Moving day is a whirlwind of excitement that takes a lot of planning and preparation to ensure that everything runs smoothly and you avoid any last minute issues or stress. There’s a lot to think about on the day, and things can get a bit hectic when there’s a number of people moving lots of heavy furniture and boxes between two different places. To help reduce the stress, we’ve come up with our list of 10 top tips for moving day.
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Make a plan of action
To make moving day go as smoothly as possible, it helps to know what’s going to happen and when. Creating a plan of action will help you feel more organised and less worried about things going wrong. Make a note of important times, such as when you can pick up the keys to your new place and when you’re expecting the removals company or any friends who have offered to help to arrive. Note down how many boxes and other pieces of furniture you have and make a list, so that you don’t lose anything along the way. Knowing the order in which you’re going to do things will help you stay on track.
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Pack your essentials separately
It’s likely that when you’ve finally finished moving everything from one place to another, you’ll be too tired to unpack anything. To save time and effort rooting through your belongings for anything you’ll need that night, pack your essentials in an overnight bag so you can get to it easily. This includes things like pyjamas, fresh underwear and clothing for the next day, and toiletries. You’ll also need a box of essential household items, such as a kettle, tea bags, and mugs.
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Label all boxes clearly
Make sure to label boxes not only with what’s inside, but also with which room it belongs in. An effective way to do this to make it as easy as possible on the day for anybody involved in the move is to draw out a floor plan of your new home and label each room with a number, then write the room number clearly on each box or piece of furniture. It also helps to stick a piece of paper with the corresponding number on the door of the room it belongs to, so that people can clearly see where each box needs to go.
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Moving is thirsty work!
Moving heavy furniture and boxes around all day will make everybody thirsty and hungry; as your fridge will be disconnected, you’ll need to prepare some refreshments beforehand. Sandwiches, fruit and other quick snacks are best. A few bottles of water and flasks of tea or coffee are also a good idea, to keep people from getting dehydrated, and keep energy levels up. Then when you get to the new place and start unloading furniture at that end, you have your kettle in your separate essentials box. This is bound to keep the removals company and/or any friends helping out happy.
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Order a food shop online
The last thing you’ll want to worry about whilst you’re moving is having to go out and do a food shop. To make things easier for you and ensure you get the essentials for your first few days, it’s a good idea to do an online food shop and have it delivered to your new house for the morning after your move. This will mean you can get on with unpacking with the knowledge that you have food in the house for when you’re hungry.
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Unpack furniture first
It may sound obvious, but make sure to unpack your big pieces of furniture first and place them in the correct rooms. This will help you know how much space you have in each room once all your furniture is in there, and will also save time and effort having to rearrange furniture to make room for boxes.
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Keep children and pets out of the way
Moving is stressful enough without restless children or animals making it harder. It’s a good idea to ask a friend or relative to look after any children who aren’t old enough to help with the heavy lifting, and any pets if they are willing. You’ll then be able to focus on the task at hand, rather than having to worry about entertaining your kids, or even the possibility of them getting hurt as heavy furniture and boxes are being moved around.
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Get rid of any rubbish before the big day
During the packing process, you’ll no doubt have a clearout of things you don’t want to take with you. To avoid any confusion between belongings that are being moved, and stuff that you want to get rid of, it’s a good idea to get your clearout done before the big day. Recycle anything that can be, take any old clothes to a charity shop, and tip the rest. This way, your belongings won’t be confused with rubbish on the day, and won’t be thrown away by accident.
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Make friends with your neighbours
Get off on the right foot with your neighbours by introducing yourself and your partner and/or family. Explain to them on what day you will be moving in, and what time they can expect you to be coming and going. Let them know of any big vehicles you may be using, and make sure that they don’t block anyone’s exit. It’s useful to have good relationships with our immediate neighbours, so it’s best to make a good first impression.
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Tie up any loose ends
Make sure you’re the last to leave your old home, and do a last inspection of the whole place, to ensure that nothing has been left behind that should have been taken. Make sure to turn off all utilities, and to take any meter readings. Remember to inform all utility companies and the postal service that you have moved. Once you have done one final inspection, make sure that all doors and windows are locked, wave goodbye to your old home, and enjoy your new one!