Moving to a new house is deemed to be one of life’s most stressful experiences after death and divorce, so it’s no wonder why people choose to do it extremely rarely. As soon as you know you’re moving, it’s best to get prepared so that you can cut out all of the unnecessary anxiety that comes alongside the mission.
If you have never moved house before, you may be completely unaware of the steps that need to be taken to make the process as streamlined as possible. This guide should give you some useful tips on what to do and when:
1. Declutter
It would be wise to declutter your home on a regular basis regardless of moving, but when the time does come to sell up, you won’t be faced with mountains of mess, which can make the job a real chore.
Before even making an attempt to pack for your new property, you need to go through every single one of your belongings to decide whether you’d like to keep it, sell it or donate it to charity. Another benefit of cutting down your junk is that you’ll significantly reduce the amount you spend on removal costs.
2. Consider storage solutions
During a house move, there are lots of sentimental belongings that you’d love to keep, but you may not have the room for just yet. This can put a great deal of stress on your shoulders when it comes to packing, as you don’t want to throw it all out, but just don’t know where to store it. Storage companies such as Go Mini’s offer the best portable storage solutions that allow you to store your belongings in your own property, meaning you can have free access to your goods as and when you please.
3. Book a removal firm
It would be a wise idea to book a removal company as soon as possible to ensure you aren’t left phoning around for last-minute availability. Don’t accept the first quote that is offered to you though – get at least three written quotes from established removal firms, ideally which have been recommended to you. There’s nothing worse than being stung by a hefty cost and a low-quality service.
4. Label your boxes
When packing commences, ensure you label every box you pack so that you know exactly what is contained within each of them. Doing so means that once you arrive at your new home, you’ll be able to access exactly what you need quickly. There’s nothing more frustrating than having to sift through boxes for hours on end to find what you’re looking for. If you want to be even more organized, make an inventory checklist during the packing process.
5. Create a ‘room plan’ of your new home
Before the day of the move, it would be wise to draw up a room plan of where you would ideally like the furniture to be placed. This will save a great deal of time when moving day comes around and will also make the removal of your belongings a whole lot easier.
*This article was contributed.