Moving home can be an exciting time. At its best, it can be a fresh start filled with possibilities; you might be experiencing your first taste of freedom as you move into your first flat, a new family home perfect for you and your loved ones, or even a different country.
Like many of the best things in life, moving house doesn’t come without particular challenges, and it can be a daunting process if you haven’t done it before, so it’s best to be prepared!
The last thing you want to be doing is sweating through your shirt as you wildly throw random items in boxes to the abject horror of removal staff and neighbours alike.
To avoid such a scenario and to help relieve some of the pressure on you, your loved ones and anyone else you’ve managed to convince to help you move home, we’ve detailed some helpful hints and tips that we’ve picked up over the years to make your house move as simple as possible!
1. Organise your admin
Before you do anything else, taking care of all the administrative details is essential. This means updating utility providers, internet and phone providers, insurance providers, employers, your bank, your GP, and any physical subscriptions you may have.
Additionally, ensuring your removal service is selected and booked well before the move is recommended. While it may not always be possible, depending on the lease and time of year, booking at least a month in advance will put you in the best possible position to get the correct availability at the right price.
For more advice on removals and rates, click here.
2. Start packing early
When moving house, there are quite literally a lot of moving parts, so getting any kind of advantage you can is recommended.
Packing early may not always be possible depending on your lifestyle, living situation, or family circumstances, but if you can begin boxing things up earlier (and even better, if you can get someone to help you move smaller, more manageable boxes in dribs and drabs), you’ll save yourself quite a lot of stress closer to the move date.
If you have time, creating an inventory of items for moving ensures that nothing gets lost or forgotten. This is particularly useful if you have many items to move or are moving from a shared accommodation space, particularly when you cannot access the original property again so quickly.
3. Pack the non-essentials first
Packing early is one thing, but making sure you’re packing in the correct order is important for a smooth moving experience.
Start by taking one box per room and gathering any non-essential items within. This includes items such as vases, ornaments, photo frames, trinkets, and collectables – luxury items you don’t need for day-to-day living.
Slowly but surely, you should be able to work your way down to just the bare essentials.
At this point, it’s vital to ensure that while you’re as prepared as possible, you have a long weekend’s worth of clothing and toiletries that can see you through the pre and post-move periods.
4. Label boxes with precision
This may seem excessive, but we can’t stress this point enough. As with keeping an inventory, labelling boxes correctly with as many details as you can, in terms of category and contents, is very worthwhile and will save you a lot of time in finding the things you need when you reach your new address.
Not only this, but it will make sure that your removal team or movers are extra careful with crockery and other breakables at times when they might otherwise forget.
An example of sensible labels might read:
Kitchen:
- Dinner plates
- Bowls
- Mugs
- Side plates
Living room:
- Cushions
- Ornaments
- Pictures
Proper labelling ensures there’s no confusion when the big day comes.
5. Invest in storage space
Finally, we’d recommend investing in storage space for your personal items.
Moving house can, at times, be unpredictable, and it’s often not the case that you can move from one property to another on the same day.
With additional storage space, you have the time to get everything in order before moving your belongings permanently. This can also be very helpful if you’re carrying out extensive renovations on your new property.
Storage solutions ensure that your items are safely out of the way of falling debris or even a stray lick of paint, and can also be helpful for those moving into student accommodation where space is not always abundant.
If you want a bespoke storage solution suited to your needs, contact GTW for more information and a quote. Otherwise, we wish you the best of luck with your new home!