Moving day is disruptive for everyone in the house, but kids and pets feel that disruption differently to adults: they don't have the context of "this is temporary" to fall back on. A bit of age-appropriate and species-appropriate planning goes a long way toward making the day feel manageable rather than chaotic. As a family-owned business ourselves, we've picked up a lot of this from clients over 15+ years of residential moves across Sydney and Perth: the tips below are the ones that come up most often.
For kids
Involve them early where you can: letting younger children pack a small box of their own things gives them some control over a day that otherwise happens around them. On the day itself, consider whether a friend, relative, or a few hours at school or care makes the day easier for everyone, especially for very young children who don't yet understand what's happening. Keep a familiar comfort item (a toy, a blanket) easily accessible rather than packed away.
- Toddlers and preschoolers. At this age, kids generally don't understand "moving" as a concept, so their stress usually shows up as clinginess, disrupted sleep or acting out rather than anything they can put into words. Keeping their usual nap and meal times as close to normal as possible on the day matters more than any amount of explanation. A change of scenery mid-move, a few hours with a grandparent, or at daycare, often works better for this age group than trying to include them in the packing and loading process. Pack their cot, favourite toy and any comfort object last and unpack it first, so it's set up and familiar before bedtime in the new home.
- Primary-school-age children. Kids in this range can usually understand what's happening if it's explained simply and given some lead time: a week or two's notice, rather than a surprise on the day, generally reduces anxiety rather than creating it. Giving them a job (packing their own room, labelling their own boxes, choosing where posters go in the new room) helps turn the move into something that's happening with them rather than to them. It's also worth preparing them for what the new house, street and school will actually look like: photos or a visit beforehand, if practical, make the change feel less abstract.
- Teens. Teenagers are old enough to grieve the move in a real way: leaving friends, a school, or a familiar neighbourhood can be a genuine loss at this age, even if the new house is objectively an upgrade. Acknowledging that directly, rather than only focusing on the practical logistics, tends to land better than trying to talk them into excitement. Where possible, involve teens in decisions that affect them directly: their own room setup, transport arrangements to see old friends after the move, since a sense of some control over the process helps more at this age than at any younger one.
For pets
Moving day is genuinely stressful for animals: the noise, strangers in the house, and open doors are a real escape risk. RSPCA Australia's guide to moving house with your pet recommends keeping pets somewhere calm and familiar-smelling during the move itself, and being mindful that pets pick up on your stress even when nothing is directly happening to them. In practice, this usually means:
- A quiet, closed-off room (or a friend's house, or daycare) well away from the activity, with familiar bedding and water.
- Updating your pet's microchip details and tags with your new address as soon as you have it confirmed: well before moving day, not after.
- Keeping an eye out in the lead-up to the move for hazards that are normally out of reach but become accessible while you're packing.
Different animals handle the process differently, and RSPCA Australia's guidance breaks down a few practical differences worth planning around:
- Dogs. In the lead-up to the move, if the new home is within driving distance, taking your dog for walks in the new neighbourhood ahead of time helps them adjust gradually rather than facing an entirely new environment all at once: it's also worth checking the new property has secure, escape-proof fencing before moving day, and scoping out nearby dog parks or busy roads to be aware of (RSPCA Australia: Moving house with your pet). On the day, a crate-trained dog is often calmest kept in its crate in a quiet room, while other dogs do well simply secured in one closed-off room with food, water and a familiar blanket. At the new house, don't let your dog explore freely until the removalists have left and things are quiet: let them investigate at their own pace rather than all at once, and supervise closely, since a fence or gate that looks secure isn't guaranteed to be so until you've actually tested it with your dog present.
- Cats. Cats generally cope best confined to a single room at the new house for the first couple of days, set up with a comfortable bed, familiar blanket, toys, litter tray, food and water, rather than given the run of the whole house immediately (RSPCA Australia: Moving house with your pet). Gradually opening up more rooms over the following days, at the cat's own pace, tends to produce a calmer settling-in period than an all-at-once introduction. If your cat currently has outdoor access and the new home is near a busier road than the old one, it's worth thinking about transitioning them to an indoor or enclosed-yard setup as part of the move, rather than assuming the same routine will translate safely to a new environment.
- Small pets (birds, rabbits, guinea pigs and other small mammals). These pets need a secure, escape-proof and predator-proof enclosure for transport, kept away from the noise and activity of the move itself wherever possible. As with dogs and cats, they should be kept in one quiet, secured space with food and water on the day, and only introduced to the new home once things have settled down (RSPCA Australia: Moving house with your pet). Because these animals are often more sensitive to temperature and stress than cats or dogs, avoid leaving their enclosure in a hot car or direct sun at any point during the move, even briefly.
- Across every pet type, RSPCA Australia notes that many people choose to leave animals with a trusted friend or in boarding for the day itself, which removes a layer of risk and stress altogether: worth considering if your move involves a lot of foot traffic in and out of the house (RSPCA Australia: Moving house with your pet).
Planning ahead for kids and pets, not just on the day
A lot of what makes moving day easier with kids or pets in the house actually happens in the days and weeks before it, not on the day itself.
- Line up help early. Whether it's a grandparent taking the kids for the day, a friend minding the dog, or a boarding booking for a cat that hates change, these arrangements tend to book out fast around common moving periods (weekends, school holidays, end of month): sort this as soon as your move date is confirmed, not the week before.
- Do a practical safety sweep before boxes start piling up. Packing day itself creates temporary hazards: open boxes, loose tape, exposed corners, doors propped open for repeated trips to the truck: that don't normally exist in a settled home. A quick check each morning of the packing period, particularly around anything a toddler could climb into or a pet could squeeze through, avoids most preventable mishaps.
- Keep routines visible in the calendar, not just in your head. Mealtimes, medication schedules (for kids or pets), and any regular appointments are easy to lose track of during a chaotic week: a simple shared calendar or checklist reduces the chance of anything slipping through.
- Prepare the new home before everyone arrives, if you can. A quick pass to childproof obvious hazards (power points, loose blind cords, unsecured furniture) or pet-proof the boundary (checking fence lines and gates) before the whole household moves in is far easier to do in an empty house than a full one.
For everyone
Try to keep at least one routine familiar on moving day itself: a regular mealtime, a familiar toy or blanket, or simply having one parent free to focus on the kids or pets rather than the move itself. It won't be a normal day no matter what, but small anchors of familiarity make a real difference. Packing a single "first night" box for the household: bedding, basic toiletries, a kettle, phone chargers, pet food and bowls, and whatever specific comfort items your kids or pets rely on: means nobody is digging through sealed boxes at 9pm looking for something essential. If you're packing fragile items like glassware or electronics as part of the same move, our guide to packing fragile items covers how to keep those safe while your attention is elsewhere on the day.
It's also worth accepting that moving day with kids or pets in the house will simply take longer and feel more chaotic than a move without them, no matter how well it's planned: building in extra time and lower expectations for how much gets unpacked on day one takes some of the pressure off everyone, including you. A calmer, less rushed day tends to flow through to calmer kids and calmer pets, since both pick up on the tone of the household far more than on the specific logistics of the move itself.
See our full moving checklist for how to plan the rest of the day around your household, and request a free quote: let us know if you've got kids or pets in the house. It doesn't change the price, but it does help us plan the day sensibly around your household.