6 ways to make your house move go smoothly

I have moved house once or twice.

*counts on fingers*

OK, make that about 26 times. (I didn’t have that many fingers obviously, I’m not a freak.)

In the course of my house moving marathon, I’ve picked up a few tips that help things go as smoothly as possible. Moving house is apparently one of life’s most stressful events, so it pays to be prepared. Here are my 6 top tips to help with your house move:

Plan ahead

Just as with any big event, planning ahead is crucial. Make a list of everything you know you need to do and assign a timescale to it. Some things, like setting up phone and broadband installation, should be scheduled as early as possible to make sure you get the appointment you want, other things, like reading the meters, have to be done on the day. McCarthy’s have a really useful house moving checklist if you’re a complete newbie and aren’t sure what even needs to be on a list.

Set up post redirection

Do this a couple of weeks in advance so it will take effect from the day you move. This way you won’t have to get stressed about changing your address with everybody in the run up to move, you can worry about this later.

 

Get together far more cardboard boxes that you think you’ll need

Somehow there are never enough. If you’re using a removals company they will often loan you cardboard boxes but if you are doing the moving yourself or need some extra then there are a few places you can try. McDonalds are actually my first port of call when I have a house move looming; their fries boxes are the ideal size and shape for carrying heavy items like books, and are good and sturdy too. Ask a member of staff and they will often let you help yourself to the flat boxes around the back. Otherwise you could try Freecycle or Twitter – you have to ask remember, or you don’t get!

Arrange an overlap

If possible, arrange to have a day or two overlap between houses to give you the chance to go back to your old house and clean up. I’ve only ever rented, so I guess this may not be possible if you’re buying and selling, but try not to leave all of the cleaning and tidying until the last minute regardless.

Put a stop to hoarding

Take the chance to have a proper sort out of things and throw away anything you don’t really need or like. There’s a quote I really love from William Morris that I think sums it up:

“Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.”

You’ll be glad of everything you got rid of when you’re unpacking at the other end.

Don’t pack the kettle and teabags

Keep these out so you can make a cup of tea while you’re loading and unloading everything into the van.

What are your top moving tips?

Sponsored post. Image credits – teapot from aidart/shutterstock and postbox from Michaelpuche/shutterstock