On the top five of life’s most stressful events is moving. Fresh from going through one, I’d rank it #1.
A year ago, the house we were renting in Germany for 13 years was listed for sale. Fortunately, within a month after the house was sold we found a home in a nearby on the edge of the countryside. The rental contract was signed on May 11th and on July 1st we moved it.
Time in between was one big blur.
Whether you’re moving down the road or across the country, it’s emotionally and physically exhausting. As I was unpacking (ugh) yet another box, I thought there must be a better way to thrive a move. There were things we did brilliantly, and other things not.
So here are 22 tips from my experience. If you’re not moving, I also included a few ways you can help someone who is.
Weeks before the move
- Print a moving checklist
A checklist will help you keep organized leading up and after your move.
I used this one in German and found this version in English that appears also quite helpful. But start using it as soon as possible. I didn’t until four weeks before our move and missed canceling our Internet service in time—resulting in paying for an extra month.
- Try not to move in and out the same day
Even though we had access to our new place a few weeks in advance, we booked our moving day on the last day we had access to the old place to give us an extra weekend to pack.
That was stupid.
At 14:30 on moving day we had an appointment with the real estate agent and new owners to hand over the keys and do the final walk through. I realized mid-morning this was mission impossible. When they arrived and saw the house in flaming chaos, the final inspection was rescheduled until the next morning at 11:00.
Leave yourself at least a day buffer to finish emptying and preparing the house you are leaving behind.
- Arrange time off work
Being self-employed, I foolishly assumed I would only need to be unavailable the day we moved. Luckily my clients were all understanding of my short-notice lack of availability.
Hubby took two weeks off, as on top of all the moving activity he had to install our kitchen in the new home (one we bought when we originally moved to Germany but haven’t used as a primary space in 13 years).
This amount of time may not be possible or necessary for you, but be sure to arrange at lest a few days before and after. Many companies offer employees a day off for moves without having to use vacation time.
- Arrange child and pet care
If you have young children that need constant attention, you’ve likely already arranged care for them on your moving day (and perhaps a few days after to give you time to unpack).
Moves are stressful for our furry loved ones too. I arranged for friends to take our dog Mogly originally for just the night before we moved, thinking I could pick him up later the next day. After weeks of boxes piling up and I’m sure tension in the house, Mogly was happy to leave the chaotic household behind.
When our friends saw this video I shared of boxes to the rafters and a dismantled kitchen, they wrote to say they could keep Mogly for as long as we needed. It was a huge blessing.
- Toss, donate, and sell stuff
This is one of the upsides of moving…time to purge!
Not only will it help your well being, you’ll have less stuff to pack, move, and unpack. As we were moving to a place without a basement, we were forced to take a hard purge of our belongings.
Focus first on getting rid of furniture you no longer need, especially if you’re trying to sell it. Then as you start packing, even though emotions are running high, try not to put something in a box that you no longer enjoy or have a need for. If you’re keeping something because it holds a memory, consider taking photos of it and let it go. Think about someone else enjoying it as opposed to cluttering your home or laying dormant in the attic.
Listing items on online classified marketplace such is worth the effort—even for the things you’re giving away—instead of taking everything to the dump.
This is a great process to go through, even if you’re not moving.
- Hang lights and blinds in new home
If you have access to your new home before moving day and need to supply your own lights and blinds (as you do in Germany), go in ahead of time and hang as much as possible. This will help free up time needed after you move to empty boxes and avoid waking up groggy in your birthday suit on day one in your new home only to realize there are no blinds on your bedroom window.
- Move as much as you can in advance
If your move isn’t far away and you have early access, try to move over as much as you can in advance. Items like plants are good to move if the weather is agreeable.
- Rent a utility van
Hubby rented a utility van a week before our move and kept it a few days after. This ended up being a godsend in taking over items to the new place in advance and lugging stuff that nobody wanted or we were too embarrassed to list to the dump after the move.
He also used it to buy lumber and other larger items that wouldn’t have fit in our car.
- Pack a wellness box
This includes a few changes of clothes (both cleaning and something respectable to wear in public when you go for a coffee run), cosmetic travel bag, fresh sheets, and clean set of towels. If you can, take it to your new place in advance or keep it with you in your car so its easily accessible once you move.
- Take people up on help offers
I will go into this more at the end with the suggestions I have to help someone else’s move, but all I can say is take whatever help you’re offered.
Day before the move
- Place all important documents in a carry bag
I put all our passports, rental agreements, moving contract, and other important documents I thought should be available in my laptop bag that I kept with my purse.
In Germany, you need to visit city hall within two weeks to register your new address, which requires your passport.
- Pack a box of cleaning supplies
This is needed as you clean the home you are leaving and the new one you move into. Include lots of extra paper towels, rags, and a mop. Toilet paper, too 😬.
