Top Home Moving Tips

It’s a well-known fact that moving home can be an extremely stressful experience. Transporting the contents of your life from one location to another is never going to be the most straightforward of processes but there are plenty of ways and means of making it more manageable and removing the biggest stressors from the situation.

Before the physical moving process takes place you’ve already had the contract negotiations, signing on the dotted line and the ifs, buts and maybes which have haunted you throughout the process. Once this bit is done, the hard work of the actual move begins and while we aren’t going to pretend you can remove all the stress from this situation, it can be a lot easier than you might think. Take a look at our top moving tips below:

Decide how you plan to Move

The first choice you must make when planning to move is whether you’re going to bring in the professionals or do it yourself. While doing it yourself can seem like a cost-saving option, it may quickly become a task too far. This will depend on the size of your current property, the distance you’re moving and how much stuff you’ve accumulated over the years. The benefits of bringing in the professionals include their many varied services from simply picking up your boxes and furniture and moving them for you, to full packing services. If you’re happy to book your own van then make sure you at least draft in a few friends and family to help.

Prep like a Boss

The earlier you begin to plan, the more organised your move will be. A successful house move involves a lot of planning and preparation, with dates set in stone and a schedule organised to make it as easy as possible. It may mean booking time off work or bringing in the family to watch the kids, but it’ll help in the long run.

Take the Chance to Clear the Clutter

Moving home is a great excuse to get rid of all those old pieces of furniture, unwanted goods and anything else which has been cluttering up the corners of your current home. Decluttering before you move means you don’t have as much to deal with at the other end and you can finally see the back of all those items you no longer use.

Pack with Purpose

Packing is the least fun element of moving home and if you haven’t opted to allow your removal company to do it for you, you’ll need to get started as soon as you can. Experts generally recommend you start packing up as many as six weeks ahead of your move and make sure you invest in quality boxes (even if you just ask for some at the local supermarket) and quality packing tape. Labelling your boxes is also essential to speed up the unpacking process when you arrive at the other end.

Tips for a Successful Packing Session

Packing up all your belongings will take time, but it can be a quicker process if you keep these simple tips in mind:

• Use roller cases for heavy items such as books, making them easier to move.
• Vacuum bags are ideal for clothes and bedding, allowing them to be packed flat and save space.
• Glasses and other smaller breakable items can be packed with socks and other clothing rather than a newspaper for a safer journey.
• Keep items in drawers to avoid the need to pack and unpack each item. Instead, remove the drawer from the unit and shrink wrap them for safety.
• Towels and duvets also make great protective coverings to avoid spending unnecessary money on bubble wrap.

Above all else don’t forget those box labels, they’re key to ensuring you have the right items in the right rooms when you arrive.

Notify all of your Move

This administrative side of moving often comes later but you can get ahead of the game and set up most of your redirects before you even move. The Royal Mail allows you to set up a quick redirect so all your post comes to the right location and you can also change your address with important organisations such as your bank online or sometimes on the bank’s app. Some companies require a few weeks to ensure any services are switched so if you’re hoping to keep your energy provider or broadband company, for example, make sure you contact them early on.

Keep your Essentials Close By

There is nothing worse than fully packing up and realising you’ve no longer got access to your daily must-haves. Keep a few days’ worth of clothes and toiletries to hand. Others opt to keep out cups and tableware, but this is up to you, others use paper or plastic for a few days.

Making your next home move less stressful does not have to involve huge costs or a magic formula. The key to everything is planning and giving yourself enough time to move without panic.