Preparing for the move
They say that moving home can be one of the most stressful times in life, but it doesn’t have to be.
Like most things in life, it’s all about prior preparation, and here are our top tips to get you ready for your move – whether you are completing shortly, or waiting until lockdown has been lifted.
The administration
Before you pack a single cushion, you should think about the smaller details:
How will you cover costs?
You should have made some room in your budget for moving costs. If you haven’t already, start now to ensure that you’re not caught short. Being prepared will also help you avoid unexpected costs.
Utility providers and mail
Give your utility providers some advance notice of your move, and they can tell you what their expectations are. Make sure that you know where your meters are, so that you can take meter readings on the day of your move. For some apartments, you will need your caretaker to do this for you, so make sure you have his number.
Post
Inform people of your new address with some advance notice. You may want to wait until you have exchanged contracts. This should include your doctors, children’s school, bank etc. And just to be safe, Royal Mail offer a redirection service for up to 12 months, and this really can be an invaluable investment.
Removals and storage
You should get some quotes to make sure you’re prepared for this, and do this well in advance so that you can also book with advance notice. Traditional removal services can provide you with a comprehensive service or bespoke service, or you can go DIY, and hire your own van, buy your own boxes etc.
If you are intending to have a period between moving out of your current home, and into your new one, you will need to arrange appropriate storage for items well in advance, to avoid stress.
Whichever way you go, this is a key part of your plan to have in place to meticulous detail.
What will I need?
Your shopping list of items should include:
Brown tape – think of how much you will need and then double it.
Bubble wrap – not useful just for stress-relief, it also helps protect those cherished possessions.
Boxes – these need to be sturdy and secure, and they can be recycled, so invest wisely.
Measuring tape – old-school, but so essential for fitting things into other things.
Time off work – book this as soon as you are able to, in order to avoid rushing and stress.
Somewhere for the pets – a friend or family member booked with prior notice to keep them safe.
Parking – where can your removal men, or you, park the vans and cars while you’re unloading, so that you don’t upset any new neighbours.
Declutter – before you start to pack anything, declutter your house. Donate old clothes to charity, take old items of furniture to the local recycling centre. Have a brutal clear out of the things which you will no longer need.
Packing
Try to classify your items into what you need everyday, what you need less frequently, and those things you really don’t look at often. You can colour code these, or simply mark up the boxes with what is in them.
Essentials for each room may include:
Kitchen – cooking utensils, dry store cupboard foods, the kettle, mugs and tea and coffee.
Bathroom – toiletries, towels and loo roll.
Bedroom – bed, bedding and blinds/curtains.
These are the items that should be packed last, and unpacked first. It’s also useful to have a moving day survival pack, which you can keep in your car. This may include:
Your phone charger, painkillers and plasters, loo roll, a bottle of water, milk, paperwork, ID, snacks, and spare money and bank cards.
Make sure you’ve also saved some important numbers in your phone:
Your solicitor, your removal men, utility providers etc.
Timeline
Six weeks ahead
Three weeks ahead
Day before move
Day of move
Start with the items you rarely use – old clothes, record player, photographs etc. Get these packed
Next pack those more frequently used items which you won’t miss in the short term
Finally, pack the essentials – the things you use day-to-day.
Start unpacking in your new home with your bed bedding, and then other essentials, before moving on.