'Mentally, physically and financially draining': Managing the stress of moving house

Ask anyone and they’ll no doubt have a horror story about moving house. 

I still have flashbacks to my most recent move: the late nights packing and sorting; squeezing my queen-size mattress into the lift, dragging it down a hallway and into my apartment; the exhaustion. 

While it’s often mentally, physically and financially draining, it’s something that we all have to navigate at some point in our lives. 

According to Australian Bureau of Statistics data released in February, 76,200 people moved interstate in the three months to the end of September 2020. Another 85,500 moved in the three months to the end of June 2020. That’s over 160,000 Australians who relocated during the pandemic, dealing with not only the stress of a move but unpredictable border closures and lockdowns, too. 

Packing up your life into boxes can be time-consuming and overwhelming, to say the least.  According to psychologist Sarah Godfrey, owner and director of Moving Mindsets, moving house is one of the most stressful things we will experience.

“On the scale of the most stressful things that we go through, it actually tops divorce and separation, and it’s to do with the identity of who we are in that house and the community, our attachment and belonging, our sense of security and safety – all of these things are attached to the home we live in,” she says. 

“We do have an enormous emotional upheaval when we move house and that’s why people get so anxious and often even depressed. Even though it might be a very positive thing to move – the house you’re moving to might be incredible – it doesn’t mean that you’re not going to struggle and feel some regret and doubt.”

But now there’s a way to make the whole process much easier, less stressful and less chaotic.

Enter The Space Edit, a bespoke business taking a holistic approach to moving house. 

Founder Michael Milstein, who’s been through many house moves himself, says the company aims to help manage the stress of moving by ensuring all elements of relocating, whether it be locally, interstate or internationally, are taken care of end-to-end.

“Why should a move be so stressful? If it’s managed properly it should actually be a bit of fun,” he says.

“Fun” might be a bit of a stretch but Milstein says the earlier you plan for a move, the easier it will be come the big day.

“Moving is a little bit like going to the dentist. You do everything possible to leave it until the last minute,” he says, adding that if you organise the move well ahead, “that stress element would disappear almost entirely.” 

As every move is different, The Space Edit can tailor its services to your needs. The concept is simple: just pick and pay for the services that you require and outsource as much or as little help as you might need. 

You’ll be assigned your own project manager who’ll come up with a moving plan and be your contact throughout the process.

Choose from a team of professional organisers who can help declutter the home before the move, professional packers to box up all your goods (and even disassemble any pesky flatpack furniture), removalists, unpackers – even a stylist to help you settle into your new space and work out the best position for your favourite artwork. 

They can also organise services to be connected at your new place as well as tradespeople and cleaners if needed, making it a suitable option for both homeowners and renters. 

Godfrey believes a service like this will help make moving more of an adventure and less of an emotional toll.

“It takes away the horrible part of moving and that is decluttering – getting rid of memories and objects we know we can’t keep anymore.”

Godfrey, who is also chair of Griefline Australia, says it’s important to be open-hearted about embracing change.

“Digging your heels in just causes more emotional stress. Embrace the challenge no matter how hard it is and look forward to what life is going to bring you in this new environment.”