Make sure the box is in a safe corner on moving day. Our cleaning box ended up on the moving truck (luckily we could retrieve it).
- Have bottled water on hand
Very important to keep hydrated with all the extra physical activity.
- Stay up until 1am packing before moving day
No, don’t do this.
We did and it wasn’t fun waking up exhausted on moving day. For some dumb idea we decided to pack the kitchen on the day before we moved so we could minimize eating out. That ended up taking most of the day.
The movers arrived at 8am sharp raring to go, while we were still frantically throwing things in boxes and taking furniture apart. My advice is to make sure everything is packed and ready to go a few days before your move, and go check yourself into a hotel or stay with family/friends so you can be well rested on moving day.
Day of the move
- Set your alarm early
Give yourself plenty of time to have a shower and morning coffee/tea in peace before you-know-what hits the fan.
- Take care of your movers
Whether its your friends or a hired service, offer water, coffee/tea runs, and lunch as they will likely want to keep ‘moving’.
- Order in and put your feet up
At the end of moving day, you’ll be exhausted and feel like a deer in the headlights.
Don’t try to tackle too much the first night, aside from getting those fresh sheets on your bed, having a hot shower, getting yummy take-away, and putting up your feet (don’t worry, a box will be nearby).
Get a good nights rest. You’ll have no problem sleeping.
Days after the move
- Completely unpack one room as quickly as possible
Create one sanctuary place in your new home, such as your bedroom, that is box free. This will give you somewhere to retreat from the disorder.
- Be respectful of your new neighbours
You’ll likely be drilling holes and making noise as you set up your new home. Try to stop the noise early in the evening. Ruhezeit (quiet time) where you are forbidden to make noise where we live in Germany is after 20:00, 13:00-15:00 Monday-Saturday, and not at all on Sundays.
- Take breaks. Many.
Unpacking is time consuming and exhausting. Then there’s the stress of figuring out where to put things and find them again a few days later.
Be careful when lugging around boxes and get help for items difficult to move. I fell down the stairs carrying a bulky end table that my back and right hip is still mad at me for.
Take breaks and do something else. Go for a walk and get to know your new surroundings. Read. Mediate. Whatever it is you enjoy. Then you can go back to unpacking with a refreshed mindset.
As you unpack, don’t forget about the toss, donate, and sell stuff tip for things you no longer need or want.
- Sell your boxes
If you hire professional movers and bought moving boxes, save and sell them after the move. I listed ours and recovered half the cost. They were gone in no time, and I was happy to wave bye-bye.
- Celebrate your new home with others
We had friends over a few Saturdays after we moved, who surprised us with these traditional housewarming gifts:
Coin: So you may dwell in good fortune
Salt: That life may always have flavour
Homemade granola: So this house will never know hunger
Flowers: So your home will always have life and beauty
Wine: So you will always be of good cheer
What you can do to help someone moving
When a family member or good friend is moving, offering to help pack comes first to mind.
We were grateful for these offers, but opted to do it ourselves only because it forced us to look at each item and decide if it was coming or not to the new home.
Here’s some other ideas of ways to offer your help to someone moving:
- Bring a home-cooked meal
Eating takeaway the first few nights can be exciting, but after four or five nights it can loose its appeal. A nutritious, homecooked meal delivered with dishes can be a welcomed change for your weary loved one. Bonus if you offer to pick up the dirty dishes 😉.
- Offer to take their children or pet
As mentioned above, having someone help care for your child or pet a few days after you move will be appreciated. Even if it’s just during the day.
- Cleaning services
Typically there are two homes to clean during a move so having an extra set of hands helping is a bonus. One of our friends cleaned the windows in our old home while I packed—that was a huge help.
- Lawn mowing
On the never ending list of things to do, mowing the lawn becomes a lower priority but needs to be done in both places.
- Bring coffee and tea. Wine too.
We didn’t have our espresso machine set up for the first few days so we were constantly running out to get coffee. Sometimes this break was nice to get away from the boxes, but later in the week as the clothes began to expire…well, I’m sure the lady at the café would have preferred someone else getting the java.
Throw in a sugary treat. We normally don’t eat sweets but they were necessary fuel after the move.
- Send positive vibes
If time or distance doesn’t permit physically helping your loved one move, close your eyes and send some positive love energy vibes their way.
New home, new beginning
Most of the boxes are gone, and we’re down to hubby’s office as the last to complete. We’ve settled in nicely in our new place and it already feels like home.
Moving is stressful. But temporary. When you’re overwhelmed, just remember: this too shall pass.
Amidst the stress also lies excitement!
Enjoy a new beginning in your new home and next life chapter.
Heather's updates from Germany 