26 Jan 2022
Moving house is often stressful, both physically and emotionally. Your normal routine is impacted, you may be anxious about settling into a new area and you're required to pack up belongings that you still need to access easily. There is also the anxiety caused by the pressure of completing paperwork and the worry that it might all fall through at the last minute.
There are many moving house tips and tricks that can help to make the whole process easier, quicker and stress free. We’ve put together a complete guide to moving house hacks to help you move with ease.
Whilst you're inevitably waiting for paperwork to be completed and for exchange dates to be finalised, focus your energy on decluttering your home. Concentrate on one room at a time and create 3 piles; keep, donate and throw away. Ensure that you are only taking the things that your household truly needs.
Although it can be tempting to leave the majority of the packing until the last minute, it will ultimately make the experience more stressful than it should be. Try and make a start at least 2 weeks before your moving date and if possible, be completely packed the day before moving. Start with the things that you aren’t currently using (winter coats in the summer etc), and slowly work towards the things you're using more regularly. Leave yourself with a minimal amount of things to get you through until moving day.
Anything that you'll need right up until moving day and again when you make it to your new home, such as toiletries, phone chargers, a change of clothes and medication can be put into an ‘essentials’ box or bag. Keep this box with you in the car if possible to avoid it being mixed amongst the rest of your moving boxes.
Use cling film to wrap any open bottles such as shower gel, bleach, washing up liquid and other liquids that could spill onto and damage your other belongings.
Once each box is packed and ready to close, take a quick picture of the visible contents and the label. This way you’ll know roughly what is inside each box and will easily be able to access and locate anything you may need.
Ensure all of your boxes are accurately labelled with a brief note of the contents and colour code for each room. It’s much easier knowing that (for example) all red stickered boxes are to be put straight into the kitchen and all yellow into the living room.
As your moving date approaches, make a start on taking large items of furniture apart. If possible, break down beds and use mattresses on the floor, disassemble your dining table and eat on the sofa. Label a small tupperware pot or bag for each item of furniture and use these to the small parts and screws, include the instructions if you still have them!
Make life easier by leaving your clothes on their hangers. You can then transport them either in wardrobe boxes or by putting 5-10 hangers together, poking a hole in the bottom of a bin bag and poking the hanger through the hole to keep the clothes clean.
Moving home can be unsettling for children, who are faced with settling into a new home as well as potentially a new area and meeting new friends. There are a number of things you can do to calm their nerves and help them feel safe such as creating a scrapbook of your old home together and involving them in the design of their new room.
If you’ve taken these moving house hacks on board and still look at the process with dread, why not get in touch? Our professional home removals team offer a range of services that will help you to facilitate the perfect move. What's more, in our free home moving survey, we can plan out the exact services you need from us, meaning you never pay for more than you need. You can give us a call on 0800 107 8422 to speak to a friendly member of the team.
