How to Make Moving Home Fun

Moving home and fun. Not two words that you would normally put together when talking about relocating to a new home but we want to change that!

It is far too easy to get overwhelmed with the process of moving home, which makes what should be a happy and exciting time super stressful.

But there is no reason why you should not be enjoying moving home, after all, an exciting new home and life await you.

So let’s banish the word ‘stressful’ from our home move and make this a time to create some great memories and to have some fun.

• Can Moving Home be Fun?
• 6 Fun Ways to Announce You Are Moving Home
• 6 Ways to Make Decluttering Fun
• 9 Ways to Have Fun Whilst Packing for a Home Move
• 7 Ways to Make Moving Day Fun
• 7 Ways to Make Unpacking Fun

Can Moving Home be Fun?

Of course, it can, you just need to find the least stressful and time-consuming ways of moving so that you can concentrate on making this an enjoyable and memorable time, a time when you can reflect on the past and look forward to the future.

The key to a fun home move is having a positive state of mind.

The more you focus on all the great reasons to move home, the more you appreciate how lucky you are to have this opportunity of a new home, the easier it will be to accept that your life is going to be a little different for a short time whilst the move is completed.

So let’s identify the two main problems with moving home, resolve those issues, then get on with having some fun.

#1 Packing for a home move is boring, time-consuming, and expensive to do yourself.

#2 Moving furniture and heavy boxes on moving day is extremely tiring, stressful, and dangerous.

The quickest way to get packed for a home move and the least stressful way of moving home is to hire a good removal company.

They will take care of every aspect of your home move allowing you the opportunity to make the most of your last days in your old home and to then concentrate on making your new place your home.

You can get a quote for your home move from up to 4 good removal companies in just a few minutes.

Knowing that you have hired the best removal company to safely relocate you will take a huge burden off your shoulders, allowing you to now enjoy the home moving experience.

Read on to find out how you can make each stage of moving home fun and enjoyable.

6 Fun Ways to Announce Your Move

Whilst you will want to let companies know about your change of address in a more formal way, announcing you are moving to your friends and family can be a lot more creative and fun.

#1 Unique Home Moving Puzzle

This could be a great and fun idea to announce you are moving home.

You can create a design for a bespoke puzzle that when completed announces your home move.

They come in various sizes from really simple 30 pieces that you could give to families or a 1000 piece jigsaw that you could share with a group of friends over an evening.

A unique and fun way to announce your home move, there are various companies such as www.contrado.co.uk or www.photobox.co.uk who produce these unique puzzles

#2 Moving Announcement Postcards

There is something quite special about receiving a card through the post, it is more personal than a text or email, and it shows the person has given thought and time to convey the message.

 A quick Google search will help you find hundreds of different change of address card designs that will reflect your personality and the words you want to say.

You can even take the time to design your own cards and messages or if you have kids let them help draw a picture for the card.

The only drawbacks are the time it takes to write and address all the cards, the cost of posting them, and that the process is not very environmentally friendly.

#3 Event Page on Facebook

Far more environmentally friendly and not so Fred Flintstone, is creating an event page on Facebook that you can invite your friends and family to join.

#4 Create a Video

How about creating a video on your phone and then sharing it with your friends and family? You could incorporate clips from your home that include family and friends, and personal messages from each member of the family.

#5 Home Moving Party

A moving away party gives everyone the opportunity to say goodbye face to face. It is a great opportunity to reminisce and to share your exciting plans for the future.

Keep it simple and it will be easier to organise, you want to have the opportunity to mingle and say your goodbyes properly, not be confined to the kitchen all night.

#6 House Warming Party

A house warming party is a great way to get to know your new neighbours and extend your social circle. Again, keep it simple as you will have plenty of other things to do when you move into your new home.

You may like to read How to Throw a Home Warming Party in which we share lots of good ideas about throwing a party in your new home.

6 Ways to Make Decluttering Fun

Decluttering your home is really satisfying when you see the end result but decluttering for a home move is essential because it will save you a ton of money on your removal costs.

The fewer things you take to your new home, the fewer packing materials you need, the faster packing will be, the quicker the loading and unloading will be, and you may even need a smaller van.

And then you may even make some money from selling the things you don’t need or want which you can use to treat yourself, buy something for your new home, or put towards the removal costs.

Decluttering can be an emotional rollercoaster, especially if you have lived a long time in the home. So here are some ways to make decluttering more fun:

#1 Declutter to Music

Everything is more fun when you do it to music. Choose some really upbeat music, create a playlist so that you don’t need to keep stopping to change tracks, crank up the volume and start decluttering.

#2 Set a Time Limit

It is easy to get overwhelmed with the amount of decluttering you need to do so set a timer or use the music playlist as a timer of say 1 or 2 hours at a time. Then take a break doing something different or just relaxing with a coffee before starting again.

#3 Invite a Friend

Choose a friend who you know will encourage and not distract you. It is quite motivating to have someone with you when you declutter and they will not have the emotional attachment to some things that you have so can make those harder decisions for you.

Having a chat and laugh with your mate whilst you declutter will make it seem so much more fun.

