Ten years ago, as I navigated through my divorce, moving became a nightmare as I had to relocate with my 2-year-old. It was my first time moving alone with a child who was more into unpacking each box I just finished. The task was overwhelming, and eventually, I lost all motivation to pack and move. Fortunately, I received some invaluable moving tips from a friend, which eased my burden and became my moving roadmap for years to come.
Pro-Moving Tips for a Single Mom
After years of moving without any support to co-manage the moving tasks, I have learnt a lot of ways to cut down moving expenses and tasks. Here are my tips to let you enjoy a smooth transition to a new place with your kids.
Find Reliable Childcare
The last couple of days before the arrival of the moving truck is overwhelming and dangerous. You are moving your heavy furniture and electronics, and having your children around you is a major risk. It's important to secure childcare for your children before the peak moving time as a first step. Talk to your close friends or family members who you can trust with your child. If not possible, get the recommendations for a reputable childcare and pre-enrol your children, so you freely concentrate on your moving checklist.
Create Your Moving Itinerary
You should always carefully plan and manage moving tasks to avoid making mistakes or, even worse, forgetting essential items at the last moment. Sit down and get your list-making tools, which can be as simple as the notepad on your smartphone. Keeping your home in view, decide on everything you need to do. The moving itinerary is going to cover everything from transferring your utilities to getting groceries for the day you have moved. Check the online moving checklists to find something you may have forgotten.
Manage Your Utilities
Home utilities, especially electricity and the internet are the two prime needs to keep your routine moving smoothly. So, you need to manage your utilities at both old and new places beforehand to avoid interruption. Check with your local service providers to cut down your utility connections at your old place and manage the connections at the new place on the exact moving day. This pre-arrangement saves you from extra bills and from sitting in the dark while surrounded by tons of boxes you have just moved to your new home.
Delegate Your Tasks
If your children are attending school, you will have plenty of time alone to pack everything without needing to care for your child. However, for younger kids, you need to tend to them while also handling the moving tasks that keep piling up. One of the best moving tips for this situation is to delegate some of the tasks to your family and friends, allowing you to focus on just the sections of the checklist that you can manage easily with your children and simply receive updates on the tasks others have completed.
Book the Rental Trucks
You can skip this part if you’re moving with fewer items that will easily fit in your vehicle. Otherwise, you need to rent an appropriate truck that can fit all your belongings and securely move everything to your new place. The last-minute booking is always chaotic as you may have to compromise on the work quality at such last moments. Hence, pre-book the trucks before packing your stuff so you can get an affordable quotation with premium services.
Declutter Before Packing
The top moving rule is to move only useful items for which you can get a designated place at your new home. So, before packing, decluttering your home is a must-do task. Go room-by-room, clean each corner of your home and remove everything you are not going to use at your new place. Organise a garage sale or donate everything to a charity. Sort all the items you are going to keep in different categories so similar items go together while packing. Hence, your unpacking at the new place will be streamlined.
Pack and Move
Once you know what you are going to move, stock up on an ample quantity of high-quality packing material. Start with occasionally used items and end it on the moving day. Pack a separate bag of essentials for you and your children. Include everything you both need for a few days until your home is completely set and organised. Load everything on the truck under your supervision, get into the car with your children, and move to your beloved home.
Hire Full-Package Moving Services
We completely understand if you're struggling to take on any of these moving tasks. Moving is hard especially when you are all alone with your kids. In this situation, we highly recommend looking for reputable full-packing moving services like Mcorp. Such companies cover the entire checklist on their own with their professional expertise and moving experience. Your peace matters more than money. Let the professionals keep you free from moving stress while you and your children are finding comfort in each other.
Final Thoughts on These Essential Moving Tips
Moving as a single mum can be difficult when you have little kids, especially if you're not well-prepared. So, stick to your moving schedule to keep the entire process on track. Making sure everything gets done in time. If you're unsure about handling it all on your own, consider hiring a professional. Ensuring a smooth transition.
