Are you preparing for a big move with your kids? There are several things you need to do. Apart from the regular moving preparations like packing and decluttering, you must prepare your kids for the move. So how do you go about that? Read on for some tips on how to prepare for moving to a new house with your little ones.
Prepare Your Kids for the Move First
Depending on the ages of your kids, they will understand the move differently. For some, it might be enough to promise them their separate bedroom. Younger kids can even enjoy the thrill of packing their bags. Unfortunately, older kids might find the move a bit daunting. Older kids usually have more ties to society and friends they may not want to leave. Whatever the case, here are several things you need to do as part of how to prepare for moving to a new house.
Have a Family Meeting
As part of how to prepare for moving to a new house, ensure that you avoid surprises. After you have dealt with realtors and home builders and made sure the move is certain, the next thing should be to sit your kids down and have a family meeting. During the meeting, avoid dominating the conversation. Instead, allow all your kids to share their thoughts. You must also keep several do’s and don’t in mind. For instance, it might not be a good idea to make fake promises. You must always be truthful regarding the information you share with your kids. It’s also crucial to allow them space to ask what they want. This will let them know that they are part of the process.
To ensure they don’t feel left out, make sure you also ask their opinion on certain things, including how they think you should decorate the new house and things like home security. Even if you are stressed during the meeting, never let the stress show. Children generally look up to their parents for emotional guidance. So if they notice that you are upset or nervous about the move, the children will be nervous too. To get your children’s imagination going, play some games, act out the move or draw pictures. Make it so that the move starts looking like an adventure.
Avoid Stressing the Kids Out
While some kids will greatly benefit from distractions, you will find that moving houses is generally not the best time to introduce new things that are not part of their usual routine. Where possible, pause these until you are now settled in your new home. This will give the kids time to adapt and feel like they are home again.
Explore the New House and Neighborhood
Another great way to prepare your kids is to explore the new neighborhood with them if possible. Even if you cannot physically visit the new neighborhood, you can still browse the internet and look at pictures of the area. It would also be a great idea to show them photos of the new house. If the area is close enough, the best you can do is to take them to the new house or neighborhood so they can get a feel of what the environment is like.
Involve Your Children in the Process
This is a great way to make kids feel better about the move. They mustn’t feel like you are making all the decisions. There are several ways to make kids feel like they are part of the process. Talk to them about their belongings and find out what they will need in the new house. Help them decide what will fit and what they can buy when they get there. It’s important to give them reasonable freedom to pick through their belongings. Even if their favorite items are heavy things like television sets, you should do things in such a way that the kids don’t feel like they are being punished because of the move. If they feel like they are giving up too much, they will start feeling that way. If you end up having a garage sale, give your kids some pocket money, especially if they sold their belongings.
Let the Kids Say Proper Goodbyes
Children usually build strong emotional connections to places and people. Whether it be interstate moving or even going to the other side of town, chances are your kids won’t get to see their friends as often, or sometimes at all. This is why allowing them to have a proper send-off is crucial. That shows you recognize the amount of time and effort they invested into building connections. You can even host a going-away party. Apart from that, when you talk to them, remind them of the possibility of keeping in touch with their pals over the phone.
Make a Moving Checklist
Once you have taken the time to ensure that your kids are ready for the move, you should start planning the logistics. The first thing you will want to do is come up with a moving checklist. Doing this might seem tedious, but it actually works. You will find that writing things down helps you commit them to memory. After all, if you keep the checklist, you can refer back to it if you forget something. That way, you won’t have to waste precious time trying to remember something that needs to be done. This is quite important if you are going far away from your current location or if you are moving overseas.
Here are some of the things you may want to put on your how-to prepare for moving to a new house checklist:
- Getting in touch with utility companies to arrange to shut off services
- Setting up mail forwarding services
- Purchasing packing materials
- Hiring a mobile moving storage unit
Include any tasks that you must not forget on this list. As you complete each item, you can then cross it off your list.
