If you’re planning a house move, you’ll want to start off the new year completely stress-free. By organising your move in advance, you’re less likely to come across any problems on the day.
Compare My Move has put together these tips on how to ensure your 2019 move goes smoothly, from the importance of planning early to why you should declutter before packing. We’ve covered everything.
Start Planning
You should apply for a mortgage before you even start property hunting, as the process can be time-consuming. By doing this, you will save valuable time and avoid waiting for your mortgage application to be approved.
Sort out your conveyancing solicitor as soon as your offer on the house has been accepted. Make sure you budget for conveyancing, surveying, and removal costs, and set aside money specifically for these services.
Many people underestimate the importance of services such as surveying and conveyancing, but they are vital for gathering information about the property you plan to buy, saving you stress in the long run.
Declutter Before Packing
Moving house is the perfect opportunity to declutter your personal belongings. Not only will this give you a fresh start in your new house, but it will also reduce the cost of your removal company, as you will be taking far fewer items with you.
Decluttering is also known to reduce stress by improving your sleep and helping you spend less time looking for lost items. The Minimalists’ 30-day challenge is a great way to recycle and donate items you don’t need.
Pack Early
You’ll want to start packing as early as you can. Pack room by room, leaving out the essential items that you’ll need for the days building up to the move, as well as a separate bag of must-haves for the journey.
If you’re worried about living amongst a pile of boxes for a week or two, consider alternative arrangements for your boxes in the interim period that can make things easier. Looking online for storage companies to contact for example can be a good idea, this allows you to move your packaged possessions into a proper storage facility, which can even speed up the loading and unpacking process as you won’t need to lug heavy boxes down your stairs etc. at home.
To make unpacking easier at your new house, remember to label your moving boxes with colour coded labels, highlighting the contents and the room it belongs in, this will help to distinguish which boxes belong in which room.
Say Yes to Help
Your friends and family will be more than happy to help you during the move. Whether it’s looking after your children or pets on the day of the move, or assisting with the packing and moving itself, take them up on the offer.
It’s advisable to hire a removal company, as they will handle everything from packing to unloading the van at your new house. As soon as you know the date you’re going to be moving, you should book your removal company.
If you opt out of booking a removal company, don’t be afraid to ask for help. The more help you can get with your move, the easier the day will be.
Pick Your Moving Day Carefully
Think carefully about what day you want to move house. If you move on a Friday, you won’t have to take as much time off work, and the weekend will give you enough time to settle in properly.
However, it may be wise to book your removal company for the beginning to mid-week, as any problems that crop up can be quickly resolved throughout the week.
Moving house doesn’t have to be hard work. If you stick to these simple tips, you’ll be sure to have a stress-free move in 2019.