How to Reduce Pre-Move Anxiety: Your Checklist

There is plenty to be done before day one of your move but, as they say, Rome wasn’t built in a day!

We’d recommend for your own peace of mind that you create a task list so that you can tick off the jobs as you go. This will help ensure that you know which jobs have already been completed and stay on track for moving day. This way, when moving day arrives, you can rest easy knowing that you have done everything possible to make sure your moving crew can get in and seamlessly tackle the job they’ve been briefed to do. 

It’s also always best to chip away at the tasks a bit at a time, rather than trying to do everything in one go. 

Preparing for Moving Day the Worry-free Way

The build-up to your move will be a time of some anxiety, no matter how frequently you move or how straightforward your removal should be. The very nature of moving house means that your typical routine will be turned upside down for quite some time and that anxiety can spread across the household. 

As you might imagine, we’ve experienced every kind of move possible. We’ve applied our expertise to a pre-move checklist that you can print off and use to support yourself through the move, every step of the way.

What you won’t find on this checklist, however, is how you can prepare yourself mentally for the move, and how you can lessen the effects of anxiety, before, during and after it.  There are things that you can do, or ask us to do on your behalf, to make sure that things go as smoothly as possible.

One successful, if unusual strategy for this might be to try working backwards. 

Your Checklist for Managing Pre-Move Anxiety

1) Arrange a Spa Day 

Why not plan a solo spa day so you can get away from all the stress? Or better yet, plan a spa day with some supportive friends. It’s best to choose a date that won’t interfere with moving preparations and ideally should be a time after all the main preparations have been squared away. 

This will give you something to look forward to and can provide a way of completing the move process on your own mind. While a holiday might be the dream, most post-move budgets won’t allow for this, and right before a move isn’t the best time to be away for an extended period.

2) Have a Plan and Don’t Neglect the Unpacking Process

Remember that boxes need to be unpacked after they’ve been delivered and placed in the right room. All of your personal effects will often need to be re-housed in different cupboards and wardrobes, and sometimes this means starting from scratch in terms of the organisation in your new home.

Getting everything in order can take as much time as it took to pack it away. We’ve all had the experience of leaving boxes packed for weeks, months and even years after the move has been completed, only to find ourselves desperately looking for an item. There’s nothing more frustrating than finding that you then have to wade through boxes that were once stacked up neatly in the garage, or worse, are now strewn all over in disarray after items have been taken out ad hoc. Getting everything unpacked as soon as possible and into its proper place can prevent all of this frustration.

Why not ask us about our “Homemaker” Unpacking service, where we can arrange a visit from a specialist unpacking “Maids” to visit after the delivery has been completed. This team will make short work of unpacking for you. They can place books into bookcases, kitchen effects into cupboards (and clean the inside of those too if you require), and clothes can be hung into wardrobes. 

Their visit will boost your post-move life, meaning that you can just get on with your life sooner, start those new routines, and de-stress after the big move.

3) Think Ahead About Furniture Assembly

Confirm with your mover that the furniture that will have to be dismantled to move, will be reassembled upon delivery. Re-assembling furniture is not for the faint-hearted, and the last thing you want after a busy move is to have to worry about reassembling everything before it can be put into its new place. 

By making sure re-assembly is arranged ahead of time, it’s one less thing to worry about come moving day.

4) Make Time for a Clear-out

Have you given yourself enough time to sort through the items that you planned to dispose of before your move? If not, or if you have become overwhelmed, simply contact us and ask about our declutter service. 

If you plan ahead, this will be arranged so that unwanted items can be donated to charity or disposed of for you – and we’ll do all the work. It’s so much better to know that this has been sorted, rather than stressing about it up to the day and having to move items that you don’t want or need anymore. 

5) Plan for Parking

Check that any parking permits required for the moving day have been arranged. If free on-road parking is available, you should plan to reserve an area for the removal truck with your own car, wheelie bins or even cones, if possible. It’s also worth reaching out to new neighbours and letting them know that their access might be blocked for part of the day

If you’re moving into a flat, you may want to consider speaking to building management for permission to park in a private car park. On request, Bishop’s Move can arrange parking suspensions with your local authority, as long as the request is given within the local council’s time frame. The charges for this are then charged back at cost, plus a £50+VAT admin fee per address.

6) Formulate a Plan for Children and Pets

Have you thought about where young children or pets will be throughout the move schedule? Moving day presents all sorts of complications if you have young children or pets, including busy movers moving items out of the house, doors left open, and lots of trip hazards. 

It’s a good idea to designate an empty room for pets on the day so that they can be left undisturbed and not face any risk of escaping the house. Place a sign on the door so that movers are aware of the situation. 

If you have small children, it might be best to see if a friend or family member can take them off your hands until the moving van is packed and ready to go. This will eliminate any accidents or potential distractions from the task at hand. 

7) Schedule Accordingly

If your move involves the buying and selling of a home, things might be a little more complicated, and you may find that everything comes together very quickly in the end. Make sure you have a firm completion date in place, and then work to arrange your removals.

8) Finalise Your Removal

Make sure you have received written confirmation of your removal booking form from your mover and make sure you have paid for your move in advance. Bishop’s Move is part of the BAR Advance payment guarantee scheme which offers you great protection. 

9) Make a Schedule

Are you aware of what time the crew are due to arrive? Do you know what time you need to pick up the new keys? Having plenty of information about the day and making a firm schedule based on that information can ensure that the day goes smoothly. Our plan starts when our moving consultants carry out your free home moving survey to plan the perfect moving package for you.

10) Get in Touch With Us

If you have any worries or concerns about your move, please call us to discuss so that we can put your mind at rest, or adjust your move schedule if that suits you better.