There’s a right way and a wrong way to prepare for a house move. Or rather, an effective and ineffective way to approach the task at hand. And honestly, with the average Brit moving homes around 8 times according to some surveys (Top Removals), you would think people have the process down to a fine art.
However, even with all the best intentions, a house move can go sideways faster than a bad first date if you’re not careful.
With this in mind, here are a few tips that can help you make your next house just a fraction less stressful and slightly more organised.
Be Early
Many people underestimate just how much stuff they accumulate. And while not everyone has the luxury of months in advance to prepare for a move, if you do, start packing early. And organising things as soon as you can.
This means calling your suppliers: gas, electricity, broadband, getting mail redirected, etc.
It means going through your home as soon as you can to understand the number of things you need to sort through so you can get an effective plan in place. Not everything can be done in one night with a bottle of wine, despite how much that seems like a good idea.
Create A Timeline
Start with today’s date and end it with a moving day. Slot in any dates you’re not able to dedicate to moving or appointments you might have, and then work around this.
A good tip is to create a list of every single task you need to do to complete the move and then slot it into your timeline. This will help you manage everything easier than trying to cram everything into one rainy Sunday afternoon when all you want to do is relax with a roast dinner.
Things to include are
- Booking movers
- Booking pre- and post-move cleans
- Informing schools, centimetres doctors, et, of your move
- Notifying utilities
- Changing your address
- Booking time off work
- Arranging childcare
- Packing
Book A Storage Unit
Honestly, one of the best things you can do when preparing for a move is to book a storage unit. You can use container storage for all your belongings to get them out of the house and from under your feet as you continue packing. Once you have boxed things up and no longer need them, relocate them to the container for a month or two, and when it’s time to move, you can swing on by picking them up and taking them to your new property. It can save a lot of stress and chaos at home as you pack your entire life up.
Create A System
Sure, you might have your master list, but this also needs a system, too. How are you packing things and why? What are you using to package items in? What needs to be packed first? How are you labelling bags and boxes? And do you have instructions or tools ready for items that need to be dismantled to move them, i.e beds or wardrobes, for example. Your system can be written down for you to check off against your list, so when you’re safely moved, you can follow it to set up home again. Plus, this system will make sure everything ends up in the right room in your new home, so you’re not hunting around everywhere for what you need.
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