#4 Complete a Declutter Challenge

A quick online search will give you a number of decluttering challenges to complete. This is a great motivator and can be fun too.

#5 Have a Competition

With a family member, have a competition to see who can declutter the most things, who can declutter a room the fastest, or who can make the most money from selling things you no longer need.

#6 Reward Yourself

Completing a task is always more fun if you have a reward at the end to look forward to. Be it a bar of chocolate or a glass of wine, set yourself a target and a reward for reaching that target.

You may like to read How to Declutter for a Home Move in which we go through the process of decluttering your whole home ready to start packing.

9 Ways to Have Fun Packing for a Home Move

Even if you have very sensibly chosen to hire professional packers there are still things like your essential moving day boxes to be packed so why not have fun whilst you pack?

And because this is such an important step in your life remember to take lots of fun photos.

#1 Play Music

Create your packing playlist from your favourite upbeat tracks, the more upbeat the music, the more fun you will have singing along to them whilst packing.

#2 Let the Kids Pack Too

If it is safe to do so, then let the kids pack their own moving day essentials box. It might include things like a favourite book, toys, colouring books and crayons, change of clothes, nightwear, night light, food, and drink.

A child’s moving day essentials are best packed into a suitcase or bag as cardboard boxes can be dangerous and it is easy to get paper cuts.

#3 Personalise the Packing Boxes

Once the boxes are packed and labelled, let the kids personalize them by drawing pictures on them.

And if you don’t have kids why not have fun drawing on the boxes yourself??

#4 Have a Competition

Have a competition who can pack the fastest or get the most items in a box, or who draws the best picture on a moving box.

Make sure you remember to get some treats as prizes.

#5 Have a Packing Party

If you are not hiring professional packers you will soon realise how big a job packing for a home move is and so might want to encourage some friends to come and help you.

You could even have party games, who draws the best pictures on the moving boxes or best packer for example.

Make sure you have enough packing supplies, scissors, and markers for everyone.

Assign a cupboard or room for each person, crank up the music, open a bottle or two and have fun!

#6 Go Camping

The night before you move you will want to ensure that everything is packed into boxes ready to go.

You can make your last night more fun by camping in your empty home. Set up or make a tent, lay some blankets on the floor, read a book, play games or just relax to some music.

You could even camp in the garden, order a takeaway and make some super memories of your last night in your old home.

#7 Pack Off the Kids

Your packing will be so much easier if you did not have the distraction or worry of having the kids under your feet whilst you pack.

You could get a babysitter or pack them off to a relative or friend. It will be safer for the children and make you far more efficient packing.

With the children out of the way, you can then crank up the music, sing at the top of your voice and have yourself a party whilst you pack.

#8 Packing Treasure Hunt

A few weeks before you start packing, go around hiding little treats in cupboards and drawers.

As you then pack away the contents of each cupboard you will rediscover the treats. This would be a great motivator for the kids to help you pack too.

#9 Reward Yourself

Set yourself a realistic target each day, say to pack 2 cupboards, then give yourself a treat.

Doing the packing in small chunks will be less overwhelming although it will take longer.

Make the rewards exciting enough that you really want them otherwise they are no real incentive.

If you are falling behind in your packing schedule then set a bigger target with a bigger reward. So you could set a target of getting everything packed by Friday and then on Saturday treat yourself to a meal out or your favourite takeaway.

Bonus Packing Fun:

Once you have labelled your moving boxes you could put a funny moving quote on each box. There are many to choose from online.

Home is where the heart is, even if you can’t remember which box you packed it in.

Every time I unpack a box, 3 more full ones appear. This would be fun it happened to every wine bottle I opened.

It will brighten your removal team’s day as they read each funny quote and will be fun for you to find the best ones you like.

Another Bonus Packing Fun Tip:

When packing, slip a treat into random boxes. Then when it comes to unpacking you will get unexpected rewards.

Packing for a home move is a monumental task and many items need packing properly to ensure that they are well-protected.

There is a whole library of guides on how to pack each and every item in your home in our home moving blog. If you need to know anything about packing for a home move that should be your first port of call.

7 Ways to Make Moving Day Fun

Moving day is the start of your new life so you want to enjoy the day not spend it being stressed.

If you have chosen a good removal company then it will be far easier to relax and have fun.

It is especially important if you have kids to be as happy and relaxed as you can on moving day. It will be an unsettling time for them and they will pick up on your emotions, so the happier and more positive you are the easier the relocation will be for them.

#1 Have a Favourite Breakfast

Prepare a fun breakfast treat for moving day. Get up nice and early to pack the very last few things then relax with a special breakfast treat.

#2 Create a Moving Day Playlist

Some upbeat music will lift everyone’s spirits and make for a happier moving day experience.

If you are travelling by car to your new home then you can create a playlist for the car too.

#3 Play Car Games

Car journeys can be super boring so make the trip to your new home more fun by playing games.

In the guide How to Move Home by Car, you will find lots of suggestions for games to keep everyone entertained on moving day.

#4 Ship Out the Kids

Moving day is full of hazards so it is best to keep children and pets out of harm’s way. You could arrange for them to go to the cinema or for a picnic and the pets to a boarding kennel for the day.

