Advice from our moving experts to make your next move smoother, safer, and less stressful.
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Published on Aug 25, 2019
•5 min read
By Murphy Jackson,Guest Author
Moving day is one of life’s most stressful events. Most people dread moving home because of the enormous amount of work involved and because it can turn your life upside down. That tends to mean we don’t gain much experience because we avoid it whenever possible.
While the average person, at the age of 45 and up, can expect to move only a handful of times, professional moving services are highly experienced and adept at the process. Successful moves do not begin the day the moving company turns up with their van.
In this article, we’ll share some of the logistical wisdom we’ve accumulated over years of experience. You’ll read about seven steps to having a seamless moving day. Preparation for your move starts right here.
One of the biggest causes of stress when moving is a lack of preparation. It’s understandable how it can be put off, especially if everything feels overwhelming.
Take it from those with experience, one of the best things you can do is to start early. Start forming a plan at least 8-12 weeks in advance of your move date. Get organized by creating a to-do list.
You will find this empowering and will do wonders for your sleep at night. You can also set up a moving calendar with key dates for important tasks.
This may not seem all that important when you’ve got so many other things going on with your move. However, it can be a nightmare chasing important mail from the bank or government agencies.
Make a list of the people you need to inform about our change of address and get started in moving all your mail across to your new address. This is also going to make settling into your new place so much easier.
When you move into your new place, you want to make sure all your utilities are up and running as much as is reasonably possible. Electric, of course, is essential especially if your moving during a season of extreme weather like the summer or winter.
You’ll also want to start using some of your white goods immediately. So getting the utilities activated ahead of time is really important. Besides electricity, another modern essential is your internet provider.
You’ll be thanking us for this tip on the day you move. Prepare a special box intended for quick unpacking when you arrive at your new property. This should contain many of the items you’ll want to use when you move in that day.
It could be important and relevant paperwork. Essential electronics like your computer, iPad, mobile phone, and all the necessary chargers. Not to forget your kettle and other basic kitchen items, as well as basic items for your bathroom, and whatever else you think you’ll need on day one.
Another major cause of stress when moving is the realization that we have accumulated an inordinate amount of clutter for no explainable reason. Don’t transport this stress to your new property.
Well in advance, start to sort through everything that will move with you, and everything else that you must go. The things that don’t make it to your essential list, you can sell in a big garage sale, or even better you can give away to charity.
De-cluttering is also an opportunity to dispose of various toxic items that you don’t want or don’t need at your new address. You can arrange for a company to come and take away things like old paints etc.
When you’re packing down your furniture, it is super easy to take apart but sometimes a nightmare to remember how to put it back together again. The same is true with electronic equipment that has lots of leads like your tv entertainment or sound system etc.
Save yourself a lot of frustration by taking photos of your items before your take them apart. If it’s very complicated, you can even take a moment to video the difficult bits so that you have your own re-assemble guide.
The further your belongings have to travel, the more at risk they are of damage. Don’t rush your packing at the last minute. Invest in good-quality boxes and packing materials, and take your time to do it properly.
You can check out this guide here for packing delicate items. Make sure your boxes are well filled and padded out. Make sure that items are secure within the boxes and aren’t free to move about.
You can attempt to do all of this on your own. If you’ve got an army of willing friends, then they may be willing to help. Despite all of that, there are many reasons to hire professionals.
One of the best reasons is that they’ll get the work done, without complaint, and without causing any damage to your belongings. Plus, they have all the right insurances to put your mind at rest.
In this article, you’ve read about 7 steps to having a seamless moving day. Each of these steps has the idea of forethought and planning in common. Follow these steps and your move will be a pleasant experience and feel like the fresh beginning that it should be.
Before hiring anyone to help you it’s important you do your research. You should check out the moving company’s website and client reviews. You can put your mind at rest about cost by getting a quote here.