Yay! New home! Congratulations!
Moving into a new home can be an exciting period of time, but the actual process of moving can be stressful. With so much to think about, and with time moving fast, the once the excitement of a finding a property you love has settled slightly, you are then left to arrange actually relocating. Whilst this process can seem daunting and overwhelming, there are, (believe it or not), ways to make the process easier.
So what can be done to make this stressful period run as smoothly as possible?
1. Organisation
Being organised is key in many areas of life, and moving is definitely one of them. Planning ahead can making moving a lot less stressful.
Don’t leave packing and hiring help until last minute. Plan your time, and be realistic. Having a calendar and writing a list can help you keep on top of things and ensures nothing is forgotten. These also have the added benefit of being able to tick or cross of any completed items – pure satisfaction!
Ensuring you have enough boxes, and labels from the beginning will make life a lot easier, as will thinking about what you need to pack your items securely. A box maybe best for some items, but your grandmother’s vase may need some extra protection in the form of bubble wrap. Making sure your labels contain important information is also a great idea. Markings, such as, ‘fragile’ and ‘keep upright’, will help protect items en route to your new home. Information about what is in the box and where it belongs, (“bedroom”), will help you organise your items, and also make unpacking a lot more simple.
2. Do I really need this?
Moving can be a great time to really get to grips with how much stuff you have, and how much of it you really don’t need. Why not have a clear out whilst you pack? Be strict with yourself. Do you need to take everything you own with you?
Remember, if you can’t remember the last time you needed it or used it, it is unlikely you will use or need it in the future, so do you really need to take it to your new home? Reducing the amount of things you take with you, reduces the amount of things that need to be packed – and then unpacked!
How about putting some items you are willing to part with on eBay and making some extra money? This can be time consuming, but it literally turns the stuff you don’t need (or didn’t remember owning) into money, which can be spent on your new property, or even a bottle of wine so you relax after a long day of moving!
If selling your pre-owned items isn’t your thing, what about donating any items to a charity? Some will even collect larger items from your home – how convenient! Find a cause close to your heart here.
Items sold or donated need to be in good condition, for everything else you no longer want, try to recycle if possible.
3. Divide and Conquer
Try and split packing into different areas or rooms, for example, dedicate a set period of time just to your wardrobe or kitchen essentials. Not only will this give you a realistic idea of how much time you have until the big day, it will also break your packing up into manageable bite size pieces. Packing the items in your bathroom sounds a lot more manageable than packing up your whole house!
If there is more than one of you, could also allocate different people to different rooms or areas, thus making the bite size pieces, even smaller.
Plan these time and dates in advance and add them to your calendar to keep on top of things – as already stated, organisation is key!
4. The Physical Move
Once you are all packed and ready to go, there is also complication of getting your belongings to your new address. Are you going to be able to carry your items alone? Do you need help? What about transport? How many things are you taking with you? Will they fit into a car or will you need a van?
These questions are important and can be worrying, but you don’t have to do it alone. Ask friends to help you with the move, and offer to cook (or order) them dinner for their time. You could even hire help to make the transition that much easier.
5. Forward Your Letters
Try to contact organisations and people that send you mail to give them your new address in advance to your move, giving them the date you would like the new address to be used from. Banks and other companies that hold confidential information should be contacted as a priority. This will stop your post going missing, and your confidential information ending up in the bin, or even in the wrong hands.
Royal mail also offer a forwarding service, which can be extremely helpful to make sure your post is redirected. This service does cost – prices start at £24.99 per surname – but it is a quick and convenient way to make sure your letters are safe. The service can last for either 3, 6 or 12 months, and the price depends on how long your want the service to last for. I/f you are interested in this, and would like more information about, visit the Royal Mail website, or click here. You can also register for the service via this link.
If you are short on time and money, don’t worry there are other steps that can be taken to ensure your mail is safe. What about leaving a ‘forwarding’ pack to the owners of your old home, with some sticky labels that they can put on any stray letters? Making the task of forwarding letters to you easier for the new occupiers of your home, will help to make sure that your post is actually sent on to you, and within good time.
James Young is the Founder of London Van Moves which provides a man and van service across London, Middlesex, Essex and Kent. No job is too small and with all drivers being fully CRB checked, you can trust London Van Moves.
