They say that moving house is one of the most stressful things that you can do. The initial joy of finding that new place is quickly overtaken by the impending fear and realisation of how much stuff you actually have to move. But, with these 7 handy tricks you can make the whole process a lot less stressful and start enjoying your new home in no time.
1. Gather your essentials
On the day of the big move, you don’t want to be rummaging around chasing an errant phone charger. Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither was a fully unpacked home, so make sure you have everything you need close at hand. Pack an overnight bag with a change of clothes, chargers, any electronics you need and essential toiletries to get you through the day. A few snack bars and a bottle of water are also handy, especially if you’re nowhere near having a fully working kitchen.
2. Leave no screw loose
In a world where flat pack reigns supreme, you don’t want to be caught short when trying to reassemble your furniture. When dismantling beds, wardrobes or other bulky items, keep sandwich bags at hand to collect all of the necessary components in one place. Use a marker pen to label these bags and tape them to a piece of the furniture that it goes with. Before you move, we also recommend stocking up on Allen keys (otherwise known as hex keys) and having them close at hand throughout the process. These things will disappear when you need them most so backups are a must.
More tips: advice for moving into your first home
3. Avoid the strain
When it comes to moving big items, many people just assume that they’ll be able to shift anything with an extra pair of hands. However, when you’re trying to manoeuvre a washing machine out of a small kitchen, you’ll find yourself wishing you had thought ahead to buy a sack truck, if only to avoid getting your fingers trapped between the doorways. Sack trucks are your best friend when trying to move bulky items out of the home, saving you time and a lot of unnecessary strain. They’re also ideal for quickly moving stacks of boxes; simply secure them to the sack truck using strong bungee cords and save yourself multiple trips.
If you don’t fancy doing the lifting and shifting yourself, it might be worth getting in a pro to do the hark work. We surveyed 2,000 homeowners about their recent experiences of moving home and 43% of people who hired a pro said the best thing about it was having someone to do the heavy lifting.
4. Colour code boxes
You’ve packed up your home, the moving van has pulled away and you’re ready to start unpacking. The problem is, you’re now faced with a lot of identical boxes filled with an assortment of kitchenware, bed linen, old photo albums and toys. Where on earth do you start? The best way to ensure you’re organised when moving house is colour coding. Before you start packing, arm yourself with a few rolls of coloured tape or coloured paper and clearly label each box according to the room it needs to go in. This way, you can move each box to the corresponding room and avoid the stress of trying to remember where you put the TV remote.
5. Stock up on cling film
Cling film is one of the most versatile kitchen tools and it’ll come in handy when you’retrying to keep everything in one place. Wrap bookshelves and drawers with cling film before you move them out of the room; this way you can simply unwrap them when they’re in their new home, removing the need for additional packing boxes for the contents. Wrap cutlery drawers, cosmetics holders and anything else that contains small pieces for a smooth transition.
6. Multitask wrapping
If you have champagne flutes, or any other long stem wine glasses, we recommend slipping them into socks to add an extra layer of protection. Pick up a few free wine boxes next time you are in a supermarket too; these are ideal for packing away your wrapped glasses, plus the flat pack nature means they’re easy to store until the next time you need them.
7. Make an unpack plan
Once you’re safely in your new home, it can be tempting to try and unpack everything at once. Although you may think this is quicker, unpacking by room is a lot more productive. Write a list of priority areas and work out which rooms need unpacking first. We recommend starting with the kitchen before heading up to the bedrooms – this way you’re guaranteed the two things you’ll need after a day of unpacking; a good meal and a good night’s sleep.
Read homeowner, John’s 14 survival tips for moving house or find a local removals specialist to make the whole process smoother.
