Moving house is listed as one of the top most stressful occasions for a person’s life, but, we’re here today to tell you that it doesn’t have to be,
if you’re prepared!
We do recommend using professional movers for your move if you can, but we do know that this is not always possible. So, if you’re planning on moving yourselves, here are our top tips for moving house, to make the process as easy as possible.
A little note, before we start… Get started as early as possible! You can never start too early – packing can take an age when you are moving house; better to be prepped early so you’re not too rushed.
Step 1: Make a list. Go through each room of your current place and make a note of what there is in each space.
- The basics – ie. Furniture, areas that need sorting, estimate of amounts of clothing.
- Don’t forget to look in cupboards, wardrobes, drawers and all the little nooks and crannies.
- Make a note of any things that might need dismantling ie. Shelves, blinds, curtain rails, large furniture.
- Finally, make a note of anything that should be left to be packed last.
Step 2: Get rid of stuff you don’t need. We like to use the questions rule:
- Does it make you happy?
- Does it make your life easier?
- Does it make or save you money?
- Do you have space for it in your next home?
(The “happy” question does also refer to things which we retain for emotional reasons such as keepsakes).
Bag or box items which don’t fit into any of these categories and then take to charity shops, recycle or resell or, if not suitable to reuse or recycle, take to a refuse centre where they can dispose of it properly. Remember that many charity shops will not take electronic items for health and safety reasons, so consider selling online or even doing a car-boot-sale.
Step 3: Box / Pack in order of priority. Start with your least visited room or space first. Tidy, pack and sort. Then, once that room is ready, you can move onto the next. Our top tip? Keep your boxes in the same room that they are designed to go into and label every box on the side with the room and the contents. Don’t forget to make it clear if the items inside are fragile or valuable. Leave your most frequently used items to the last moments.
So that's our first part... stay tuned for Step 4 and our last top tips!