What to Consider When Moving
Moving home can be a chaotic time, with so much to do and organise. The more systematic and organised you can be ahead of time, the better, so here’s where our moving checklist comes in, helping you to stay on track for a stress-free move.
Declutter
Moving is a great time to finally get around to sorting out the garage, kitchen cupboards and wardrobe. Take an orderly approach around the home, room by room, and sort out the things you definitely use/need/want vs. the clutter that you can definitely do without. Of course, try to eliminate waste by bagging up unwanted items to give to charity or friends or family that could use it. Putting this effort in now will make packing and unpacking more streamlined, as well as helping to keep your new home clutter-free.
Use up what’s in the fridge, freezer and cupboards
Same principle as above, in the weeks leading up to your home move, instead of heading straight to the supermarket, why not try and use up the ingredients already cluttering up your cupboards, fridge and freezer. This way you’ll get things used up, again avoiding unnecessary packing and unpacking.
Moving day logistics
How much you have to move, particularly if bigger furniture items, as well as how far you are moving will usually decide how you go about it ie. whether renting a van yourself and enlisting a few kind helpers or bringing in the professionals. Once you have your move-in date finalised, it makes sense to get this organised ASAP, deciding after receiving a few quotes from different companies.
Gather packing supplies
Great if you can gather these up from family, friends or even local businesses looking to get rid of things like boxes, crates and old newspapers. Sometimes people are looking to give these things away online, otherwise you may need to buy them and remember things like tape and bubble wrap for breakables. Markers are good for labelling too, keeping packing organised and easier to sort in your new home.
Order ahead for your new home
Perhaps especially important if moving from a furnished rented property into your first home. How much furniture do you have for your new place and what are the essential items you need to order first? You’ll at least need somewhere to lay your head for the first night in your new place, so ordering a bed ahead of time might make sense. Things like couches and kitchen tables are larger items, hard to live without, so having orders in place will make the first few days/weeks all the more comfortable whilst you settle in.
Organised packing
Don’t leave it till moving day! Start packing as early as possible, breaking up a big job into smaller tasks. You can start with items you don’t need day-to-day, such as out-of-season clothing, books, garage items etc and work your way around your home, room by room, boxing and labelling as you go. Leave the things you use the most, like kitchen and bathroom items till last, so you’re not constantly racking through boxes for things.
Arrange time off
It’s a stressful and tiring time, so you may want to consider taking a few days off either side of your actual move-in day, for prep before the move as well as to give you time to unpack and settle into your new home before you’re back to reality.
Utilities and address changes
Notify utilities companies that you are moving and take energy meter readings. If possible, you can stick with the same company to supply to your new place or you may want to set up services with a new provider. Being stuck without internet is a hassle these days, so remember to sort a provider for this too. Similarly, remember to change addresses with providers and places like your bank, dentist and council for council tax and electoral roll. Setting up mail redirection is a good idea too.
Deep clean your new home
Instead of moving straight in, you might want to consider giving a day or two to give your new place a thorough deep clean whilst it’s empty. Most previous owners will make an effort to leave a place in a clean condition, but it might not hurt to build in this time in advance of moving all your own things in.
Consider changing locks
Not something we always think about, but for safety reasons, it might make sense to change locks soon after you move in as you don’t know who has copies of keys – old tenants, previous owners or neighbours you don’t yet know – less about being suspicious than safe!
