Moving house is a stressful event, but it does not have to be this way. By preparing ahead of time, you can save yourself a great deal of pain and anxiety when moving days come. Follow this guide and find out everything you need to know when moving home.
Get Rid of Clutter
When moving house, do not pay to move items you do not want. Two weeks or more before you move, go through your possessions and figure out which are important. Decluttering is good for your mental health and it will make your move much easier.
Remember and look everywhere. Over the years everyone accumulates clutter. It ends up stored in a garage or an attic when it should be discarded. So check everywhere and avoid finding a mountain of stuff that you have to deal with on your last day.
Plan for your Furniture
Try and imagine where your old furniture belongs in your new home. You should have documentation detailing the sizes of each of your new rooms. This allows you to take measurements of your existing furniture and decide ahead of time where each piece belongs. If anything does not fit in your new home, sell, give or throw it away.
When possible, visit your new property in person before moving in. Take the time to double-check measurements for items like curtains and try to imagine your furniture filling this new space.
Starting this task early means two things. You have longer to sell any furniture which is unsuitable for your new house. You also have time to find any necessary replacements.
Decide what Kind of Removals Company you need
Not all removals companies provide the same services. Some will charge you a fortune for a ton of extra services you do not need. Meanwhile, others might be lacking something fundamental that you require.
Do your research and see what is available in your area. Check out UK-wide companies like Shift and see what they offer. Do not be afraid to have a conversation with a company representative either. They will have ideas and suggestions you might not consider otherwise.
Remember that several trips might be required, so take the time and book ahead. Moving possessions from point A to point B means more than simply traversing the distance. Furniture has to be wrapped up, manoeuvred out of your old house, positioned correctly in the new house and then unwrapped again. When you do this for several items the total time quickly adds up.
Identify Valuable and Fragile Items
Most of what you own can simply go into one box or another and then be unpacked at the other end. However, if you own anything delicate or valuable, the last thing you want is to unpack its broken remains in your new house.
Make sure you have the right packing materials to keep all of your possessions safe. It is also worth packing your valuables first and keeping them away from everything else. Once your fragile items are boxed up, clearly mark them as fragile. Do anything you can to keep your precious items safe.
Notify Companies of your Move
You have to tell any company that has your address on file that you are moving house. The most important of these are banks, utility companies, Internet providers, your doctor and that is only the beginning.
Like everything else, this job is easiest if it is carried out ahead of time. The last thing you need is to be billed for electricity use at your old home after you leave it. Continuing to receive mail at an old address after you leave also leaves you open to issues like identity theft.
Fortunately, changing a customer’s address is standard practice for any major business or company. All you need to do is make some quick phone calls to your electricity supplier, your Internet service provider and so on, and let them know what you are doing. They will be able to guide you through their process quickly and easily.
Preparation is Key
When the tasks are taken all at once, moving house is a daunting task. The best thing you can do is break the whole process down as outlined here and start working through them once by one. If you give yourself enough time, moving will be an easy and painless process.
