Moving house is an undertaking in itself, but moving house with a baby, infant or toddler raises the challenge to another level for parents. Anyone who has had children knows household possessions gradually get moved higher and higher until children are old enough not to go after anything they can reach. So moving will test your organisational skills, especially with packing and unpacking, as these are the times when your house can feel like it’s in disarray. Here are a few ideas for a smooth move with a baby.

1. Declutter

For any move, decluttering is a great idea. It means you have less to pack and unpack, which saves time and money. If you’re moving with a baby, purging everything you don’t need will save you a mountain of stress when you unpack. Infants are highly attuned to when their parents are stressed, so this will benefit everyone.

Read our article about decluttering if you need help.

2. Hire Professionals

Making moves less stressful is what professional movers do best. We have the people, equipment and experience to move your household possessions quickly and efficiently. This takes a huge load of work off you and means you can concentrate on keeping your baby happy on moving day. Make sure you book your movers early so you can move on the best day possible.

3. Pack like a pro or hire the pros

Taking the time to pack up your house like a professional makes unpacking easier. Primarily, it means less clutter when unpacking, which means fewer hazards that could end up in your baby’s mouth. 

Labelling each box with the items it contains allows you to find what you want easily. Then, your packing boxes can remain in a neat, safe pile as you work through them one by one. Unpack baby safe boxes while your infant is awake, and hazardous boxes when they’re asleep. You’ll unpack faster, more efficiently and get settled sooner.

4. Cleaning

Before you bring your baby to your new home, make sure it has had a deep clean. While people are expected to leave their homes in a clean state, this doesn’t always happen. You’ll have much greater peace of mind if you know the floors and surfaces your baby will touch are safe. If you’re cleaning yourself, hire a babysitter to give you the time to get the cleaning done, or hire professional cleaners to prepare the house before you arrive.

5. Make sure your home is baby safe before you unpack

Unpacking is tiring, and when you’re tired, it’s easy to become distracted. Create safe zones in the house where you can put anything that may be a hazard to your baby.

• Create a safe zone for used packing materials.
• Put child locks on any cabinets and cupboards within baby’s reach.
• Block dangerous areas with safety gates, such as stairs.
• Secure furniture or any item that baby could pull over.
• Use safety plugs in power points.
• If you have a pool, make sure it has a safe, legal pool fence.
• Secure all exterior doors.
• Install baby monitors and alarms.

6. Pack a separate baby box

Pack everything you need to keep your baby happy in separate boxes, so you have everything you need on hand as soon as you get to your new house. If you can set up their playpen, cot or crib, and have their toys ready to go, you can get your baby settled quickly. Ideally, take these boxes with you rather than getting them loaded on the moving truck so you have them straight away. If you have to load everything onto the truck, ask your moving company to pack up the nursery last and unload it first.

If you want your move to be as easy and stress free as possible, call us for a quote.