Buying a house signals the start of a new era in anyone’s life, whether moving out of a family home and taking your first solo steps up the property ladder, or settling your own loved ones into their first family home, it is a hugely important moment for most people.
However, anyone who has already moved into a new house knows that it can be a stressful experience, and anyone about to make that move for the first time may well be nervous about the processSo to help make your move as stress-free as possible, here are 10 top tips for you to consider before getting started
- Create a checklist – make a checklist with three columns, the first with the name of the item you’re packing, then a ‘packed’ & ‘unpacked’ column. This way you’ll be able to catalog how far through the move you are at each end of it, and you can easily find any missing items.
- Get more boxes than you need – you will almost certainly have more stuff than you think you do, so make sure you over-cater with the boxes.
- Colour-code your boxes – apply a different color for each room in the house and colour-code your boxes accordingly e.g. all items in a yellow box go in the kitchen, boxes with a red label go in the living room etc.
- Research your movers – make sure you have at least 3 quotes from moving companies and compare each one thoroughly to make sure to get the best deal and avoid unwanted delays.
- Roll, don’t fold – rolling your clothes instead of folding them takes up far less space when you’re packing.
- Notify people of your move – before you move you should let all the important people know, including; your bank, pension & share providers, loan providers, insurance companies, council, employers, schools, cable & internet provider, doctors (and of course your family!).
- Fact file for your old home – compile a fact file for the new owners of your old home on how to use certain items, such as the thermostat, burglar alarms, washing machine, or even a door knob that needs to be turned just the right way – this will save any unwanted ‘How do I do this?’ calls from the new owners.
- Pack ‘essentials’ separately – make sure to pack a box of the ‘essentials’ for the day of your move so that you aren’t stuck in the evening. Include; toiletries, medicine, snacks/food for the first evening, cutlery & crockery, bedding, and anything else you simply couldn’t do without for the first night or two.
- Keep essential & important papers with you – pack those ‘essentials’ in your own car on moving day, along with all your important papers (birth certificate, passport, life insurance, school records, bank records, bills, closing paper, estate agent info). Do not leave these with the movers.
- Pack in advance – apart the ‘essentials’, be sure to pack everything as far in advance of your moving day as you can. Then you can check and double-check you’ve got everything, and have a nice easy move on the day.
Smart Tips for Eco-friendly Shipping was written by Simon Markland of shipping company VOOVit. VOOVit specialise in shipping excess baggage and small boxes worldwide, visit online at www.voovit.com