10 tips for moving houses with kids without the stress

Moving boxes, lamp, pot plant - tips for moving houses.

If you’re searching for tips for moving houses with kids, this post is for you. Between packing boxes, organising paperwork, updating addresses, and helping your kids adjust to a new environment, it can feel like there’s an endless list of things to do.

The good news is that moving with kids doesn’t have to be overwhelming.

With these helpful tips, and the right approach, you can make the moving process less stressful for your kids to navigate.

In this post you’ll discover 10 moving house tips that will help you stay organised before, during, and after moving day.

You’ll discover what to put on a moving checklist, what to declutter before moving, how to involve your children in the move, and how to organise essential items so you can settle into your new home fast.

Whether this is your first move or you’re a moving pro, these tips for moving houses will help you feel more prepared, save time, and make the transition to your new home as smooth as possible for the whole family.

Download your FREE declutter checklist with 100+ items to declutter to make moving easier here

Table of Contents

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Moving house tips

Here are 10 house moving tips that I’ve used more than once that make moving easier, save time, and that have helped my children settle into their new home quicker.

Declutter before moving

One of my favourite tips for moving houses is to declutter your entire home before you start packing.

Decluttering before packing means that you’re only packing what you absolute want to take with you to your new home, saving a lot of time and packing box space.

Some things you can declutter before your move are:

Books you won’t read again
Clothing that doesn’t fit, is stained, or worn out
Décor you don’t like
Duplicate cooking utensils
Excess bedding
Garden equipment you don’t use
Old electrical items
Unused furniture
Unwanted toys

Create a moving house checklist

One of best things I did before my first move was to create a moving house checklist, which lists everything that needs to be done before, during and after a move, to ensure nothing important gets forgotten.

Here are some of the things on my moving checklist that you may like to add to yours, to make moving with kids less stressful.

The best part is, you can reuse it when it comes time for your next move.

Before move

Book removal company
Arrange storage (if needed)
Declutter unwanted items
Begin packing
Submit final water, gas, and electricity readings
Redirect your mail

One week before move

Confirm moving arrangements
Clean out appliances
Defrost freezer
Use up food

After move

Update your address
Submit first water, gas, and electricity readings
Change car and home insurance
Set up internet service
Register with local services

Get your kids involved

Getting your kids involved in a move will help make the move less daunting for them.

I do this by driving past the new house as often as possible before moving, then once I’ve got the keys, I take my kids with me to the new house whenever I clean it, or drop items inside it.

Other ways you can get your kids involved is to:

Drive around their new neighbourhood
Visit local parks
Get them to pack their favourite items
Ask for their input in their bedroom layout
Pick paint colours or decorations

Moving box with packing tape and to do list - tips for moving houses.

Start packing early

It doesn’t matter how many times I move; I always forget how long it takes to pack an entire house, which makes this one of the house moving tips I need to remember.

As soon as you know your moving date, start packing items you won’t need before your move, such as:

Books
Décor items
Rarely used kitchen items
Seasonal clothing
Spare bedding

You can pack these items using:

Suitcases, which are great for fragile items
Laundry baskets can hold a lot of towels, seasonal clothing, and linen
Boxes for moving houses are handy to store in different rooms so you can pack gradually up until moving day
Moving bags are one of my favourite packing items because you can use them for days out after you move

Label boxes

Labelling packing boxes with the room the items belong in, and whether the items are fragile, will make unpacking much easier.

Pack an essentials bag

This is a moving house tip that I’m going to do next time I move, which is to pack an essentials bag for every member of my family.

This means packing a bag with the following essential items that will make the first couple of days in a new home easier to get through:

2 days’ worth of clothing
Pyjamas
Toiletries
Medications
Chargers
Favourite toys
Books
Snacks

Having a box full of these essentials also helps:

Toilet paper
Cleaning products
Bin bags
Box cutter
Important documents

Moving boxes, lamp, packing tape - tips for moving houses.

Stick to routines

Kids thrive on routines, especially during periods of change like moving homes.

Here are some routines you should try to stick to as much as possible during a home move:

Meal times
Bedtimes
Family traditions
Weekend activities

Set up your kid’s bedrooms first

The first thing I do in a new home is set my kids bedrooms up, so they immediately have somewhere they feel comfortable in, and where they can play while I unpack the rest of the house.

Keys hanging on hook - tips for moving houses.

Redirect mail

Setting up a mail redirection service gives you peace of mind while you update your details with:

Banks
Insurance providers
Schools
Healthcare providers
Subscription services

Ask for help

Whether it’s family, friends, or a professional removal company, don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Professional movers can save time, reduce physical strain, and make moving much less stressful, but they can be expensive.

If you want to save money on a removalist, you can always use them just for large items, which is what I did for my last move.

When moving, having help allows you to focus on getting your children settled into their new home.

Tips for moving houses – a recap

Moving with kids is stressful, but with a little bit of preparation you can make the transition easier for everyone.

Some of the preparation you can take includes creating a moving checklist, decluttering before packing, labelling boxes, and packing essentials separately.

Giving yourself time to unpack gradually, asking for help, and focussing on creating a comfortable home, rather than a perfect one, are also great ways to get your kids used their new home.

In case you missed it, here’s your free declutter checklist to help make moving houses easier.

What’s the best moving house tip you’ve ever used?

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