During my 30 odd years I have lived in a number of different houses and moved too many times
to accurately remember the exact number of moves I’ve experienced.
Whilst moving house can
be an exciting time where you delight in the thought of a new home to
call your own, it can be overwhelming too. Moving can conjure up a
range of emotions and it can be an overwhelming experience.
With so much to do when
moving house and the emotions it can cause the experience can be a
very stressful one. Having moved lots myself I can fully attest to
the fact that moving house is a quite an upheaval and a stressful
experience!
Moving house so many
times has given me a wealth of knowledge about moving house and what
can be done to help make the transition to a new home straightforward
and stress-free (or at least keep the stress down).
The devil’s in the
details
After initial viewings
to decide if you want to rent/buy the property make the most of any
additional viewings or contact with the agency to get all the details
on practical matters such as where is the water stopcock, which days
are bins/recycling collected on, where are the water, gas and
electricity metres, etc. Making a list of all practical details that
you are likely to need to know once you have moved in will help avoid
panic once you have moved and don’t know something.
To avoid disappointment
and costly mistakes on moving on the wrong date, make sure to double
check moving dates and when you get the keys. It may seem obvious but
double checking this finer detail could save you time and money - for
example if renting it is best to check the moving in date just in
case it differs to the date on the lease.
De-clutter
Once you have decided
that you are looking or needing to move start de-cluttering even
before finding your new home. By starting the process of getting rid
of unwanted possessions sooner rather than later will mean that you
have plenty of time to do it rather than having to do it in a short
pace of time and you will be settling into a new home clutter-free.
Document box
Create a document box
where you can store all important documents safely. Keep the box
somewhere safe where you will not lose it and easily accessible.
Having a document box will help avoid losing important documents
during the house move and will help avoid panic-filled rooting
through boxes and possessions for that vital bit of paperwork needed
asap!
Packing
Once you have found your
new home and contracts are exchanged/signed start packing. By giving
yourself plenty of time to pack you will hopefully avoid last-minute
packing which can be very stressful. Obviously there will be a few
last-minute packing that needs to be done of items that are used
daily, packing items that you use less frequently will mean you are
one step ahead with the packing which will help with stress levels.
When packing it is
worthwhile to pack smartly rather than panic pack and chuck anything
and everything in boxes. Packing boxes smartly and having organised
boxes according to rooms will help you move your possessions into
your new home smoothly and make for a less stressful transition.
If you have the time it
can be very helpful to not only mark boxes according to room but also
according to how quickly you will need it - high priority boxes will
contain items that you need to use on a daily basis whilst boxes with
things such as photo albums, ornaments and sentimental items don’t
need to be unpacked the moment you move in.
When you are dismantling
furniture it can be handy to put any fixtures or fittings in a
sandwich bag and sellotape it to a piece of the furniture. Doing this
helps avoid the panic of being unable to find or remember where you
packed screws or brackets from furniture when re-assembling
furniture.
Check your list
Having a checklist will
help keep you organised which is vital during the busy time of
moving.
A moving house checklist
(there are lots available on the internet that you can tailor to your
needs) will help the process of moving house a smooth one and ensure
you don’t forget the small details that can be easily overlooked
during the upheaval.
Moving day survival kit
To help you get through
the day create a moving day survival kit of essentials. Having a kit
of essential items to hand such as toiletries, snacks, drinks, and
phone chargers will help keep you and your moving helpers well-fed,
hydrated and cared for.
Most of all I think it
is important to be flexible and try not to panic at any unexpected
issues that might arise. One last top tip which I have used a number
of times now is to treat yourself to a takeaway at the end of the
moving day as that last thing you will feel like doing is unpacking
your kitchen boxes and cooking!
Do you have any tips on
moving house without too much stress?
* Post in collaboration
with thepersonalagent.co.uk *
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