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No matter if you are moving, or improving, our newsletter is packed with the best tips, tricks and ideas to help you dwell well.
So you received your free valuation, sold your home with an online (non-commission) estate agent (saving thousands of pounds in the process) and you’re ready to move into your home. Everything has gone great but now you have to deal with the stress of moving. So, here at Moving & Improving we thought we would offer a few tips to make the process easier and as stress free as possible.
A great place to start when you are moving home is to get rid of everything you don’t need. The less you have to pack, move, and unpack the better. Bin what you don’t need (or want) and where possible donate your stuff to charity shops to maximise the reciprocity. Also, we recommend that weeks before your move, or even before you put your house on the market, you declutter and even consider putting some of your possessions in storage. (For great storage we recommend Safestore.) This gives you less work to do when packing properly for the move and a decluttered house can go a long way to helping make a sale and get the best price on your home. For more on getting the best price on your home check this blog post How to get the best and full asking price for your property .
Don’t wait until you have already moved to change your address with anyone that may need it. The last thing you need on top of the stress of moving is to be waiting around for an important letter which has been delivered to your previous address. In the case of selling your home you may want to give the new owners a forwarding address in case anyone slips through the net.
It goes without saying that you put stuff for the same room in the same box but what is as important to minimising the stress of the move is correctly labelling the boxes. It seems obvious, but it can often be overlooked leaving you open box after box in search of one illusive item. Labelling boxes and keeping the boxes for each room together will help streamline the unpacking later and make finding what you need significantly easier.
There’s no guarantee you will have everything moved and unpacked in the same day, in fact its fairly unlikely. So, to make sure you get by until you finally manage to sift through every box and stock the shelves, mantelpieces, and cupboards of your new home set aside one or two boxes with everything you need for the first day or two.
It can be tempting to tackle the move alone but hiring a professional company can save you a lot of time and hassle. From helping you get the right size van to getting a wardrobe down a narrow drive, through the door and up the stairs, a professional removal company could prove invaluable.
Be as specific as you can with the removal company. The more they know the better prepared they can be and thus your home move should go a lot smoother. Whether you need to move a piano or just want to make them aware of the access to the new home the better prepared they are the less stress for everyone involved.
Yes, you may have to take a day’s holiday from work but by moving midweek and not at the weekend like everyone else you have a better chance of receiving a good deal with your removal company. In the same way, moving mid month can also help you avoid peak times and give you a chance to get a better removal price. Moving at these times also increases the chance the company will be available on the day making it more likely you can choose the best priced company in the first place and not have to go with the second or third best because the others were already fully booked.
Furthermore, if your moving date is a Friday and the payment is delayed and misses the banks cut off time for transferring funds, you may have a full weekend to wait before you can move. Remember banks and solicitors do not transfer funds on a Saturday or Sunday. So a weekend of having to deal with storing your furniture, additional costs, and the inconvenience ; and this is not an unusual problem. However, if the unfortunate happens and your move is delayed due to the transfer of funds, moving midweek could ensure a successful move the following day.
Picking up and passing boxes can be a chore in itself and finding a good grip on them can be more challenging than it looks. During packing take a few minutes to cut handles into the boxes, you’ll be thankful full for it later. Not only will moving the boxes be easier but you will be less likely to drop them and shatter your favourite ornaments or best china.
Sometimes when moving home it can feel like your packing is making no progress if you can see stuff still out in your home every day. The seemingly obvious remedy to this is to start packing up the living room. Looking at bare shelves and an empty mantlepiece makes it appear like you’re making progress. The reality is that this just leaves you packing away stuff you will inevitably need whilst stuff that will undoubtedly go unused remains unpacked in the garage, shed, or the spare bedroom. Start with the stuff you are less likely to need between packing and moving to reduce the need to rummage through boxes before you move.
Have any other helpful tips? Leave a comment and let us know or share it with our Facebook group
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