Moving house has got a bit of a bad rep – everyone dreads it and talks about it being the most stressful experience of their lives. But the truth is, moving house doesn’t have to be a nightmare. After all, you’re moving into a new house, and it’s the chance to embrace a fresh start and a new beginning. So why do we allow the stressful side of the logistics overshadow the excitement of finally getting the keys to a new property?
Here at The Moving Guys, we specialise in taking the drama out of moving house, so here’s our compilation of top tips to help you move house as smoothly as possible:
1) Embrace the process
Like we said, this is a fresh start. So make the most of the opportunity to get rid of the years’ of junk you’ve been hiding in the attic or the garage. If in doubt, throw it out. Make this a cathartic process, and you will ensure your new home contains none of the random things you’ve been hiding away. Think of it as the biggest wardrobe clear-out of your life.
2) Give things away
As soon as you start being ruthless with all of the things you’re not taking with you, make sure you pass them onto a good home if they are still in working order. Sites like Freecycle can help you find new owners for your unwanted items. And of course, eBay is a great outlet to sell anything of value and help you recuperate some of your moving costs!
3) Pack to unpack
When you’re packing things away in boxes, remember to think about the unpacking process: where will you be unpacking that particular box? What can you do as you are packing to make it easier for yourself at the other end? For instance, label the outside of the boxes with the room that they should be unpacked in, and then your removalists will be able to take them straight to where you need them to be.
4) Pretend it’s Tetris
Remember playing Tetris on your Gameboy back in the day? Well channel that as you are packing the contents of your boxes, as the more firmly and tightly they’re packed, the better they will hold up in transportation. It’s the boxes that are only half-full or loosely packed that tend to crumple during the move.
5) Remember the little things
One of the most annoying problems when you’re unpacking everything in your new home, is not being able to find the tiny things from when you were packing and dismantling. So to prevent yourself from being stuck without the screws that hold together the sofa, a good tip is to stock up on sandwich bags – you can use these to hold any loose screws or small bits and pieces, and then just tape it to the larger item so that it doesn’t get lost during the move.
6) Pack like a pro
Get yourself down to Office Works and stock up on marker pens, bubble wrap and the serious packing tape that lets your boxes know that you mean business. If you can mark up your boxes clearly and in bold type, it makes it a LOT easier at the other end. Use arrows to show which side is ‘UP’, and label each side with a summary of contents (eg ‘bathroom’, ‘bedside drawer’, ‘books’ etc) so that you can tell just by looking at it, and from every angle, what’s inside.
7) Become a list writer
Lists will help you when it gets to the unpacking, as if you know what’s in which boxes, it will help you to organise your new home faster and with less hassle.
8) Give clear instructions to your removalists
Make it clear to your removalists which boxes you’ll need immediate access to when you move in, and which boxes can stay packed for a couple of weeks. You’re not going to unpack everything overnight, so if you have prioritised the boxes well, and labeled this clearly, it will mean your removalists can keep your ‘immediate access’ boxes to hand, instead of having them stacked away at the back of all those boxes full of books and ornaments…
9) You removalist is your biggest asset
When moving house, it’s a great idea to make friend with your removalist, as they can really help you have a hassle-free move. Tell them all of the nitty-gritty that they might need to know in order to help them do their job well, and they will ensure that all of your possessions get a safe passage to their new home.
10) Create a survival kit
Pull together a mini survival kit of all the essentials you’ll need when you get to the other end: toiletries, change of clothes, kettle, mugs, tea bags, phone chargers and a good multi-tool or knife to open all the other boxes. Make sure you keep your critical paper work (like your passport etc) in this pack, separate from all your belongings, and then keep this box with you.
If you follow the above advice, you’re bound to move house like a boss and ensure arriving at your new home is as exciting and enjoyable as it should be!