a spot in your new place and what you should leave behind.

You don’t have to make these decisions alone, though. Ask your partner and kids to help you with sorting and packing, and the whole process will go much faster. They should also go through their personal belongings and decide what to bring instead of expecting you to do that for them.

Now, you may be a little worried about letting your kids sort through their toys and other belongings. Won’t it be too painful for them to choose what to leave behind? Will it even make any sense, or will they just decide they need everything they own? But if you talk to your children and explain why it’s necessary to let go of some things, they’ll surely understand and do what you ask of them.

Get Your Family Involved in Decisions About Your New Home

Are your family members less excited about the move than you are? There’s a simple way to raise their enthusiasm — ask them to make decisions about your new home. For example, your partner or children can help you pick the perfect furniture for your living room or fresh paint for your kitchen. Your new house will feel more like a home to them if they have some say in its interior design.

Similarly, you can ask your children to decide how they want to decorate your bedrooms. Let them choose their own wallpapers and posters and pick their curtains and bedsheets. Even if your kids absolutely hate the idea of moving, they’ll certainly be excited about having a new room that perfectly suits their tastes.

In Conclusion

Moving always comes with certain difficulties and challenges, and those are amplified when you have a family. After all, you’ll have so many more items to move and feelings and concerns to deal with.

At the same time, though, moving with a family comes with certain benefits. You have your partner or spouse to rely on when things get difficult and other family members to help with various tasks. Instead of shouldering everything alone, you can share responsibilities with others, especially if your kids are older. So, don’t hesitate — it’s time to start your new life in your dream home!