Moving house can be an equally exciting and daunting experience. Visualising how you will be decorating your new place is fun, but the thought of sorting, packing and moving can make you feel stressed.
Proper planning and preparation will reduce the strain of organising your move. Start early, at least three months before moving to ensure that your move runs smoothly. A move is also a good time to declutter your space to avoid bringing unnecessary things into your new home environment. It will also lower your moving expenses.
Action List
- Book a reputable moving company and request a quote.
- Ideally book a morning time slot when movers are more energetic. You will also be able to get more done on the day of your move, like cleaning and unpacking.
- You might want to arrange for a consultant to visit your home to assess the size of the move.
- Be careful not to choose the cheapest movers. You get what you pay for.
- Book a carpet cleaner and organise a general clean up before the moving date.
- Organise boxes, bubble wrap and packaging tape.
- Make a list of items and furniture you will need for the new home.
- Inform all important service and utility providers that your address is changing to redirected your mail.
Decluttering
- Try to eliminate the number of things that are old, broken or that you no longer use.
- Check out my Questionnaire for Clearing Clutter with questions to help you with the decluttering process.
- Sort out all your stuff and group them into 3 piles.
- Things you want to keep and pack.
- Things you want to give away or donate.
- Things you want to sell.
- Organise a yard sale or advertise items online.
- Drop off the things you want to donate to charity or give away to friends and family.
Packing
- Start packing at least a month before your move.
- Wrap all glassware and ceramic items in bubble wrap.
- Pack by room and label each box with a number, the room type and content.
- Use a thick black marker pen to label all boxes.
- Ensure that boxes with fragile content are clearly marked as such.
- Keep hanging clothes on hangers and pack them in suitcases or flat boxes.
- It’s advisable to have one or two essentials boxes with items which you will need immediately upon arrival in your new home, e.g. bed linen, basic dinnerware and bathroom items. Ask the movers to pack them last and place them in a specified place upon arrival.
- Cover all your furniture with bubble wrap and seal with packaging tape to avoid any stains and fabric tearing.
- Make a list of all the boxes and furniture.
Actual Move
- Empty the fridge of all food items first thing when you wake up and keep fresh/frozen items in a cooler box.
- Moving can be very unsettling for young kids and pets. Arrange a space where you can keep them while the move is happening.
- Fetch pets after the move.
- Pack your car with valuable items you want to move.
- Once the movers arrive, brief the team leader of the moving company and go through all the important points, e.g. which items should be handled with extra caution, what items to leave behind and what to load and unload first.
- Before the movers leave, do a quick scan in and around the house to see if everything has been loaded.
- You might want to keep the vacuum cleaner and a basket with cleaning products aside to do a quick clean up after the move.
- Once all boxes and furniture have been placed in your new house, check that everything has arrived as per the list you made.
“Cleaning out the Past, Packing up the Present and Preparing for a better Future.”
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