Set Your Budget
Moving can be quite expensive. This is why you need to set aside time to set a budget. That can go a long way in helping you save money. By trying to come up with a budget, you will be able to see whether you can afford a full-service move or you need to do some things on your own. A moving budget will also help ensure that you don’t spend more money than you can afford. Your to-do list will help you create a detailed moving budget. As you are creating a budget, make sure you check the prices of the goods and services you need for your move. For instance, you will want to know the prices charged by moving companies and the prices of things like boxes and such.
Plan a DIY Move or Hire a Moving Company
Once you have a moving budget, you will know whether it’s a good idea to hire professional movers or do things on your own. This is an important part of how to prepare for moving to a new house. If the budget allows you to hire movers, the next step would be to try and find the best movers around you. You can do this by asking any of your friends or family members if they know any good professional movers. Ask them what they appreciated most about the movers they recommended. If you fail to get any good recommendations, your next stop should be the internet.
A simple search with the right words like moving and storage service can help you find the moving companies near you. If there are lots, you will need to come up with a shortlist. The first thing to check is the reviews on their websites and social media pages. Are their past clients happy with the service they provided? If there are lots of complaints, it would be a good idea to move to the next company.
Once you have filtered out the ones with bad reviews, it will be time to call and ask things like how much they charge. This doesn’t mean that you should go with the cheapest movers. Apart from the cost, you should look at things like experience. Working with movers who have been in the business for a long time will give you peace of mind knowing that there is no guesswork involved. If you are going the DIY route, you will need to get prices for van rental and other moving equipment. You should also invite friends and family to come to assist with the packing and loading. Don’t forget to make lunch and dinner for those helping you out.
Declutter
There is no perfect time to declutter than when you are figuring out how to prepare for moving to a new house. Take time to go through all your belongings and identify everything that you don’t need. This will save you a lot of time and space, so you don’t pack things you will never use. To ensure you don’t spend excessive amounts of time decluttering, do it systematically. A room-by-room approach will help you move faster.
You should also encourage the kids to do the same. They should identify clothes, toys, and other things they no longer need so you can leave them behind. Before you start, keep in mind that you will need a plan for the things you want to leave behind? Are you going to throw them in the trash, send them for recycling, or you will have a garage sale? To not end up confused, you need to actively group everything in real-time. This means you will need different bags for each of the classes of items.
Get Packing Supplies and Pack
Now that you are left with only the things you are moving with, it’s time to go get your packing supplies. You can either buy moving boxes or find a wooden moving crate company. If you are buying boxes, buy more than you think you need. You don’t want to end up having to go buy more boxes because you have too many things than you anticipated. Packing is generally the most time-consuming part of moving. To ensure that you don’t waste too much time packing, you need to plan the process properly.
The first thing you might want to do is pack an essentials bag. In most instances, the packing day will be quite chaotic. The essentials bag should contain things that you may need to access during the moving process. It must also have things that you will want to use soon after your arrival at the new house. This includes things like medications, important documents, chargers, changes of clothes, and basic toiletries. Once the essentials bag is packed, you can then move on to the rest of the items.
When packing, do things in a way that saves time. For instance, if you have a chest of drawers with clothes in it, it might not be necessary to remove the clothes. You just have to pack it like that so you can offload it and not have to repack clothes. You should also remember to take pictures of any complex wiring in your old home. This will ensure you get the appliance and gadget connections right when you get to where you are going. Moving can be tricky, but if you do your things in an organized manner, you should be alright.
What to Do on Moving Day
Moving day usually goes by super fast. However, it might present its own stressors and challenges. To ensure you don’t end up too stressed, stay hydrated and make sure that you eat well. You may want to pack a cooler with some easy-to-grab drinks. You should also pack some foods that will help you maintain your strength during the day. Keep the cooler in a position where it won’t get in the way. You should also remember to ensure that it doesn’t end up getting packed in the truck with the rest of the items.
Now you know some tips for how to prepare for moving to a new house. Moving with kids can be a tricky process. However, if you take the time to prepare them for the move, things should go smoothly. Always get help with things like truck rental when you need some.
