Many of us get excited about living in a new home. Few of us get excited about the moving process. Having to pack up all your possessions and transport them to a new location can be a stressful experience. Here are just five tips for making the process easier.
Pack early
Packing early allows you to thoroughly sort through all your belongings. It’s unlikely you’ll want to bring everything with you, there may be clutter in the loft and unworn clothing in your wardrobe that you can sell or donate. By packing early, you give yourself time to get rid of these items. It can also help you to pack in a more organised manner, rather than shoving thigs in boxes willy-nilly.
Label boxes
It’s handy to know which box contains which contents when you arrive at your new home. You most likely won’t want to unpack everything straight away and may only need access to priority items. Labelling boxes allows you to find these priority items quickly. It’s also handy for identifying fragile items – this will ensure that any fragile boxes aren’t handled roughly during your move.
Choose the right removals method
Hiring a moving company can take away a lot of the stress and can get the move completed in a quicker time. Shop around for great moving companies in your area that could help to make the day less stressful. Alternatively, if you want to save money, you could hire a van and move the contents yourself. Hiring a van is cost-effective, but may make the process longer if you need to move lots of possessions. A moving company may own a lorry, allowing them to reduce trips. You’ll have to make multiple trips with a van and this could you additional money in fuel. That said, hiring a van is much better than trying to move all your contents by car.
Consider hiring cleaners
After you’ve moved out, you’ll need to clean the property for the next owner. This can be a long and arduous process – a landlord or agent may require that you leave the property looking spic and span to avoid charges or loss of your deposit. Consider hiring a cleaning company to do this for you, so that you can focus on unpacking once your move is complete. There are lots of cleaning companies out there that specialize in cleaning people’s homes after they have moved out.
Consider hiring a babysitter
If you’ve got children, it could be worth hiring someone to look after them for the day. Having to look out for your children whilst co-ordinating the move could add to the stress. You may have a friend or family member that can take them for the day for free – otherwise you can always hire a childminder. Similarly, if you you’ve got dogs or cats, you may want to hire someone to look after these pets for the day.