Your Essential Moving Home Guide

If you’re not organised, moving home can be really stressful. It isn’t so bad when you’re moving alone, but if you have a big family to think about, you need to start organising early. So, here is your essential guide to moving home without any stress.

Start Packing

You should start your packing around three weeks before your moving date if you’re able to. There will be plenty of things you can pack that your family won’t use in that time. A good place to start is the kid’s toys. Most children have toys that they only play with once in a blue boon but don’t want to part with. Ask your children to help by filling boxes with some of the things they know they won’t need. It’s likely that you’ll exchange contracts and move within the same week, sometimes the same day. So, you don’t want to leave everything until the last minute.

Tell People

As the moving date gets nearer, it’s important that you start to tell people your new address. This includes your bank, your credit card provider, schools, the DVLA and more. It can be quite a job to inform everyone in a short space of time. Make a list of the most important people and places so you don’t forget to tell someone. Before you leave your house, you’ll also have to inform your gas and electric suppliers and provide them with final readings so you’re not overcharged.

Storage

There may be times when you have to leave your house before your new house is ready. Perhaps you’ve bought a new build that isn’t quite ready but the people who have bought your house are becoming inpatient. When situations like this arise, you may need to look into storage options. You can get a PODs promo code for storage here. That way, if you need to stay in a hotel for a few days, your belongings are safe and easily transportable.

Young Children

Moving day isn’t easy with young children around. They may get in the way, even when they’re just trying to help. The move will be much more efficient if you can arrange for someone to look after your children while you’re moving everything in. Children tend to settle into new homes fairly quickly. Having said that, it’s always a good idea to have their beds freshly made and some of the favourite things around when they arrive to make the transition as smooth as possible.

Pack a Box of Essentials

When moving day arrives, there’ll be certain things you won’t want to have to dig around in boxes for. Keep one box to store moving day essentials in. For example, keeping the kettle, a few mugs and tea making essentials on hand will make the process easier on everyone. You may also want to pack some toiletries, like toilet roll and deodorant. The point of this is that you’ll be able to find what you need quickly, rather than spending time hunting for it.

Keys

Its usual for home buyers to pick up their new keys from estate agents or solicitors. However, there’s often only one set of keys left. When you enter your new home, do a quick check to see if any spare keys have been left in the property. Similarly, if you have spare keys to your old home, you’ll need to leave them in a safe place, out of sight from windows and doors. You may want to leave a note for the new owners to be on the safe side.

The Day Before

The day before you’re due to move will be busy. There will be lots to do, and it’s important you don’t forget certain things. For example, you’ll need to defrost your fridge and freezer overnight to ensure you’re able to safely transport them to the new house. Put some towels on the floor underneath them both to catch the melting ice and water. If there’s anything left in the kitchen cupboards, now is the time to pack it or throw it away. If you need documents for the move, make sure they’re prepared and kept in a safe place.

Moving Day

All the packing should be done and when you get to the new house, you should be ready to accept deliveries. Remember, you don’t have to unpack everything in twenty four hours. Make sure you take breaks and eat and drink. The best places to start unpacking are in the bathroom and kitchen, so put them at the top of your to-do list.