Moving without stress: how to stay in control

Most moving stress does not arise on moving day, but in the weeks before. Anyone who only starts packing at the last minute inevitably ends up chasing the clock. A move runs far more smoothly if you make a rough plan four to six weeks in advance.

List the key dates: when you hand back your current home, when you receive the keys to the new one and the day you actually move. From those dates you work backwards. That way you know exactly when to start packing, cancelling services and arranging everything.

Packing well saves you hours of searching at the new address. Pack room by room and write on each box which room it belongs to and roughly what is inside. A box labelled kitchen, plates, fragile is immediately clear at the new location, including for the moving team.

Keep a separate box with the things you need straight away on the first evening: phone chargers, toiletries, some crockery and bedding. Set that box aside so you do not have to open everything after a long day.

Make sure the route is clear: parking space reserved, hallways empty and, if needed, the building lift booked. Appoint one point of contact so the moving team can coordinate with one person instead of the whole household.

At the end, walk through both homes together with the crew. That way you check whether anything has been left behind and whether everything is in the right place. Then you can start unpacking calmly, at your own pace.