Or you could allocate an empty room where they can be safely looked after until all the furniture and boxes are moved.

Make sure that wherever the kids are looked after there is plenty for them to do.

You could even have a picnic and games in the garden whilst the removal company load the lorry.

#5 Create a Snuggle Den

In an ideal world, you will get into your new home in plenty of time to get the bedrooms set up but more often than not you just don’t have enough time to get everything organised.

So after arriving late at your new home why not snuggle together in the living room. Grab some pillows and blankets, read some books, listen to music, watch a movie, and have a takeaway.

Make the first night in your new home an adventure, something that everyone looks back on as a fun time.

#6 Have a Memorable Meal

The first night in your new home should be special. If you are super organised you could pack a meal for the first night in your new home, or you could order in your favourite takeaway.

You might like to include a bottle of your favourite drink in your essentials moving day box to enjoy on the first night in your new home.

This is just one way in which you can start to create happy memories in your new place, the sooner you start making memories, the easier it will be to make your new place feel like home.

#7 Plan a Fun Event

There will be so much to discover and explore in your new area so why not make up a fun moving day evening game.

Make a shortlist of places that you want to go to, a restaurant, a park, or a museum, whatever. Write each place on a card then play some games. Whoever wins gets to choose a card that will determine a fun trip on the next free day you have.

You may also like to read Things That Can go Wrong on Moving Day and How to Avoid Them. If you know the kind of thing that can go wrong on moving day then you can be prepared. Here we share the most common problems that people face on moving day and how to avoid them.

7 Ways to Make Unpacking Fun

If you have labelled your moving boxes properly then unpacking will be so much easier, although rarely could it be described as fun.

So here are some tips to make unpacking less tedious.

#1 Get Motivated for Unpacking

One of the fun packing tips was to hide treats in random boxes to help motivate people to unpack.

You can take this one step further by incorporating a fun moving announcement tip with a fun packing tip.

Let’s say you are moving to an area where there is an attraction that all the family wants to visit, or a special place that you and your partner would love to visit, something that would be a super special treat.

So you get a puzzle made out of a picture of this place or event. Then a piece of the puzzle is put into each of the moving boxes as you pack them.

Then as each box is unpacked the puzzle is completed. Not until every moving box is unpacked and the puzzle completed can you go to the place on the puzzle.

#2 Play Music

A recurring theme right through this guide but music can make such a difference to your mood.

#3 Pop Bubblewrap

Is there anything more stress-busting and enjoyable than popping bubble wrap? As you finish each box spend a few moments popping those odd bits of bubble wrap.

There are also lots of creative and useful things you can do with bubble wrap and you will find lots of examples in Mind Popping Things to do With Bubble Wrap.

#4 Get Creative

There will likely be plenty of empty moving boxes at the end of each day and they are great for getting creative and having fun with.

From lining compost heaps to making a cardboard fort, they can provide you with hours of fun.

You can find plenty of great ideas in What to do With Cardboard Boxes After Your Home Move, you will be surprised just what they can be used for.

#5 Reward Yourself

Small milestones are easier to reach so set yourself small, realistic unpacking targets.

As you reach that target give yourself a small reward, an hour reading a book or an hour’s walk around the park.

#6 Unpacking Party

Some people prefer to get the unpacking done as quickly as possible so you may like to organise an unpacking party.

Allocate everyone some boxes, clear instructions where things are to be put, provide some food and drink, play some funky tunes, and you will be unpacked in no time.

#7 Hire Unpackers

There are some removal companies who will unpack your moving boxes for you and there are even companies now who will unpack and stage your home whilst you get back to work or go off having fun.

Ask your removal company about their unpacking services or contact companies such as www.thehomemover.co.uk or www.atidymind.co.uk

You might like to read: How Not to Get Overwhelmed Unpacking After a Home Move. Faced with a mountain of moving boxes it is easy to get overwhelmed with the thought of unpacking them. This guide shares top tips to make the task of unpacking more manageable.

Final Thoughts on Making Moving Home Fun

It is easy to let the enormity of relocating your home consume you.

The key to a fun home move is staying positive and not becoming overwhelmed with all you have to do.

So break all the home moving tasks down into small easily manageable chunks, and use a home moving calendar to organise each step of your move.

We have already created a week-by-week home moving calendar for you which is easy to use and will help you manage your home move more easily.

Most of us have hectic lives without the stress of moving home as well. Hire a good removal company to take the stress away and leave you to concentrate on other things.

Seriously consider using a professional packing service, the stress and time it saves you are well worth the small cost.

Moving home does not have to be stressful, there is no reason why it can’t be fun.

Things may go wrong on moving day, they often do but try to turn these hiccups into memory makers.

You may turn up at your new home to find no electricity (it has happened to me), but instead of stressing about it, use it as an opportunity to have a candlelit dinner and romantic first night in your new home.

There is usually a silver lining in every dark cloud, you just need to find it.

We hope the examples of things you can do to make moving home a fun experience have inspired you to think of your own ways of making moving home fun.

If you have any fun ideas then please share them in the comments box below.

We hope you have a fun home move and a very happy new life in your new home.