Moving house with kids is mostly about what happens before the lorry arrives. My crew and I move a lot of families, and the calm days nearly always have one thing in common: the children knew what was happening, had their own things close by, and had somewhere to be while the heavy lifting was going on. None of it is expensive. It just needs thinking about a couple of weeks ahead. Our house moving checklist covers the rest of the timeline.
Moving house with kids: before the move
Talk about the move early and in simple terms. If you can, visit the new house or walk past it together, look at their new bedroom, and find the nearest park. For children starting a new nursery or school, a visit before the first day helps more than any explanation. Books and games about moving can help small children make sense of it.
Keep routines steady in the weeks before. Pack their rooms last, so the familiar things stay in place for as long as possible. Our guide to packing a house room by room explains the order that works.
Give them their own box
Let each child pack a small box of their favourite things: a comforter, a few toys, a book, a nightlight. Let them decorate it and write their name on it. That box travels in your car, not the lorry, and is the first thing unpacked at the new house. It gives them something to be in charge of on a day when adults are making every other decision.
Pack a separate bag for the day itself with snacks, drinks, a change of clothes, nappies or wipes if needed, and something to do. Keep it with you.
On the day
If a grandparent, friend or childminder can look after younger children for the loading, it makes the day easier for everyone, including the children. If they are staying, set up one quiet room as their base with their bag, some toys and a tablet, and tell the crew it is off limits. Older children often enjoy having a job, such as checking every room is empty or ticking off boxes at the other end.
Keeping them safe
- Keep children away from stairs and doorways while heavy items are being carried
- Keep them away from the lorry, the tail lift and the road
- Put medicines, cleaning products and sharp tools out of reach once boxes start being opened
- Check window locks and stair gates at the new house before they explore
A crew carrying a wardrobe cannot always see a small child behind them, so a clear route matters more than anything else.
The first few weeks
Some children take a move in their stride and some find it harder than they let on, particularly if they have left friends or a nursery behind. Keep meals, bedtimes and weekend routines as normal as you can for the first few weeks. Unpack their rooms early, before the spare room and the garage. If they are old enough, let them choose where some of their things go, so the room feels like theirs rather than one they have been put in.
Explore the new area together. Find the park, the library and the nearest place for a treat. Children tend to settle once the new place has a few favourite spots of its own.
The first night
Build their beds first, and put the familiar bedding and nightlight straight in. Try to keep bedtime as close to normal as you can, even if the rest of the house is still in boxes. Children settle faster than adults expect when their room feels like theirs.
If you are moving across Luton, Dunstable or anywhere in Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire, tell us when you ask for a quote that you have young children. We can plan the order of the day around nap times and the school run, and it is worth reading what a house move really costs while you plan.
Want this priced properly?
Send us the two postcodes and a rough idea of what is coming, and we will give you a fixed price in writing. No obligation, and no follow-up pestering if you decide to go elsewhere.