Moving house is such an exciting time, but it can be stressful too. Whether you are moving into your first home or downsizing, staying in the same town or travelling across the country, a little bit of planning goes a long way.
Here are three things to think about when you are preparing to move homes.
Time to declutter
Households tend to accumulate a lot of things, especially if you have been in the same house for a while. Moving homes is the perfect excuse for a good purge.
Start by setting up three boxes: keep, donate/sell and bin. It may feel daunting, but start in your least-used room first. Go through every cupboard, drawer and shelf and box your possessions up as you go. Keep going until you are all packed and ready to go.
To make things easier when you unpack, label the boxes you are keeping with the rooms the items came from. When unloading the van, you can easily pop each box in the intended room, saving space, time and stress.
Think about storage
Unless you are incredibly lucky, there is often a gap between moving out and moving in. When this happens, it is best to organise storage ahead of time.
Sometimes you can rely on the goodwill and garages of family members, but if that doesn’t work, storage units are the best option.
There can be a range in prices for renting a storage unit. For peace of mind, look for sites which have security features such as keycard entry, staff on-site and CCTV cameras. You may also want to consider the opening hours of the storage sites. If you are planning on utilising the space after working hours, make sure you will have access.
Organise transportation
Moving days are stressful enough without worrying about transportation and parking tickets. Scout out your new location ahead of time and ensure you know where it is safe to park and where restrictions are.
If you are planning on doing the transporting yourself, make sure the van you are using is legally insured. One-day car insurance is a great way to keep safe and on the right side of the law at a reasonable price.
For movers planning on using a moving company, do your due diligence before entering into a contract with them. Check them out on Trustpilot and other review sites to make sure they are OK to use. You can also ask local Facebook groups for personal recommendations, as people are often happy to pass on details of companies with great reputations.
