Moving house is known to be extremely stressful, and while we can’t make it an entirely stress-free process, we can help make the physical aspect of moving home a little bit easier, with our top tips and planning help. The key to making your move smoother is in forward planning and organisation. Start earlier, declutter and sort as you go, and make a list! Packing your home up can be challenging and it can be hard to know where to start, but having a plan and taking your time, will help to make it easier. Give yourself plenty of breaks and don’t leave everything till the last minute. Many removal companies, such as ourselves here at K1 Removals, offer a full packing service, so if you think you need some extra help, ask for a packing quote as part of your removals quote. However, with good planning and thought, packing your house doesn’t have to be a nightmare! Here we have put together some of our top tips for ensuring that your house move is as easy as possible.
What is The First Thing You do When You Move Into a New House?
Planning and Organisation
If you are thinking about moving house, even if you haven’t put your home on the market, or begun house hunting, you can start preparing. Begin with decluttering, you will find that you have accumulated items during the time in your home, and these can be sorted into items you wish to keep and items that you don’t. Anything you don’t want or need can be taken to the charity shop or you can do a car boot sale, or sell unwanted items through online marketplaces. This will prevent you from moving items that you no longer use, or don’t want. Next up – make a list. Your list needs to include everything that you will need to do for your house move, from finding a removal company to finalising your mortgage offer. You can break this list down into sub-lists so that you have a few tasks every week. This way the jobs will get done, without overwhelming you. The moment you have found a new home and have a rough idea of moving dates, start booking your removal company. Even if you don’t have a firm completion date, it is better to get a provisional date in their diary, so that you can work with them to ensure that you have a reliable removal company ready for completion day.
Packing Tips
You can start packing up your possessions ahead of time. Lots of the items in your home will be non-essential and can be packed up safely weeks ahead of your moving date. It can be useful to allocate room to use to store packed boxes, so that they are safely stacked out of the way, without disrupting your daily life. This will leave you just with essential items to pack up in the final few days, which will alleviate a lot of the stress associated with packing. Check with your movers how they like items packed, many companies will give you boxes, so that they can easily stack their removals lorry. Make sure you have everything you need, such as packing tape, marker pens and bubble wrap. Pack a room at a time, starting with the rooms you use the least, and label the box clearly so that you know exactly what is in each box, as this will make your life much easier when unpacking in your new house. Make sure that anything fragile is packed very carefully and labelled as such, to avoid damage.
Logistics and Practicalities
As well as packing up your current home, you need to plan for your new home. Making a floor plan with a furniture layout can be very helpful to ensure that you know where you want everything. This will make it easier to direct the movers on moving day. Make sure you have contacted all the utility companies, to get your services transferred from your old home to your new home. As part of packing up your home, make sure you pack an essentials box for the day. This will need items such as chargers, drinks, and snacks. It can also be good to pack an overnight bag so that you have everything you need for your first night in your new home.
Moving Day Preparation
Moving day is a long and hard day. Try and stay calm, and prepare yourself by making sure that you get enough sleep in the days leading up to your move. On the day, pace yourself, and make sure to take regular breaks throughout the day. If you have children or pets it is important to make a plan for them on moving day. Both can be stressed by moving day and can get underfoot. Ideally have young children and pets looked after on the day of your move. Older children can be included and can be given a job to do, which will help to keep them feeling involved. If pets need to remain with you, they need to shut out of the way of the movers. Bear in mind that the doors from your house onto the street will be open during the move, and pets may try and escape. If you can get to your new house before your removal team, you can give it a quick clean before your belongings start to arrive, though bear in mind, that some dirt from outside will inevitably be bought in during the moving process.
Post-Moving Tips
While the last thing you will want to do after moving is to unpack, it is important to do so. Set yourself a schedule and a deadline, so that everything gets unpacked and not just left in boxes. Do a room at a time, many people start with the kitchen, or the sitting room, so that you can create a nice living space straight away. Leave the less important rooms till last. Plan each room as you unpack, making sure the items are organised and usable. After you have unpacked, return your boxes if they came from your removal firm, or donate them to someone else.
K1 Removals Are Here To Help You With Moving Home
Remember, preparation is key to a successful house move. Declutter before you even start packing, give yourself plenty of time, tackle one room at a time, and remember to label your boxes! While moving house and packing isn’t necessarily everyone’s favourite pastime, good organisation and planning will help to make it easier. If you need more support for the packing process, you can always enlist the help of a friend, or even use your removal company’s packing service. Here at K1 Removals, we are here to help you with your moving logistics. Whether you need a complete moving service, with complete packing and unpacking, or just a removal service, we will work with you to make the process as seamless as possible. To discuss your next move contact us on 0330 103 0041. We would love to hear from you about any great tips and tricks to make moving that little bit easier!