It can really be stressful and a true Armageddon to move to a new place, especially when the little ones get a little too excited about it... As hazardous as it might seem, the big move can be a great time to get your rid of unneeded things. We prepared a couple of tips and tricks for parents to keep the move on track, and make it as simple and organized as possible. Read on!
1. Prepare a Check-list
Create one and stick to it. You should have three sections: what to do before the move, during and after. You should also probably number your boxes and containers, and have a list of what each one contains, in case there is an emergency need for the favourite teddy...
2. If You Don't Use It, Don't Keep It!
Let's be honest now... We all had that moment where we haven't used a thing for years, but we refuse to throw it out in belief that it will save us one day. Of course it never does. If you don't use it now, then you are very unlikely to use it later! Old toys and other things can be donated to
charities, given to charity shops or sold (see links at the bottom of our blog).
3. Get Rid of Broken Things
Dispose of broken things, such as toys, clothes and such. If they are still in usable shape, give them to charities.
4. Choose Your Moving Services Wisely
You should never be skimp with the relocation services. Make sure they have a good reputation and are experienced. You can find some well-recommended
relocation services in our directory.
5. See Who Can Help
Make yourself a list of family and friends that could give you a hand with packing/unpacking things, or watching the kids for a bit.
6. Get Boxes... Lots of them!
They need to be clean, in good condition and have corners so that they can be sealed. If you do not want to buy them, ask in local shops- they usually have plenty of those left over from the deliveries and will gladly give them up!
Liquor boxes are great for glasses and such, as they are very stable and have dividers, but make sure you can get a lid for them.
7. Pack in an Order
Create yourself a system for packing boxes. It can be comfortable to pack boxes by person or by type of items. Here are two ideas:
By Room
This one can be a bit tricky, considering that you won't always remember what you had in each room, however this can be fixed with keeping a track of items with the list we mentioned in Point 1. You will pack 'a room' into boxes which will then be labelled with the room and the box number on your list. In this way you will know where a certain thing is most likely to be.
By Priority
You don't have to unpack every single bit on the first day at the new home. Some items will be more or less essential. Try to highlight essential items on the list we mentioned in Point 1, and try as much as possible to keep such items together in one box to avoid having to battle billions of socks and forks in order to find soap.
7. Wrap It Up
Do not use newspaper to wrap your fragile bits, as you will have a lot of cleaning to do afterwards from the soiling of ink. Movers usually use unprinted newsprint. You can place things like glasses or vases between clothes, towels, linen etc.
8. Keep it Light
All those things are going to get pretty heavy, and you will not like it when you have to go up and down the stairs. Although you will have more boxes, it will make it much easier for you to simply make boxes emptier- in this way even kids can help without too much strain, you if they are old enough.
9. Pack Early
Even if you pack only 2 boxes per day, within a month you will have 60. It's a good idea to keep panic out of the way when the day comes. Start in places where you don't use things, such as garage, attic etc.
10. Leave Address Labels
Get some address labels, or leave your address to the new owners so that they can forward your mail. Give them a few Euro to cover the costs.
11. The Ultimate Survival Kit
You never know what might happen, and you don't want to be raging through the boxes at 3 am just to find something to munch. Here is a list of the basics:
- non-perishable food, such as canned ham, crackers, canned food
- can opener
- paper plates and plastic cups & utensils
- towels
- bedsheets
- toiletries
- a blanket
- toilet paper
- pen & paper
- flashlight
- some games and magazines
- a change of clothes for everyone
12. Set Up a Room as Fast as Possible
The first thing to do when you get to your new home, is to set up one room as soon as possible. In this way you will have a zone for a retreat, with no boxes and such, so you and your family can have a proper break when needed, and a safe place for the kids to hang around.
13. Beware of the Dog
If you have pets, you also need to pay attention to them while moving. You can keep the cats in the bathroom with a litterbox, and the dogs can be put in a fenced yard. In order to make sure that they feel comfortable, give them some attention and don't leave them alone for a long time for the first couple of days. Make sure to keep their favourite toys nearby.
14. Make it Special
It's a good and fun idea to make the first night at new home special. You will be ready to fall asleep where you're standing once you're done with the boxes, so why not order take-away Chinese or pizza? Put some music and candles on to help your family relax a bit.
15. Plan
Once you get to the new house, don't just go on an unpacking rampage- sit down with everyone, divide roles and make sure that everyone knows where things go and such.
16. Furniture First
It's much easier if you set up your furniture exactly the way you want it, before you start unpacking the rest of things.
17. Get Things Ready for Sleep
As soon as possible set up your beds and put the bedsheets on them. Then cover them up with an overthrow or such, to keep hygienic. You will suffer later on when it turns out just as you were about to lay down to sleep, you still have a plenty of preparations to do- you will regret not doing it earlier!
18. Keep the Tools Handy
Keep the toolbox with some basics like hammer, screwdriver and such, out and handy. You never know when you might need it.
19. Get Around
Once you move in, it's a good idea to take a walk or drive around on a free day to see where things are, such as offices, supermarkets & shops, bank etc. It's a good idea to also check for local events- you can find those on
Cyprus Events Blog.
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