How to Help Someone Move House

I have moved dozens of times in my life – literally. I believe I had moved three times by the age of five, and another three times by 18. When I went to uni, I moved every year, and by the time I got married at 27, I'd lived in another six houses. Since then, I have moved another four times. 

Clearly, I know how stressful it can be. And it only gets harder when you go from renting to owning, not to mention adding children and/or pets into the mix! I have no desire to move house ever again, at least not until all the kids have moved out and we’re ready to downsize. 

All this experience has taught me there are two ways you can help someone move house. If you live close by, you can help physically. If you don’t, you can focus on taking things off their plate. 

I’ve compiled this list with families in mind, but a single person, someone moving away from their family home for the first time, or a childless couple will need the same encouragement and support as well.

A Note on Embracing the Mess

Friendships mean the most when you let each other into the mess and chaos of daily life, rather than always being polished and well put together. However, I know some people find this difficult. 

I often think about it in relation to wearing our Sunday best for church. On the one hand, we wear our best clothes to show the significance and importance we place on Sunday worship and coming to the house of God. But on the other, it can make people feel like they’re not good enough or that they don’t fit in if they don't have the "right" clothes to wear. This is something I frequently wrestle with in my mind. I also wonder whether it spills out into daily life. Do we hide the mess because we’re worried about our Christian brothers and sisters seeing what our home is really like? 

Obviously, when you’re moving house, you can’t really do that. But packing boxes with a friend, even if they’re just labelling the boxes and keeping you company, is such a wonderful thing to accept help with. Read How to Foster Community and Make Friends at Church for more on this. 

How to Help Someone Move House If You Live Close By

• Offer to look after children during the packing process or on moving day itself. Having the kids out of the way removes a heavy burden, both physically and mentally. When parents know their children are safe and happy, they can get on with the job at hand.
• Offer to pack boxes or help organise things. 
  
• Wash up or hoover the areas that are now empty.
  
• Offer cups of tea and healthy snacks. You could even invite everyone over for a meal the evening of the move. It’s often tradition to get takeaway on the first night in a new home, but how wonderful would it be to be invited round to a friend’s house for a lovely home-cooked meal and a rest on their sofa?

How to Help Someone Move House If You Live Far Away

• Send them a Domino's pizza voucher. Depending on where they live, Deliveroo and Uber Eats could also be an option. Alternatively, you could research the best Chinese restaurant close to their new place and order in for them. This will feel like such a treat if they just want to eat and fall into bed after a long day of moving.
• If it’s someone you know well, a few days before the move, send them a care package with things they’ll need but might not be able to find in all the boxes. This box can go in the front of the car/moving van and include essentials like tea bags, a packet of biscuits, some cleaning cloths, a spray bottle of cleaning product, a couple of loo rolls, and a takeaway voucher inside a thoughtful card. This is also a lovely thing to do for a child moving to uni for the first time.
  
• Order a meal delivery box such as Gousto, Hello Fresh or Mindful Chef to arrive the day after they move. That’s dinners sorted for the week. What a blessing!!
  
• Pay for something they would otherwise have to do or organise themselves. Go for something really practical that takes something off their plate. For example, an end-of-tenancy clean for their old place, a window cleaner for their first week in the new home, or a gardener to sort an overgrown garden. 
  
• Help with admin. Write up a list of everyone who needs their new address. Research local doctors, dentists, and other services.
• Do the faffy Google review part and give them a list of the best options for everything so they don’t have to spend hours researching in a chaotic house full of boxes.
  
• Send something that will make the house feel like home. A card is a great idea, but adding a scented candle that will always bring back memories of the first few days in a new home is such a thoughtful touch. I have one called Still, and one called Comfort, which are great options for this.
• A potted plant is another great option, or a packet of seeds to start off their garden. It’s really the last thing on your mind when you’re just moving house, but having some cosmos or sweet peas to pop in the soil and enjoy in the future is such a lovely thought.

Christian Greeting Cards for Moving House 

A new home is a new season of life, a new chapter in a life story. Offer your prayers and follow Paul's example. Say a blessing on them and share your final wishes as they embark on something new, invoking God’s grace and peace on them as a family in their new home. 

I have a couple of new home cards with words of blessing on the front. Giving one of these with your own words of benediction inside is a wonderful gift. 

Faith needs to have skin on. We are God’s hands and feet on earth, so think about what you would like if you were the one moving and offer it. Honestly, if someone did any of the things listed above for me, I would be a puddle of tears from how loved I’d feel.

Thanks For Stopping By

If you’ve been inspired by this post, you might find the following links useful too…

How to Avoid Catch-Up Culture and Build Christian Friendships 
How to Support a Friend Through a Tough Time 
How to Stay Connected When Your Friends Live Far Away