Moving houses can be a daunting experience, but by making the right preparations beforehand and taking some simple steps, you can reduce that stress significantly. In this article, we will share ten tips for ensuring a smooth and successful transition from one home to the next.
Tip No. 1: Make a Plan for Your House Move
When you’re planning a house move, the first step is to decide whether to go with professional help or take on the task of moving yourself. Make sure to research all available options carefully and consider things like cost, resources, space and availability. Obtain at least 3 quotes from professional movers. You may want to use a comparison website like https://www.comparemymove.com/ . Yes, there is such a thing, but don’t expect to receive a fixed price right away. Once you enter the basic information about your move, up to 5 local remover will be contacting you for further details before they can give you a fixed price quote. But still, using a comparison website may save you some of the hassle to research for local removers. Plus, the comparison websites perform initial checks on their partnering removal companies. This will give an extra peace of mind.
Once you have the quotes, discuss with the movers everything that can add cost to your move – late key collection, moving date rescheduling or cancellation. Consider that busier seasons may be more expensive and difficult to secure a moving company and/or storage. This refers to certain days of the week as well. Weekend moves are usually more expensive and historically Monday and Friday are the most popular and difficult to secure. Once you have your quotes, create a budget so you know what to expect in terms of costs. Then it is time to get organised. Start the preparations as early as possible. Using a moving checklist can help can help make the whole moving process easier and more organised.
Tip No. 2: Research the new area and start the transfers in advance
When moving to a new area, it’s important to research the local schools, GP practices and service providers available. Take time to make the necessary arrangements for your transfers in advance. Change over utilities as soon as possible. Make sure to contact utility and broadband providers in both your old residence and the new one so that any necessary changes are taken care of before the move date arrives – this will mean less hassle for when you start settling into your new home! Contact important organisations like bank, insurance companies and pension providers to notify them about your address change. Also, make sure you don’t forget to contact any magazines or subscriptions you are signed-up to in order to provide your new address so that you don’t miss any deliveries. Cancel any subscriptions that you are not going to use in the new property, for example local classes and gym.
Tip No. 3: Declutter
When you’re getting ready for a house move, it’s important to take the time to declutter. Go through each room, cabinet, drawer and storage container and decide which items you no longer need or want. You can either give away or donate these items to charities or make a few trips to the local recycling centre. This will make packing your belongings much easier and will also save on costs of transportation and storage fees.
Tip No. 4: Start Packing Early
Don’t leave your packing until the last minute. Begin sorting and packing up your items as early as you can to avoid a rush at the end. Packing house can be an extremely time consuming and exhausting job, but it doesn’t have to be a nightmare if you get organised and allow yourself enough time. To make the process less annoying, why not put on some music or your favourite TV show, or even pour yourself a glass of wine? When packing, remember to sort items by type and think about how you want your new home organised – it may be worth using colour-coded tape or labels to mark the boxes in the order needed for unpacking later.
Tip No. 5: Make a Floor Plan and Measure Furniture and Spaces
When you’ve finished packing all the smaller items, it’s time to start thinking about your larger furniture pieces. Make sure that everything will fit in the available spaces of your new property, and sell or donate some items that you won’t use in your new home. If you need help dismantling bulky items, decide whether you will do it yourself or request help from professional movers in advance. It might also be useful to make a floor plan, so that you can better visualise where everything will go. If you are hiring professional removal company, check if they offer floorplan development as a part of their services. For example, it is included as a part of both our premium and our all inclusive removal service.
Tip No. 6: Pack an Essential Box
Before you start the move, it’s essential to remember to pack a box of essentials. It should contain all the items you will need right away when you move into your new home. This box can include items like chargers for phones and laptops, medications, a few sets of clothes and one set of linen and bathroom towels. You would wish to add all your important documents like passports or birth certificates and any valuable jewellery.
Tip No. 7: Have a Plan for the Kids and the Pets
First of all, think about their safety – the doors will be opened throughout the most of the day while the movers load your items, and the best is to keep the kids and the pets attended during all times. Don’t be shy to ask for a help from family and friends or you can arrange child and pet care for the day. If this is not an option for you, remember that the long moving day can make the kids bored. Make sure to pack a backpack for them full of toys, books and other activities that can keep them preoccupied during the move. You should also accept the fact that you may experience delays with the keys collection, so plan accordingly. Charge your phones fully, take refreshments such as bottles of water, snacks and fruits. Keep a blanket and layers of clothes handy in case it gets cold.
Tip No. 8: Take Photographs of Furniture Fittings and Electronics Connections
If you are doing the disassembly and disconnections yourself, remember to take photographs of the furniture fittings and electronics connections. In this way you can easily refer to them during re-installation. Additionally, separate the fittings into freezer bags or small plastic containers and label them properly for easy identification.
Tip No. 9: Be the Last One to Walk Through Your Old Property and the First to Check the New Property
Before leaving your old property, check every room, cabinet and outdoor space for anything that may have been left behind. It’s important to do this one last check before you close the door for good. When you arrive at the new property, take a thorough look around each room and outdoor space to check the condition of the property before any removal work starts. It is useful to check all the cabinets and storage area for items left behind by the previous owners.
Tip No. 10: Decide on a Spot for All Boxes and Smaller Items
When you or the movers start unloading in the new property, pick a spot in the house for all boxes and smaller items. Make sure the space is large enough and away from main walking paths. You might want to dedicate part of the living or dining room, spare bedroom or any other place where you can leave the boxes sitting for a couple of days or even weeks. If you have used colour-coding labels to mark box importance, you can start unpacking a few at a time, starting with the most important ones.
Moving to a new home can be challenging, but with the right mindset and preparation, it doesn’t have to be a stressful experience. Whether you are moving for the first time or not, following these ten tips will help the moving process to go as smoothly as possible. Give yourself plenty of time to plan ahead and make sure you are ready for your moving day.
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