Tips to make moving house with a newborn easier

You know what they say, sometimes there are decades where nothing happens, and there are weeks where decades happen. This can certainly feel true when many disparate life events all take place at once, huge milestones by themselves, but staggeringly consequential when combined.

For example, it’s hard to think of anything more upending and incredible than welcoming a new baby into your family unit. All of a sudden the orbit of your life completely changes. But moving house is a pretty big deal too, not on the same level, but certainly impactful for your day to day. It doesn’t change the orbit of your life, but it does alter the anchor from which you’re situated.

What if those two things come at once? Well, of course, welcoming your lovely little one takes priority. But if you have to move within a month or two of bringing them home, and you’ve transferred your information to a new midwife with new care opportunities, you have a fair amount to think through. Let’s consider some tips to make it easier:

1. Use self-storage

Moving with a newborn means you need as much clear space as possible to situate yourself, bringing along the essentials like their cot and a changing station. If you can, rent a storage unit a month or two before the move and gradually fill it with things you won’t need right away. Pack up summer clothes if it’s winter, store those extra kitchen gadgets, and box up books and decorations in preparation. This gives you room to breathe and lets you focus on what really matters, which is settling in with your baby without tripping over boxes every five minutes.

2. Stagger your move

Nobody needs the stress of moving everything in one day when there’s a tiny human to care for, and they’d probably prefer that if they could let you know. Take a few weeks if you can. Move the basics first, including nursery furniture, your bedroom things, and kitchen essentials. Then gradually bring over the rest as you settle in. Use a domestic removal company that totally gets your requirements and remains happy to help you. This lets you keep your baby’s routine somewhat normal while avoiding the chaos of a traditional moving day. It also means you can move step by step, person by person, instead of transferring all of that stress onto your baby.

3. Negotiate on dates with buyers and sellers

Most people understand that moving with a newborn isn’t ideal, even if celebrating a healthy and happy child is a wonderful (if sleepless) time. Be upfront with estate agents and the other parties involved, because you have nothing to feel ashamed about, sometimes babies are born. See if you can arrange a longer completion period or even a rent-back agreement where you stay in your old place for a few extra weeks after the sale just in case. Yes, some might say no, but you’d be surprised how many people are willing to be flexible when they know you’ve just had a baby. They may have had to do the same. It’s worth asking!

With this advice, we hope you can move with a newborn and celebrate your wonderful new life in a new space.