Moving house is notoriously one of the most stressful things you can go through. A poll by online estate agent Yopa in 2019 saw homeowners rank moving house as more stressful than getting divorced, having a baby and starting a new job.

In a bid to reduce the stress movers experience, Quick Move Now has teamed up with life coach Sam Lister to offer their top tips.

Sam says: “Moving house can be a very intense time. Any major change happening in your life can be hard to handle and moving house is right up there as one of the most stressful events.

“With so much to do, organise, change, cancel, amend, clear out and pack, it can quickly and easily lead to feelings of overwhelm. These top tips will help to reduce any feelings of stress and anxiety, making your move feel more manageable.”

Danny Luke, Quick Move Now's managing director, says: “According to HMRC, property sale figures from June of this year were the highest since records began in 2005. Although we're expecting rates to slow a little after the end of the stamp duty holiday next month, demand for property is still strong and there will be many more people moving house in the next few months.

“In our business, we speak to stressed-out homeowners at various stages of the house moving process every day. These tips will help people of all ages and life stages to reduce the stress they experience during a house move.”

Top tips:

1. Remember 'the basic three'

In high stress situations, the basics are often abandoned in place of crisis management. Remembering 'the big three' will help you to handle the stress of moving house more effectively.

• SLEEP – ensure you are getting enough sleep and keep to a sensible, regular routine
• HEALTHY EATING – Eating healthily is important when it comes to recharging and refuelling your body
• CLEAN LIVING – Get some exercise, hold off on the alcohol and make sure you're looking after yourself in stressful moments

2. Plan, plan, plan

Write a list of the things you need to do. This may feel unending when you start, but understanding the boundaries will help you prioritise and create a timeline for actions. Once you have your list, prioritise the tasks and do the most important first. Also think about whether any tasks can be delegated to others. Being able to tick tasks off your list will give you a sense of achievement and help you to feel like you have some control in a situation that can often feel uncontrollable.

3. Stay present

Trying to keep yourself in the present, and not letting your mind get caught up in 'what ifs', will help you to manage your emotions and give you clarity and focus. Breathing exercises are so simple and effective when it comes to managing stress but can often be overlooked. With all the rushing around involved in moving house, we can forget to be mindful. This undoubtedly has an impact on our stress levels.

4. Talk it out

When you're in the midst of a move, it can be easy to lose perspective. Talking to someone you trust – a friend, a professional or a family member – can help to relieve stress and gives you an opportunity to consider different options or get a fresh outlook.

5. Remember that it is an event with an ending

It's important to remember that although moving house is stressful, it is a life event that has a start date and an end date. When you're in the midst of it, it can feel like a never-ending process, but that's not reality. When you're struggling with feeling overwhelmed by it all, try to focus on your reason for moving house and what life will look like once you're settling in your new home.

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Notes to editors:

Quick Move Now was founded in 1998 to offer homeowners a quick and guaranteed property sale. 

As the UK's original and largest property buying company, Quick Move Now has helped more than 6,000 homeowners. 

Quick Move Now is a founding member of the National Association of Property Buyers and a member of The Property Ombudsman.

Sam Lister is a personal life coach at Complete Coaching. She specialises in stress and anxiety, conflict resolution and confidence coaching and often works with clients going through stressful life events such as a house move.

*The Yopa poll results can be found at: www.yopa.co.uk/blog/yopas-new-study-how-stressful-is-moving-home/