While moving a house means a new place to call home, a fresh start, and a ton of new opportunities, there’s always one lurking fear that keeps stressing you.
And that is, “How am I going to pull it off?” It’s easy to feel overwhelmed because there are so many things to take care of when relocating your home. However, early planning and good organization can save you a lot of trouble.
So, let’s break down a typical house move into 5 easy steps and see how you can ace it.
1. Sort out your finances.
It might seem trivial, but planning your finances is important. Why? Because it keeps you from spending extra money on unnecessary things like posters and other broken stuff and this helps you take quick decisions.
So get educated about the actual moving experience and gather information about the costs associated with it. The best way to do that is to get in touch with a moving company and get a quote for your desired dates.
Thanks to technology, you don’t have to call companies individually; with a few clicks online, you can compare local removalists with Muval.
Pro Tip: Make sure you book in advance to get the best deal!
2. Categorize your belongings.
Make a list of all the items you have and categorize them based on size and frequency of use.
The size will help you decide what you should pack by yourself and what should be left for expert movers. Since heavy and large items like furniture and electronic appliances would need extra care and safety, it’s best to leave them to professional movers.
On the other hand, the frequency of use will help you in two ways. First, you’ll be able to distinguish everyday items from occasionally used items. The things you don’t use often can be moved in advance.
Secondly, you’ll come across items that have little to no use. These can include old clothes, spare furniture, books, or old crockery. These things will cost you packing and freight charges and might still end up lying unused in your new home.
So a smart move is to donate or sell such stuff before you move.
3. Pack properly.
Once you have decided what needs to go first, move on to the next stage: packing.
For that, you’ll require sturdy boxes for securely packing your belongings. Although you can rent them from your removalists, it would save you money if you source them from your workplace inventory, nearby superstore, or a warehouse.
Besides the boxes, you’ll need scissors, tape, and labels for effectively packing your things. Plus, a tool kit would also come in handy while disassembling some of the larger items like furniture.
It’s also a good idea to get the help of friends and family during packing. The most important aspect of packing your items is labelling every box. Because if you do not label the contents of the boxes, unpacking your stuff could become a total mess.
If boxes are labelled with their contents, you can store them in relevant rooms and open them up later when you are done with the essentials first!
Here are some more packing tips to help you pack safely.
4. Make things easy for movers.
When the big day arrives, a representative from your hired removalists will call and schedule a time for final packing, loading, and moving.
Before they arrive, ensure that you have gone through everything and packed whatever was possible for you to pack safely. Then, to save your time, gather packed and unpacked items at separate places for easy lifting and packing, respectively.
Once everything is packed, the moving staff will load all your belongings securely in the truck. And even though they are extra vigilant, make sure you double-check that all your items have enough padding to remain protected while the vehicle is on the move.
5. Be careful while unloading.
When moving to a new house, unloading your belongings safely is equally critical. So, before the moving truck arrives at your new place, ensure that the pathway is clear and that no obstruction lies within the movers’ working field.
Guide the removals team about the contents of the boxes and inform them where you want each item placed. Then, let the team unpack heavier and bigger boxes and leave the smaller ones for yourself.
Also, check your unpacked appliances and furniture for damages. If everything is fine, sign the removal company’s papers, pay them, and thank them for their services. Take some rest and do the rest of the unpacking at your convenience.
