Whether you are purchasing a new home, stress and anxiety are an inevitable consequence.

There are, however, practical steps that you can take to make sure that the process of moving itself – that long, chaotic day when you put your life in the back of a removal van or assortment of smaller vehicles and take it out again at the other end – is as stress free as possible.

All of this advice, of course, is irrelevant if you take the sensible, but more costly, choice of hiring a company to do all the packing and moving for you. But if saving money is among your top priorities, here is some advice…

Gather the best equipment

The first thing you need to do is start collecting the equipment you’re going to need as soon as you know you’re planning on moving. It is possible to purchase a moving kit designed for a specific size of property, such as a two-bed roomed house or one-bed flat, but putting your own kit together is a cheaper option.

The first thing you’ll need is boxes. Lots and lots of cardboard boxes. Collect them in all shapes and sizes, as strong and durable as it’s possible to get hold of, until you’re certain you’ve got enough. Then collect the same number again.

You should also arm yourself with packing tape for sealing the boxes, bubble wrap and old newspaper to wrap around delicate objects, a marker pen to label the boxes and separate labels for everything else.

Set a realistic timetable

The earlier you start packing, the more leisurely the process will be. Leave it until a few weeks before moving and you’ll be spending all day every day frantically cramming items into boxes and then having to empty them when you realise you still need a tin opener, but can’t remember which box it’s in.

If you are buying a new property, start the packing process as soon as you put your current home on the market by having a comprehensive clear-out of all the items you do not want to take with you.

When packing, concentrate on one room at a time, which along with clear labelling will make it easy to position your boxes in the new property when the big day arrives.

 Pack a box of essentials

When concentrating on the logistical effort of moving house it can be easy to forget that there’s going to come a moment when the moving vans have gone, you’re in your new home, you’re exhausted and would really like a nice cup of tea…

But you don’t know where the box with the kettle in it is.

That’s why it’s a good idea to pack a box full of what might be called first night essentials and make sure that this is the last box in and first box out of the moving vans. The contents should include a tin opener, tinned and packet food, pots and pans, eating utensils, baby supplies and pet food if required.

Nobody ever said moving home was easy, but follow these tips and at least one aspect of the process won’t be as difficult as it can sometimes be.