Are you planning on moving house? Need some help? Well if I was moving I would want someone to do it all for me. It is a pity that there is no house moving fairy that can wave her magic wand and have it all just happen. I wish this might happen in other areas of life too, like the housework.
I really hate sorting, organising, packing and everything that goes with moving house. It is hard, stressful and just a big job. I have moved too many times and when we move next time it will hopefully be the second last move before we have our new house built.
So how do you make this moving business easier on you and the family? Having a checklist on what to do is a great idea. Sounds terribly organised but it helps.Here are my top 10 tips for moving house:
Tip 1
Don't pack junk. Firstly look at all the things that you currently have in the house. Do you want to take everything with you? Why not use this as an opportunity to get rid of things that you don't use any more. These are the things that are broken, you are not using or have out grown. You can make three piles of stuff; One pile for rubbish, one pile for charity and maybe one pile to sell or giveaway, it could be for charity as well but if you can make a few dollars it might help with the move, or maybe help you with some pocket money. Once you have determined what items are going to your new home, then you can pack these and only take what is important. You don't want to spend money and energy moving something to chuck it out when you get to your new place. I have done this and it is very annoying.
Tip 2
Are you going to use a home packing service? Services like these help you pack efficiently, the highly trained staff work quickly to pack time-consuming rooms and manage to do this by ensuring your breakables are all snug so that they will not break on the move to your new abode. If I was moving again I would pay for them to make it all easier (Maybe they are like magical moving fairies, as they help you get it all done and with less stress). They will pack the boxes with the heavier items on the bottom and to also ensure that any breakables are wrapped up well to make sure they are protected.
Tip 3
Don't wait until the last minute to pack for your move. Once you know you are moving start right away. I know moving is stressful and annoying but not doing it does not change the fact that you will still have to move. Doing a little bit here and there will help you get it all done.
Tip 4
If you are packing your own boxes make sure to label the boxes. Also don't be tempted to just throw items in any boxes. Make sure you put like items with like. If it is the kitchen put all kitchen items in the box for the kitchen, don't suddenly put clothes in the box as well. You will never find things or if you do it will take you much longer.
Tip 5
Label all boxes and also make sure that fragile boxes are marked as well. You don't want to have someone smash a box down and it be your wine glasses and they all break. One other thing is if a box has to sit a certain way put the arrow that that the box needs to be kept upright in that direction. If you don't inform people they won't know.
Tip 6
Did you know that you can get a huge range of boxing and packaging materials? You can even hire the moving boxes online, and get them delivered the next day. Make sure you have wrapping paper and tape to help with the packing. Renting the boxes is ideal as then you can give them all back and not have boxes everywhere months after the move.
Tip 7
Oh and on the packaging materials, why not use towels or your linen to help protect your valuables. This will make sure that you are protecting your artwork or vases and your sheets are helping you keep the cost down on the materials.
Tip 8
Did you know that when you are packing books you should lay them flat? This ensures that the spines of the book are not damaged. Make sure you pack smaller boxes with books as these get heavy so if you have larger boxes you will tend to fill them up with more books. Book carton boxes are ideal for this and are small enough that the boxes will not get terribly heavy for you to lift them.
Tip 9
Make sure you keep an essentials bag or box handy. This will have towels, clothes and anything that you need to get at all the time when you move to the new house. You don't want to be trying to find your toothbrush or say your favourite PJ's or some towels to take a shower after you have spent hours moving. Keep it easy and have it near you. Why not pack this item in your car and not in the moving van. This way you will know where it is and can find it quickly.
Tip 10
Make sure that you choose a professional removal company. A trusted professional moving company has reviews, many years' experience, are less likely to damage your goods, and will be able to look after the whole move from packing to moving.
I hope these tips help you when you have to move house. It is a big job and a stressful time. Making things easier when you have been organising and busy with so many other things can be so helpful.
Having professionals that help you pack and move really does make the world of difference. You will have less arguments with your partner, you will feel less stressed, and it will make the whole process so much easier. I wish we moved this way all the time.
