You’ve signed all the paperwork, picked up your keys, and now it’s time to move in to your new home. People often say that house moves are one of life’s most stressful events, but with the right planning and preparation, you can make sure moving day goes smoothly.
Be prepared
Careful planning is crucial to a successful and stress-free moving day, so it’s important to tie up loose ends at your old property and prepare for the move to your new home.
· Give your new address and moving date to important contacts, such as banks and credit cards, employers, HMRC, TV Licensing and telephone and internet service providers.
· Round up all your spare keys, and give these to your solicitor.
· Take some time in the weeks before moving day to make a full inventory of the items you will be moving to the new home.
· Use the move as an opportunity to clear out of items you won’t be taking with you. Second hand furniture and electronics and be sold to help your moving budget, or donated to charity or voluntary organisations.
· Make sure your household items are insured for transit, in case of accidental damage during the move.
· Cancel delivery of milk and newspapers.
· Contact the Royal Mail to arrange mail redirection for the first few weeks in your new home.
· Choose a moving day, arrange any required time off work and clear your schedule.
Packing
One clever way to stay organised while packing is to number all of your boxes and make a quick note of what possessions are in each one. This can help you check that you have packed everything you need, and identify quickly if anything has gone astray on moving day.
Kids and Pets
For young children, moving home is an exciting adventure, but the safest and most sensible place for the kids to be on moving day is with a babysitter. If you have pets, consider checking them into kennels or a cattery for a few days to prevent them from becoming distressed and allow you to manage the move smoothly.
DIY removals
If you're moving your belongings yourself, it’s important to hire the right van – if it’s too small you may need to make a lot of journeys and an oversized van needs lots of space to park and unload it at the new home. At weekends, many van hire companies offer special two-day rates, meaning you could reduce your moving day budget and move at a more leisurely pace.
Remember, if your friends and family are volunteering their time to help you move, make sure you have included a thank you gift or meal for them in your moving day budget.
Professional removal companies
Hiring a professional removal company adds another expense to your moving budget, but removes a lot of the associated stress. You can even arrange to have your possessions packed for you.
Always use a reputable removal company who is a member of the British Association of Removers or the National Guild of Removers and Storers (NGRS). Fridays and weekends are the busiest time for removal companies, and you could save money by arranging a midweek move, so give plenty of notice of the date you intend to move and ask about midweek discounts.
At your old home
Before the vans arrive, pack an overnight bag for each member of the household with some essentials, such as a change of clothes, nightwear, toiletries and a towel. Fully charge all mobile phones, and keep important documents such as passports and birth certificates in your overnight bag.
Pack a kitchen box with staples like tea, coffee, milk, mugs, cutlery, and a kettle, so that you have some kitchen essentials to hand on arrival at the new home. Bear in mind that you probably won’t feel like cooking after a long, tiring moving day, so add a couple of takeaway menus to this box.
You may also want to put together a mini-toolkit with a screwdriver, spare screws, an allen key, pen and paper, knife, tape, and light bulbs. Write down important numbers that you may need on the day, including your solicitor and estate agent, and some emergency contacts such as a local plumber and glazier – just in case!
At your new home
Measure your furniture and sketch out a floor plan of your new home before moving day. This lets you plan your room layouts and decide what goes where before anyone has to do any heavy lifting. Give the removers a quick tour so they know what rooms to put your items in, or stick a simple sign on the door of each room with blu-tack.
Make sure all items that should be included in the sale are present in your new home, and call your solicitor if anything isn’t as it should be. Check the inventory you made, and make sure all your possessions have arrived safely. It’s also sensible to ask the removal company if you can check their van before they leave for your own peace of mind.
At Stewart Milne Homes, we aim to make it as easy as possible for you to buy and move in to your new home. Talk to us today about making a move to one of our stunning new homes.