According to government statistics, the average Briton moves eight times in their lifetime, with people in their 20s moving the most.
However, transporting all your worldly goods from one place to another does not have to be as stressful as it sounds, according to an Aberdeen-based self storage expert.
“Taking time to move house makes the whole process much calmer,” says Jon Wilson, of Simply Self Storage.
“Trying to pack every single thing you own into one van and then unpacking your entire house the other end is fraught with tension. Deciding where everything goes in a new layout can both add time and cause arguments on moving day. Most people move every seven years or so, and not only is moving house a huge financial decision, it is fraught with emotion of leaving friends, family and memories behind.
“Increasingly, people are packing up the items they don’t use very often and storing them in self storage units, leaving them free to move the essentials. Taking time to think about where everything goes, deciding if you will actually move everything, leaving space for decorating will make moving house seem like a fun and exciting life stage rather than a chore.”
Downsizing is a further trend in the housing market, and the government forecasts that an increasing number of house movers will be settling down on their own – the number of one person households is set to increase by almost 50% over the next 20 years, compared to an increase of a third in the rest of Scotland.
Divorce is also a common reason for house moves, and Jon advises that separating out belongings in a calm manner will help keep relationships friendly. “When families break up, it can take time for each partner to find their own new home. Once the possessions have been divided up, each partner will want to move their belongings out as soon as possible – keeping your goods in a clean, safe environment will provide peace of mind and take some of the emotion out of the divorce process.
Here, Jon offers advice on how to make a house move as stress free as possible.
- De-clutter: Decide what you do and don’t need. If you can’t bear to part with goods, store then safely until you need them again
- Take your time: Try to avoid moving everything over a weekend. Only move the goods you need and store the rest.
- Use good quality packing boxes: Your belongings are important to you so ensure they are contained in good quality, twin-walled boxes with handles.
- Get your priorities right: If your new house is smaller, box up seasonal items such as sports or garden equipment and store them until needed.
- Time to go: Use the moving phase as a chance to rethink your wardrobe. Move the clothes you wear on a regular basis and put the ones you haven’t used in six months in to storage, keeping them clean and safe until you need them again.