Moving can be a tricky time and any tips and tricks to make things easier are most welcome. We understand how stressful things can be, so in this article, we give 25 handy tips and tricks to make moving just that little bit easier.
- Pack A ‘First Night’ Box Or Bag
The last thing you’ll want to do after an exhausting day is to begin having to find essential first night items. Packing a ‘First Night’ bag or box with items for all the family such as medicines, small toys and comfort items such as pyjamas, toiletries and disposable plates, cups and cutlery will see you able to at least have some semblance of normality the first night.
- Label Everything!
Ensure that you label each box with the contents of the box, along with detailing the room in which it belongs. Record each box on a spreadsheet or as a note on your phone. Colour coding helps too!
- Prevent Spillages
Secure the lid of toiletries and other liquid household products with Sellotape or alternative to prevent the contents emptying themselves in transit.
- Kitchen Roll Sheets
Sheets from a roll of kitchen roll can be used to slide between plates when packing – less expensive than bubble wrap but just as effective.
- Think Vertically
On the subject of plates, they are much less likely to break if they are packed vertically, rather than one on top of the other.
- Cling Film Your Drawers
Wrapping heavy duty cling film around each drawer as you remove it means that items can be transported within the drawers rather than being removed to save on box space.
- Essential Items
When packing each room, put essential items from that room, such as small kitchen appliances etc in a box together and mark it ‘Essentials – Kitchen’ or whichever room it needs to go to.
- Don’t Take Clothes Off Hangers
Clothes don’t need to be taken off their hangers. They can be removed on their hangers, bound by the hanging part with a rubber band and a black bag slipped over the top. Up to 25 hangers at a time can be moved in this way.
- Check Your Movers
If you have opted to have a removal firm take on the hard work, check the small print very carefully to see what liability limitations they have in their contract. Also check their insurance carefully. Better safe than sorry.
- Photograph Items
When removing cables from an item, photograph the item showing where the cables have come from, making it easier to remember which cable is which in your new home. Make sure you label the cable too as many look very similar.
- Make A Plan
As soon as you can, make a plan of your move: booking the van, what rooms to pack and when, what to cancel and what to sort to name a few. Take the time now to fully plan your move so that the process is a lot simpler.
- Hire A Sack Barrow
Hiring a sack barrow will help spare you a bad back and help with the heavy lifting.
- Box Files
Box files are the best and most secure way to transport that all important paperwork and identification documents during the chaos of moving. Keep all your moving paperwork separate on the day of the move so everything is together and readily to hand.
- Declutter First
Having a good sort out will lighten the load to move and if you have a car boot sale, will raise some much-needed cash for your new home!
- Pet Safety
If you have a cat or a dog, see if someone can look after them on the day of the move as having them underfoot will be difficult to manage. If you can’t then ensure they have an enclosed and secure space, just for themselves with their bed and toys.
- Use Your Suitcases
Remember that not everything needs to go into a box, you can use your suitcases, reusable shopping bags and even your laundry basket to pack things into. Do still remember to label them so you know what’s in them and where they are going
- Empty It Out
Run down your food cupboards, fridge and freezer as much as you can in the days running up to your move. You really don’t want to be moving anything that you don’t have to. Remember, though that you will need some food essentials for those first few days in your new home as you settle in and are busy unpacking.
- Keep Things Together
Whenever you take a piece of furniture apart, make sure you put all the screws and fittings into a sandwich bag and securely tape the bag to the item of furniture, the last thing you need is to find there is an important screw missing when you go to re-assemble it.
- Who To Tell
Make a complete list of all the people and companies that you need to change your address with such as Amazon, PayPal, insurance, bank, TV licence, car insurance to name a few and also remember to set up a mail re-direct service.
- Logical Loading
When loading the van, try to load it so that the items you need to take into your new home first are at the back of the van, so loaded last. You really don’t want to unload things you don’t need and then have to struggle over or around them when unloading the stuff you do.
- Use Your Towels
Rather than investing in bubble wrap, why not use your towels and bed linen to protect your valuables? This kills two birds with one stone: It packs up your linens and protects your breakables.
- Book Ahead
Make sure you book up your removal firm, or the van, if you are doing it yourself as far in advance as you can. The last thing you need is to get to moving day and have no way to move your possessions
- Be Ready
Moving day will be a blur of activity, don’t leave any packing until moving day as this will add stress and waste time. Make sure everything is ready to go the night before and all there is to do on the day is collect the keys and move.
- Keep The Kettle Out
This might seem like a small thing to worry about, but while you are moving you will want a cuppa, we can assure you. Keep your kettle out and move it in a car so you know where it is. Make sure you have containers with milk, coffee, tea and sugar as well.
- Protect Your Carpets
Buy some carpet protector and put it down in your new home. Especially if you are moving in winter the outside pavements will be wet and muddy. With all the walking in and out you are bound to traipse mud into your new home. The carpet protector will go a long way to ensure you don’t ruin the carpets in the move.
Moving is a very stressful and physically demanding time but we hope that these hints and tips will help make it as easy as possible. One final tip: Bribe as many of your friends as you can to help with the move – many hands make light work as they say!
