It’s moving day… The moving guys are here and you’re still packing! We’ve all been there. Packing up everything you own and moving it to another place counts among one of the most stressful life
It’s moving day…
The moving guys are here and you’re still packing! We’ve all been there. Packing up everything you own and moving it to another place counts among one of the most stressful life events that can happen to a person, and if you’ve moved house even once you’ll know that this is true. But there are some things you can do ahead of time that will make the whole process less stressful. Here are some top tips to help you out!
Give yourself enough time
This is our first tip because it’s easily the most important! We cannot stress this one enough. The minute you know you will be moving, start packing the things you’re least likely to need between now and when you get to the new house – your winter wardrobe, if it’s spring or summer for example. In the month leading up to the move, try to pack a box every day if you can. Write on the boxes exactly what’s in each one, and which room in the new house you want it to go in.
Make a list
And check it twice! Making a To-Do list will make sure nothing gets forgotten. You can even get fancy and colour-code items by priority, so you can see at a glance what needs doing now and what can wait until you’re through the door of the new house. It might look daunting at first glance, but checking things off it is incredibly satisfying!
Pack an emergency box
Put everything in it that you will need in the 24 hours spanning the move itself – kettle and teabags, toothbrush, dog food, nappies, a change of clothing. This way you won’t end up scrabbling through boxes trying to find the phone charger when you get there.
Organise rubbish removal
Moving house always turns up way more rubbish and junk than you ever knew you had. Rubbish removal is an essential part of moving house, and there are companies like Clearabee that can take away rubbish and a good portion of the stress of moving. Hire a skip bag and fill it as you go, or call them for a same-day man-and-van rubbish removal service for bigger items like old furniture.
Get help
That’s what friends are for, right? Offer takeaway as a thank-you, and remember them when it’s their turn to move house. If no-one’s around to help, hire a moving company. You can save a bit of money by packing everything yourself ahead of time, and they will do all the heavy lifting.
Use anything hollow you can find to pack other things in
Laundry baskets, pots and pans, the washing up bowl, waste-paper bins… All of these are great for delicate or awkward items that won’t fit easily in boxes, and it saves you transporting empty space to your new house! Leave all your clothes in the drawers, too – not only does this save space, but you don’t have to pack OR unpack them.
Take photos
Taking snaps of anything that needs to be taken apart to move it will give you a clear visual guide to putting it back together. Take photos of the back of the TV, the stereo system, anything with lots of wires, and any furniture that needs to be flat packed. Keep a sealable bag with you while you break it down, put all hardware into it, and tape it to one of the pieces when you’ve finished. Put the tools in your emergency box – you might not need to put the dining table back together on day one, but there’s a multitude of other things you might need a screwdriver for!