Moving Day Is Here

In recent times all of our articles have been about how to market your home in order to sell it, buying the right property for you and choosing a location that is best suited to your lifestyle.  However, on top of all the legalities, financial questions etc there is something else you need to consider – and that is the actual physical move.

 

The physical move is possibly the biggest part of moving.  Whilst for most people, the main worries focus on the length of the chain and finances, the actual move can be just as stressful and tiring, if not more so than anything else involved in the entire process.

 

In order to make the actual move a lot easier, I have put together a list of practical suggestions you can do to make the day as stress free and simple as possible.

 

 

 

 

 

Packing

 

If you have been thinking about having a major clear out but keep putting it off, then moving is the perfect time to do this and get rid of all that excess clutter.   By doing this you only have to pack items you definitely want to take to your new home, meaning there is a lot less to sort through at the other end.

 

Some people prefer to pack their belongings themselves; other people like to have the removal company do all the packing for them.  If you are in the group that prefer to pack yourself, then we have some ideas over the next few paragraphs which will make packing and unpacking a little bit easier.

 

Wardrobes

 

If the thought of having to take all your clothes out of the wardrobe, fold them, put them in a suitcase, then having to do the reverse at the new property is giving you nightmares – I would highly recommend buying hanging boxes. 

 

Whilst not the cheapest, they are a definite time saver. They come with rails and are designed so that you can literally just transfer everything from wardrobe to box back to wardrobe, without the need for removing hangers, finding space for them and having to fold each item of clothing and pack it away in a suitcase.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Drawers

 

Another simple yet very effective way of saving time and energy is to do with drawers – you can take them out of the chest with everything still in them, then just wrap them in clingfilm so nothing falls out and move them.

 

Again, once you are in your new home, all you will need to do is remove the clingfilm and place the drawers back in the chest.

 

 

 

 

 

Boxes

 

Make sure you label each and every box.  The safest and securest way to do this, is to tape large coloured sheets of paper or post-it notes to the boxes.

 

Use a different colour for each room and put the same colour sheet on the door of each room.  This will ensure the right boxes are placed in the right rooms, making the unpacking so much quicker and easier.

 

Try not to write the room names or list items on the boxes.  For example, having the word “office” written on a box could imply there are financial/legal documents in the boxes. Whilst I am positive nothing bad would happen, it isn’t worth the risk of opening yourself up to identity theft/fraud etc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

What Not to Put in Boxes: -

 

When packing bedding, kitchen items, toiletries and certain documents such as passports, pack these last and place them in your own car, this way they can be easily accessed once you arrive at your new home.

 

It goes without saying the first couple of things you will want to do when you get there is put the kettle on and make the bed.  After all who can think about unpacking without caffeine in them and knowing that their bed is ready to collapse into at the end of a long and tiring day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Removal Companies

 

If you have made the decision to take some of the stress out of moving day by using a removal company - then here are a few tips:

Make sure you shop around to find the right company for you.

 

Think about what you require from your removal company.  Do you want them to just take pre packed boxes and furniture etc from one house to another? Or do you want them to come in and pack everything for you?

 

If cost is a huge consideration, see if you can negotiate on the price and remember if you want them to do all the packing it will add to the cost.  It is always worth weighing up time saved versus cost and working out what is best for you.

 

Flexibility is also hugely underestimated but massively important.  The chances are you won’t be able to give them an exact moving date until the last minute, as dates can change through no fault of your own.  I am sure this is something that most removal companies are used to, however it is always worth checking their cancellation/rescheduling policies. The last thing you want is for moving day to arrive and no one to help you with your move.

 

 

 

 

 

And Finally...

 

Last but not least the best piece of advice that I can give you: don’t forget to keep everyone topped up with tea, coffee and biscuits at both houses.  A little thought, kindness and sugar can go a long way.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope some of these hints and tips will make moving day slightly less stressful, more organised and as straightforward as possible.

 

Till next time…