Moving out as a single parent has its own unique set of problems to add to the already daunting task of moving home.
Every day as a single parent you have the responsibility and time-sapping tasks of looking after your child to contend with, and as everyone knows, moving home can be extremely stressful.
So during this transition period, it is very important to not only consider the well-being of your child but yours as well.
In this guide to moving home as a single parent, we will share with you ways to make the most of your available time, and how to make your home move easier, cheaper, and ultimately, less stressful.
You may also like to read: Dido The Dragon Moves Home. This is a short children’s story about moving home which will help your young ones understand the changes that are happening in a fun way. There are also some great moving tips for you too.
Know your moving costs upfront—watch this essential video!
Tips on How to Move Home as a Single Parent
Any home move requires a good level of organization, but with children to look after, and whilst juggling a home move, without the help and support of a partner, you will need all the additional help you can get.
Our top tips for moving out as a single parent are:
- Get as much help as you can with your home move.
- Move as cheaply as possible.
- Use checklists to keep the move organized.
- Take time away from the home move to relax and recharge your batteries.
Here is our 4-point plan for moving home as a single parent.
#1 How to Get Help Moving Home as a Single Parent
Hire a full-service mover
Whilst that may seem an expensive way to move home, it is usually the most cost-effective and stress-free way of moving.
Whether moving locally or long distance, a full-service mover will pack, load, transport, unload, and place your furniture and boxes where you want them in your new home. This is the most stress-free moving option you can take and will free up your time to enable you to attend to the needs of your child.
You may also like to read: How to Hire Movers Cheaply. In this guide, we share tips on how to find affordable movers.
Hire Professional Packers
Packing for a home move is the most time-consuming and expensive part of the home move, professional packers will know how to protect your items properly, and how to pack boxes in the most efficient and cost-effective way.
You may also like to read: How much does it cost to hire packers? In this guide, we look at how much professional packers cost and how they will make your home move so much easier.
Hire moving labor
Attempting to move heavy and large furniture on your own, or with the help of friends (if they turn up on moving day), will add considerably to your stress on moving day.
You should also consider the risk of injury to yourself, as well as the likelihood of damage being caused to your items and property.
Just call us at 800-680-6439 now to see just how affordable hiring moving labor can be.
Hire a transport
Unless you know someone with a truck who will help load, unload, and drive it for you, it can be daunting driving a fully laden truck, especially if it will be your first time.
You may also like to read: How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Rental Truck? In this guide, we look at the average costs associated with hiring a rental truck.
Friends and Family
You may be lucky enough to have friends and family that will help you relocate.
Make the best use of whatever their talents are, whether babysitting, hauling boxes into the truck, or keeping everyone supplied with food and drink.
Make a plan of how best to use the help you are offered and the moving day will go so much more smoothly.
Of course, if you have friends that you can 100% trust to turn up on moving day and help you, then moving locally yourself may be an option, but consider carefully the pros and cons of trying to move home yourself.
For interstate moves, hiring a full-service mover is really the best option.
It costs nothing to get a quote for your home move which will then allow you to make an informed decision about how you will move your things to your new home.
You may also like to read: Hire movers or do it yourself? In this guide, we look at the pros and cons of moving home yourself or hiring movers.
#2 How to Save Money on Moving Costs
Moving home, as we all know, can be expensive, but there are many ways in which you can cut your moving costs.
Decluttering
Decluttering your home is the one surefire way of reducing your home moving costs.
The idea is to get rid of anything that you no longer need, or that won’t fit in your new home.
Not only will this mean that you take to your new home only things that you really need or love, but you will save money on packing costs, reduce the labor costs as it will take less time to load the truck, and you may even be able to use a smaller truck, saving you even more money.
You may also like to read: How to Declutter for Moving. In this guide, we share tips to make decluttering your home easier.
When to move home
The day of the week and time of year that you choose to relocate can have a big impact on your home moving costs.
If you are flexible in the dates when you can move you may be able to negotiate a better price from your movers.
Get free boxes
If you have reliable friends to help you move and that is the option you have chosen, you can reduce packing costs by getting free moving boxes.
However, do you really have the time to go find good strong boxes with the kids needing your constant attention?
Compare movers
The cost of your home move can vary quite a bit between movers, but be cautious of taking lowball offers.
Movers out to scam you will offer you a low price to get your business and then hike the price on moving day.
Be sure to check that any movers you intend to hire are trustworthy. Here are a few things to consider when hiring movers:
- Do they have consistently good reviews (but not so good that they could be fake)?
- Do they have the right licenses to allow them to work in your state or across state lines?
- What is their rating on the Better Business Bureau (BBB)?
- How long have they been in business?
- Check whether you are dealing with a broker or a moving company themselves.
- Do they hire seasonal staff? Movers may do this during busy periods and it can be that the hired staff the movers use are not as well-trained or as conscientious as their full-time staff.
- Do they have the proper moving equipment and extensive experience?
You may also like to read: How to Make Moving Home More Affordable. In this guide, we share tips to help reduce the cost of your home move.
#3 Home Moving Checklists
Being a single parent and juggling a hundred-and-one tasks every day is nothing new to you.
However, adding a home move to your already huge workload increases the likelihood of an important home-moving task being missed.
Make use of home moving checklists to ensure that your home move goes as smoothly as possible.
You may also like to read: Home Moving Checklists. We have compiled a set of checklists for you that you can tailor to your own home move, and they cover all the tasks you need to complete when moving home.
#4 Ways to Reduce the Stress of Moving Home
Moving home can be stressful enough even when you have the support of a partner, but moving home as a single parent, with all your normal day-to-day stresses, is a whole new level.
Look after yourself
It is important that you look after yourself and the children during the transition from your old to the new home.
By following the tips above, you will have reduced your home-moving stress considerably already.
It may seem that time is short enough already but try to take yourself and the children away from the chaos of the home move regularly.
A walk in the park, a few hours at the ballpark, or a visit to friends or family will give you the opportunity to relax and recharge your batteries.
You may also like to read: How to handle stress when moving house. In this guide, we offer some tips to help you manage stress during a home move.
Keep the kids safe
If you have decided to move home yourself, it may be safer and less stressful to have the kids looked after by a friend or neighbor whilst you declutter, or when you are packing.
Of course, if the children are old enough, it is a good idea to include them in packing activities they can easily do, such as boxing up their own things.
Keep kids out of harm’s way
Moving day can be stressful and dangerous for children.
If possible, arrange to have someone look after the kids on moving day, even if it is in a room of the place you are moving out of.
With all the hundred and one other things going on during the move, knowing that the children are safe and are being well looked after will reduce your stress levels considerably.
You may also like to read: Moving with Children: Complete Guide. In this guide, we share tips on making moving home with children easier.
Wooow this is a great moving tips for single parents. Thanks for sharing this. Hope you post more very informative articles.