10 Tops Tips for Taking the Pain out of Moving House

Moving house is one of the most stressful things in life, it takes weeks out of your normal life to get packed and unpacked let alone the time it took to find the new place and get everything in place. So making it as easy as possible is really important.

Planning your move makes a huge difference to how easy or difficult it runs. So here are 10 tips to make moving home that much easier.

1. Labeling the boxes with their contents and which room they are to go into is an obvious step but on a recent move I also prioritised the boxes and this made unpacking a great deal easier because I could tell which ones needed to be unpacked first and which could wait. A simple code such as P1 for Priority One, P2 for Priority Two, P3 for Priority Three makes the world of difference.

2. Have plenty of packing tape, scissors or pocket knives for cutting the tape and small sized paper for labels on hand. Be certain to fold over the ends of the packing tape so you can quickly use the tape again. If you are packing with someone who doesn't fold over the end of the tape let him have his own roll of tape and have a separate one for your own use - it saves on arguments.

3. As the first thing that is setup at the new house are the beds make sure you have the bedding - sheets, blankets, pillows - packed in a clearly labeled bag that is kept to the surface for early setup. I've moved my bedding bag in the car with me while everything else go in the removalist van.

4. Being able to have a shower or bath at the new home easily makes a big difference too so be sure you have the towels and wash bags unpacked early. I've learnt to pack, carry and setup these at the same time as the bedding so they are all sorted in one easy go.

5. Have a picnic hamper ready with enough cups, bowls and plates with cutlery for breakfast. Include handy things like a knife to cut fruit etc with as well as a can opener, small cutting board and tea towel. Put in small, re-sealable containers tea and coffee, sugar and anything else that will make the initial few hours of settling into your new place easier.

6. Pack a cooler box or esky with ice blocks to keep cold your milk for tea, coffee and breakfast and other drinks. You can easily have take away for dinner but having food ready for the next morning's breakfast makes the move so much easier.

7. When packing fragile boxes, such as the kitchen plates and bowls, pad the bottom and top of the boxes with sheets, towels and small cushions. Be sure to label the boxes as fragile.

8. It seems whenever I move it is suddenly a hot day - irrespective of the season - so make sure you have plenty of cool drinks on hand for all involved in the move. Giving your removalists cold drinks while they are doing all the heavy work not only makes them happy it helps to keep them going, you're paying them on an hourly basis so the more energy they have the sooner the job is done. This is another time when being kind and considerate is a win-win for you.

9. Remember you're human, you are not actually Super Woman and you do need to take a break sometimes so you can recharge. Keep your fluids up, remember to eat some healthy, energy empowering food and you'll handle the move much more easily. So have some healthy snacks on hand to keep your energy flowing - high sugar foods will run out of energy quickly and leave you feeling exhausted.

10. Organise a treat for yourself for the days after the move. Over the years I've started having a massage about 2-3 days after the move. Knowing I have this ahead of me when my body is aching all over is a great reward to look forward to. For others it might be a facial, manicure or pedicure. Whatever is your favourite way to reward yourself for working hard, make sure it is booked in and organised in advanced.

Remember, it usually does take at least 4 - 6 weeks to really start settling into a new place so be patient and give yourself the time and space to unpack and settle in. There's no need to put pressure on yourself to have it all done in a week or two.

All the best with your move and enjoy your new home!