Preparing to Move House

Moving house can be exceptionally stressful; there are so many things to consider, arrange, and do to execute a move well. To make this process less stressful, you can make a step-by-step list of what you need to achieve and how to do this. 

Including timelines and time limits on your to-do list is an excellent way to stay focused and not fall behind. We recommend that you create your list in a logical order that follows any deadline dates that you have too. 

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Beginning to Plan

When to start planning is an important first step; you should not leave it too long to plan for obvious reasons. However, you should also be wary of beginning to plan too early. Excessively early plans can become redundant closer to your moving date if something changes. We have found that the optimal time to begin planning a house move is around 2 months before your expected moving date. 

It should be noted, though, that there are a variety of reasons you may need to start planning a little earlier; if you work away from home, have a peak period of work leading up to the moving date, or you have a young family. Any of these reasons may mean you have less spare time to begin the moving process, and so additional time should be factored into your plans. 

During this beginning stage, we recommend you make a list of everything that needs to be done before you move. This should include steps such as: 

  • Decluttering each room
  • Cleaning each room 
  • Decorating/ touching up paintwork (if necessary) 
  • Hiring storage (if required)
  • Hiring a removal company/van
  • Packing your home

There may be additional tasks that we have not listed here, but this stage of the moving process is the time to list everything you need to achieve.

 

Create Your Timeline

Once you know you have written up all of the tasks you need to complete, you can begin to create your timeline. The most important thing when doing so is to be realistic about how long each task is going to take you to complete. If you are unsure of this, we always suggest you include the maximum amount of time you think it could. If you plan for the maximum, you are only going to be ahead of schedule (great for anything that pops up last minute). The last thing you want to do is fall behind schedule on the first task and then have to rush to catch up at a later point. 

Decluttering should always be your starting point when moving house, and we always advise you to do this at your old property. Decluttering before a house move will mean that you have less to pack, saving you time, and less to physically move from one property to another only to decide you do not want it later. 

Depending on the size of your rooms, one day per room should be enough time to decide what you are going to dispose of before you move. There are various methods of decluttering, so pick one that works for you and apply it to each room. 

We recommend that you do not plan to declutter all rooms one day after another as it can become physically and mentally draining. You could declutter one day and then use the next to organize the remaining items into those that can be packed straight away and those that you will need before the big moving day. 

 

Budget Accordingly

When you have your timeline in place, you can begin to budget for moving house. The first decision to make is whether you are moving your possessions yourself or if you are hiring a firm to move for you. 

When moving your possessions yourself, you will need to include the following in your moving budget: 

  • The cost of packing materials
  • The cost of hiring a van or U-Haul
  • Insurance for your belongings and the van
  • The cost of gas
  • Any equipment you need to move your possessions safely. 

You will also need to work out who will be helping you to move and their availability before beginning to arrange to hire a vehicle or equipment. 

If you are hiring a professional company, you will have less to worry about but will incur more costs. You will need to pay for the loading of belongings at your old home and unloading at your new home. Also, add in the cost of the company’s moving fees, and finally an incidental amount for lunch and drinks for the movers and possibly a tip when the job is complete. 

We advise you to get some quotes before you make the decision but also have a look at what you have to move. If you have several large and heavy items that you know you will struggle to move, even with assistance, a professional company might be the safest and most sensible option. 

 

Packing

When packing, it is important to be organized. You will need to know what you need to keep out of boxes to use in your final weeks in your current home. Once you have separated this, you can begin to pack items into boxes. 

We recommend that you work one room at a time and label each box with, at a minimum, the room that it is for in the new house. This will make it easier when unloading your possessions, but an additional tag of what is in the box is always helpful, such as, ‘Bathroom – toiletries.’

You should also ensure that anything valuable, sentimental, or heavy is packaged well and known to you to avoid upset if something is lost or damaged. 

After all of the packing is done, you can complete any touch-ups needed on the property and relax until moving day. 

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