Moving house is usually a stressful time for everyone involved but with the right planning and preparation, it doesn’t have to be. If you avoid leaving things to the last minute and do the work well before the move date you’ll find yourself with a stress-free move. Here are some tips to help with the seamless transition from house to house.
Declutter well before moving.
Instead of throwing everything in the house in boxes, now is your chance to declutter any items you don’t need or have been holding on to unnecessarily. You might be guilty of hoarding the odd vase, chair or pot that never sees the light of day. Be honest with what you do and don’t use, getting a second opinion here could be useful. Donate anything that still works and throw out all the broken bits. Not only will you make unpacking at the new house easier you’ll also cut down on moving costs by not having so much stuff!
Hire a moving company
Using a moving company will save you a lot of time and stress. They’re the experts at getting your possessions from A to B safely. They are able to offer advice on which of their services you need. It’s important to stay in touch with them to pre-alert them of the boxes you have and any special requests. This will ensure that when moving day comes there are no surprises and the move will run smoothly.
Find your moving boxes
Moving boxes are the same as normal shipping boxes unless you get specialty ones, using old boxes is a great idea if you can find the right type. You could check in with friends to see if they have any leftovers from their moves too. Or else purchasing new ones is the easiest way. Getting a variety of sizes can help with sorting out the different contents. For more expensive and fragile items it could be worth getting new moving boxes and packing supplies to make sure the items don’t get damaged in the process.
Collect your packing supplies
Boxes aren’t the only thing you’ll need when packing up your house. Items like bubble wrap, tape, marker and scissors are all valuable in the moving process. If you’re saving on money or want to try to be more environmentally friendly, skipping the bubble wrap and using clean towels or clothes for fragile items also will do the trick. Having a pack of sandwich bags around for small items like jewellery, cosmetics or screws is also a great hack.
Create a list or spreadsheet
Creating a spreadsheet or written list to count inventory is a great idea. This will allow you to keep track of what items have and have not been packed, it’ll also make sure you don’t lose anything in the move. You can write down what is in each box and what room it belongs to on your spreadsheet then just assign a number to each box. Then it’s as easy as writing that number on the side of each box .
Pack your least used rooms or items first
If you’re planning to start packing ahead of time be sure to pack the rooms you use least first. There’s nothing worse than getting halfway through a pack and realizing you need something in that first box. Places like the garage, attic and study are good areas to begin.
Pack as early as you can
Packing will usually take longer than you think so by starting early you will save yourself any unnecessary stress. While starting early is great just be sure you’re not putting away any essential items that you might have to unbox again. As mentioned earlier, starting in the rooms you use least will likely solve the problem of packing something you might need to use before you make the big move.
Have an essentials box
When arriving in your new home, you’ll likely be exhausted from the move and the last thing you need is not being able to find your toothbrush or some toilet paper. Packing an essentials box solves this dilemma. The essentials box will have everything you need for the first few nights. This box will be the last thing you end up packing, but have it in the corner of your mind while going through your rooms to add any necessary items. Ideas for your essentials box include: some easy meals, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, pet food, cutlery, cleaning spray, scissors, first aid kit, change of clothes, books, towel and rubbish bag.
Take a photo of your electronics
Computers, TVs, phones, game consoles, wife boxes can sometimes be tricky to set up again. By taking a photo of the wires in your current home you can then refer to the photo in the new place saving some time and anguish when you set them up again.
Hire a babysitter or pet sitter
If you’re moving within the country and have children or pets hiring someone to look after them during the move will save you some stress. Having the little ones out of the way will mean you don’t have to worry about them and they won’t pick up on your mood during the move. It’s also a period of stress for them moving environments so keeping them away from moving day should help with staying calm.
New utilities and address
Make sure to have your utilities like water, gas and electricity ready to go in your new place. There’s nothing worse than arriving after a long day of moving to find you have no water or hot showers. Switching your address a week or two in advance will also ensure the smooth transfer of any subscriptions or mail you might receive. Using these tips to help guide your move will hopefully leave you with a stress-free day. While it is a crazy time, just remember you’ll be all settled into your new home in no time at all.
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