Moving day can be one of the most stressful days most people are ever likely to put themselves through. Yet there's a lot you can do to make things easier …

The process of buying and selling a house is one of the most stressful things you can undertake and the day of the move itself is not likely to be far behind. There are so many things to consider. The secret of a successful move is in the planning. You don't want to be halfway down the motorway before you remember that you haven't cleared out the loft. Nor do you want to arrive at your new home to find that you've no electricity or discover after three months you haven't received a single letter because you've forgotten to inform anyone of your change of address.

It might surprise you how much planning needs to be done in advance. A month before you move you should be contacting your energy supplier(s) and telephone company. After all you might think the purchaser of your house is great but you don't want to end up paying their bills for them. Just as important, you want to make sure that all the essential services will be working on the day you move into your new home. It's probably a good idea to keep a list of all the service providers you need to contact so that you don't forget anyone - or realise at the last minute that you can't remember who provides your electricity.

Moving home is a good time to clear out a lot of the clutter that you have accumulated over the years. (Again this is something you should be doing in the weeks leading up to the move rather than at midnight the day before.) Depending how much of a hoarder you are this can be something of a strain. However the alternative of having to carry the stuff up three flights of stairs can help focus the mind wonderfully. It will also help if you know that the clothes and books that you haven't used for years are going to a good home rather than straight into the bin - so investigate the various options for making use
of your unwanted goods.

On the day of the move itself the last thing you want is to be worrying about small children or animals. So you might want to consider getting them out of the way for the day. It's also important to remember that many animals (and some small children) may not enjoy travel and will also take time to settle into their new home. So try to think of ways that you can make both processes more enjoyable for them

So everything is packed and on its way and you've ticked off all the items on your moving day checklist. What you deserve is a cup of tea and a some chocolate biscuits in your new home. Except that the kettle is in the back of a removal van somewhere between Belfast and Portstewart. Avoid this last minute nightmare by putting together a survival kit for moving day and make sure that this travels with you in the car. Then you can be sure of that cuppa. You deserve it.