Moving House Like A Pro

There is no doubt about it, moving house is an event that can bring about a little, or a lot of stress. It can be overwhelming making sure you’ve got everything covered. No one wants to get to ‘moving day’ and realise that they’ve missed some key steps for a smooth move.

So to help ease the burden, here are our top 8 tips for moving house like a pro.

1. It’s all about that plan

The key to a stress-free move is all in the planning. Don’t leave things until the last minute; a good moving plan should start weeks before moving day. Start by making a list of everything that needs to be done, who needs to do it and when it needs to be done by. This will mean that you won’t miss important steps like mail redirection and utilities connection (phone, electricity, gas).

2. Do you really need it

Moving is the perfect opportunity to declutter. Ask yourself “do I really need this” while your packing, and be honest with yourself. Once you’ve culled down what you’re taking with you hold a garage sale or donate items to charity.

3. Label and list

No one likes arriving at their new place and looking at a pile of boxes that have no indication of what’s inside. To make sure you can quickly locate an item in a box it comes down to smart labelling.  Label every box with a name, it’s location in the new house and list the contents of the box.

4. Survival kits

We know that moving isn’t the same as the apocalypse, but you still need a survival kit. This will save you having to search through boxes for items that you’ll need straight away in your new place and will help get you through the first day and night. Include things like toiletries, pj’s, toilet paper, phone chargers, a change of clothes for day 2, cups, plates, utensils and some easy access bed linen.

5. Create a floor plan

A surefire way to save time (and potentially arguments) when moving your furniture into your new place, is to know what you’re putting where before you get there. Create a floor plan of your new home before you move, and pre-plan where each piece of furniture is going to go - don’t forget to scale your plan though.

6. Are you covered?

If you’ve got content insurance your contents will be insured while in your premises, but are they covered during transit? This is something you’ll want to check before you start you move. If they’re not covered, it’s a good thing to consider.

7. Where are the Keys?

It’s always a good idea to make sure you’ve got multiple sets of the keys to your new home. Once you’ve got your new set in your hand, get a copy cut. If you’ve bought a new home, consider changing the locks before moving in - you never know who may have an old copy of your house key hanging around.

8. Call in the cavalry (cleaners)

If you really want to save yourself some time and stress, consider hiring a professional cleaner to do that clean up for you. It’s an expense of course, but it will be worth it when you can leave your old place to unpack at your new and not have to worry about returning to do that final clean.

And here is a bonus tip for you - moving is not the time to be a superhero. If someone offers you assistance with your move, take it. The saying “a burden shared is a burden halved” wasn’t coined for nothing.