I’ve moved houses three times since moving to the UK from Australia, and there are more moves in my future.

The idea of moving houses makes me excited, as all I can think about is the upcoming decluttering and organisation that comes with moving into a new house.

However, the stress associated with moving house can quickly overtake any excitement that you may feel.

In an effort to reduce any stress that you may be feeling about any upcoming house move you may have, here are some ways to make moving house easier, and less stressful.

DECLUTTER AND DONATE

The best thing to do as soon as you know you are going to move is declutter your house, as the less things you have to pack the better.

I like to go through each room of my house and donate anything that I no longer love, use, or in terms of my wardrobe, no longer fits.

You may even find that once you do move, there are more items that you don’t love, or that don’t suit or fit in your new home, so they can also be donated.

If you’d like some help with decluttering, here are 11 ways to declutter your home.

CHANGE DOCUMENTS TO YOUR NEW ADDRESS

At least two weeks before moving house, start the process of updating your address with all the companies that you use.

I find the easiest way to do this is to look at your bills, paperwork, and cards in your wallet and contact every organisation that you find.

Some places that you’ll need to update with your new address include:

• Insurance companies
• Council tax
• TV licence
• Mobile and home phone supplier
• Internet supplier
• Store cards
• Gas, electricity and water supplier
• DVLA

I also suggest setting up a short term mail redirection service, as there will always be mail that arrives to your old address that you forget to update with your new details.

PACK WHATEVER YOU CAN AS SOON AS YOU CAN

There are some items around the house that aren’t used on a daily basis, so to speed your packing process up, can be packed away as soon as you know you’re moving.

These items include:

• Décor items (vases, photo frames, throw rugs, decorative pillows etc)
• Books
• Kitchen appliances that are only occasionally used
• Extra sets of linen or towels
• Keep the number of cutlery and crockery sets that you need for one days use, and pack the rest

When I pack these items, I wrap them in paper from local grocery store’s free newsletters, and put them in a box ready to unpack at the new house.

For the more breakable items, I wrap them in clothing and towels that I know I wont wear or use before I move.

PACK CLOTHES ON THEIR HANGERS

The quickest way to pack your clothing is to pack them on their hangers and place them straight into the box or bag that you will move them in.

You can do the same for folded clothes, simply pack them away already folded, so all you have to do when you move is unpack them and put them straight away.

SEEK HELP FOR LARGE ITEMS

The best thing I did on my last move was to book a removalist for my large items, which included beds, couches, TV units, TV, toys, and anything that won’t fit in your car.

If you’re lucky enough to be moving somewhere close to where you already live, you can move everything packed into boxes by yourself, at your own pace.

PACK AN OVERNIGHT BAG

For me, one of the most stressful things is having to find things that you desperately need once you move, and this usually includes finding my clothes.

To overcome this, I pack a few days worth of outfits, toiletries, and any electronics that I use in an overnight bag, so I can get through the first few days of a house move more easily.

HAVE A FEW DAYS IN BETWEEN EACH HOME

If possible, I recommend timing your move so you have at least a few days in each house.

This means that you can deep clean your new home before moving things into it, and you can slowly move things in between each home, so you’re not overstressed and exhausted getting everything set up in one day.

KEEP A MOVING HOUSE CHECKLIST

I love lists, so I definitely recommend that you write a moving house checklist, which keeps track of everything you did before, during, and after your move.

This means that if you ever move again you’ll be able to repeat exactly what you did during your last move, so nothing is forgotten.

ORGANISE A GROCERY DELIVERY

If possible, organise to have groceries delivered to your new house on the second or third day after you move in so you don’t have to rely on takeaway or quick meals for too long.

I hope you’ve found some tips that will help make moving house easier and less stressful, so you can enjoy your new home as quick as possible.

 What moving house tips do you have?