Buying a new home can be a stressful period, and organising yourself and family to move does not help. The only way to reduce that stress is to plan it out.
In order to have a successful move, it’s critical to create a moving house plan in advance that you can stick to on moving day.
By the time you relocate you will be thankful that you had the foresight to plan for both large and small details in your move. Here are our 7 top tips:
- Write it all down: Have all of the details about the move in one location and write it all down. Even if the detail is as small as you Uncle arriving at 12:30 and not 9am the day of the move to help. Having all of the detail in one location will make it clear for you what is happening and when and by whom, this will help you clearly see what you need to do in preparation for the event.
- Pack your belongings:To minimise stress when moving house, begin packing as soon as you know you are moving. If you’re packing several months in advance, you can pack up belongings or rooms that you no longer use. Make sure to save your most used items for last and plan to pack your entire home two weeks prior to moving day. Pack and organise all boxes with clear labels and colour codes to make it easier to load and transport your belongings.
- Plan your floor plan:If you manage to obtain a floor plan of your new home, or have already seen it, take the time to plan where all belongings and furniture will go when you move. This will prevent you from being completely disorganised when you unload your boxes and furniture into your new home. If you have a clear floor plan diagram of where all furniture will go, you won’t have to worry about rearranging your house after you have finished.
- Don’t forget your helpers: More than likely you will have family and friends helping with the move, ensure that they clearly understand what you will need them to be doing before they arrive. Unless you are moving on the spur of the moment, you will have had quite a few weeks to organise and pack, which can lead helpers to feel as though they are being taken advantage of if they are to help you move and you aren’t packed. Also, ensure that you have enough drinks and food on hand to keep them going.
- Schedule rubbish removal:One critical factor many people overlook when moving house is scheduling rubbish removal directly after relocation. As you pack and load your belongings into the moving truck, you may be surprised at how much rubbish can accumulate in rubbish bags or from old, broken pieces of furniture that you no longer need. Contact your local council and enquire about hard waste removal pickup times in the area. Or alternatively, you can either borrow or hire a trailer to transport the rubbish, or arrange for a skip bin to be delivered for the waste to be disposed of.
- Transfer your utilities:Contact your utility service provider and inform them of your move-in date. Try calling at least two weeks prior to relocating, to ensure that electricity and gas will be turned on in time.
- You won’t get it all done in a day: No matter how organised you are it is unlikely that you will be fully settled in the night you move. Pack a bag or box with the items that you will need for the next day while you’re unpacking. Things to include are clothes, toiletries, phone chargers, utensils, and bedding.
