Moving home is supposed to be an exciting process, but for many people it can be stressful. Here are a few tips for making moving home less manic.
Start packing early
It’s best to start packing a few weeks before, if not a few months. You don’t want to be having a last minute rush the day before to get everything boxed up. Giving yourself lots of time to pack allows you to do it in smaller stages and also allows you to declutter as you go – there may be items that you don’t want to take with you to your new home and these could be sold or donated. Sites like www.gumtree.com are great for offloading this stuff – alternatively you may prefer to take it to a charity shop or take part in a car boot sale.
Structure the packing/unpacking process
It’s good to have a packing/unpacking plan so that everything is organised.
When packing, start with the most cluttered rooms such as the loft or garage and work your way through to the least cluttered rooms. There may be certain emergency items that you want to leave until the night before such as essential toiletries and cutlery/plates (you could have a takeaway the night before so that you don’t have to cook). Label boxes so that you know which room to take them to when you arrive in your new place.
Meanwhile when unpacking start with priority items and work your way through to the least important items. After a whole day of moving, you may not want to do too much unpacking – this is why labelling is important so that you know exactly what is in each box.
Load up on packing materials
You’ll need lots of cardboard boxes. You can get cheap packing kits containing lots of boxes online – you may even find someone flogging second-hand boxes for free. Alternatively, you could try your local post office.
On top of cardboard boxes, you may need protective materials such as bubblewrap or foam for fragile items. You can buy foam at sites such as www.anyfoam.co.uk. A few ziplock bags could also be handy for loose items. A cooler meanwhile could help to keep food from your fridge cool in transit.
Make a list of people to notify
There are certain people you’ll need to tell about your move. Consider all your bill providers such as your energy provider, local council, insurers and any subscription services. You bank will also need to know as will HMRC. Also consider official documentation such as your driving license – you may have to apply for a new license if you move address. Sites such as www.which.co.uk can help you to run through a checklist of all the important people.
On top of notifying all these official people, you’ll also need to tell all your friends and family so that you don’t have birthday cards and Christmas gifts being sent to the wrong address. You could send this out as a mass text – avoid posting your address on social media.
Consider hiring professional help
When it comes to long-distance moves or moves involving lots of possessions, many people hire a professional moving team to help. Not only will this make the move quicker, but it could help prevent damage to fragile and awkwardly shaped items (hiring professional movers could be useful when moving out of a top story flat, especially if you need to negotiate narrow stairs – you may even want to hire a crane).
On top of professional movers, you may want to hire cleaners to deep clean your home. This could be essential when moving out of a rented property in which cleaning may have to be done to a high spec including removing marks from carpets – you may want to hire a specialist company such as https://www.moveoutmates.co.uk/ to ensure that you get your deposit back.
Get someone to look after the pets and kids
If you have pets or kids, it could be worth hiring a friend or family member to look after them for the day. Not only could it be a hazardous environment for kids and pets, you’ll also constantly be looking out for them which will slow the process down. By removing them from the situation, you can give the moving process your full attention and get it done quickly and efficiently.
XOXO
Debbie
This is a collaborative post
