Minimizing Stress Of Moving Home
Moving house is often counted in the top three most stressful things you can do, but there are many things you can do to relieve the pressure.
Moving House
It's never too soon to get organised to moveBe prepared! It is never too soon to get organised for moving house. The best place to start is by having a good sort and clear out. Go through your home room by room and be ruthless which will save you time and money later on. Make a list of what you are keeping. This will be very useful for the packing process and the move itself.
If you choose to hire a professional removal company, choose a recommended company or one that adheres to a code of practice and is a member of an authoritative body such as the British Association of Removers (BAR) or the National Guild of Removers and Storers (NGRS). Check that they offer insurance and what will and won’t be covered. You need to be clear about timings, when they will arrive and how long can you expect them to take. Be honest with the removal company about the amount you have to move (use your list) that way you can be sure they will send an appropriately sized van and enough workers for the move to go smoothly.
The exchange of keys should be arranged for as early on the day of the move as possible, if not before, as it will be costly to have the removal van waiting around. It is frequently not until 2pm or later! You will need your solicitor to advise you on this.
Alongside your inventory, make a plan of your new property and decide what each room will be used for. You can then use this plan (at Cobb Amos we provide floorplans for all our properties) to co-ordinate your packing and label or colour code your boxes and furniture accordingly. Give a copy of the plan to the removal company. They can then make sure that the furniture and boxes destined for bedroom one are taken to bedroom one. Don’t forget to do the obvious things like wrap fragile items in bubble wrap or newspaper and spread the weight of heavy items over several boxes.
Pack a ‘basics’ box – It is very easy to forget the essentials when moving house but ensuring that you have a spare change of clothes, a wash bag and a charger for your phone can be very helpful. You want to avoid a situation where you have to search through boxes on the day you move in to find the basics.
Use our glossary to help you understand all the jargon.
Moving Day
As soon as you get the date for your move and the time for the exchanging of keys you can start to get organised.
✓ Arrange time off work for the move.
✓ Book a reputable removal company and start collecting any packing materials you may need.
✓ Cancel all services such as newspaper and milk deliveries and inform gas, electric and telephone companies of your move.
✓ Contact the post office to redirect your post
✓ Hire professional cleaners to clean the house for you, it will be one less thing for you to worry about.
✓ Compile a fact file for the people who have bought your home, include things like rubbish collection day, recycling arrangements and heating instructions
✓ If you have been renting the property you should check your inventory, and ensure that everything is in order.
✓ On the day of the move, defrost your fridge and freezer and make sure you leave any instruction booklets for appliances you agreed to leave.
✓ Pack a bag of essentials for your first twenty four hours so you don’t have to root through boxes for items like your toothbrush.
✓ Finally take utility meter readings and arrange to pay any outstanding bills, ensure the removal company know where they are going and close and lock all windows and doors before you leave.
