Moving to a new house can be a stressful time in life, but following the excitement of purchasing your own home, we’d like to suggest some tips for you to limit the stress and enjoy the experience that little bit more.
- Budget
Sit down and look at all the costs involved in moving. If this is your first time, ask a friend who has done it before to help you estimate your full costs as much as possible. Also compare costs of different companies offering the same service and ask for recommendations from friends. This will help you to keep in mind what is essential and stick to your finances.
- Clear clutter
As soon as you know that you are moving start clearing out things that you won’t need in your new home. If you have time, sell items online and add the money to your moving budget, or make a donation to charity. This way, you pack less boxes and don’t take unwanted clutter to your new home.
- Start packing early – Ask your local shop if they have some spare boxes (they usually have lots left over from deliveries) and make a start on your packing. Find some simple plain labels, or clearly write on the boxes which room the items belong to and what is the box contains. One big tip is to pack an essentials box for when you arrive in your new home. This may include items such as the kettle, teabags, some snacks, drinks, spoons, knives and forks – think about what you will eat the first two nights and what you will need. Other essentials will include washing items, towels, children’s favourite toys, bed sheets and clothes for a couple of days.
- Do a recce
Before you move in, have a walk around the local area so you get to know it. This will help not only with settling in, but you will also find out where the local shop is for supplies that you may need shortly after moving.
- Say ‘yes’ to help
Don’t be proud if a friend or family member offer to help – say ‘yes’! There are lots of things people can do to help making your move easier. This may be helping to pack up, or unpack on the day, an extra pair of hands to clean or a friend who is willing to bring a dinner around for a couple of evenings until you are up and running.
- Keep paperwork organised
Have a folder with all paperwork together. Moving comes with a lot of paperwork! Also, if you are moving as a couple, delegate who is doing what task to manage time more efficiently.
- Be flexible
After being so organised, be prepared for your moving date to shift once or twice. If you have a chain of people, or a new build, things can easily crop up – moving the date either way. This is really common when moving house and can be quite stressful. Speak to your employer about your move, so that you can be flexible with minimal impact to your job, so that you have one less thing to worry about. - Take your time
Finally, don’t rush unpacking everything straight away. Figure out which rooms are your most essential – the kitchen, bedroom usually and leave boxes that are not urgent in another room out of the way until you have time to unpack them.
Good luck and happy moving!