Mistakes to avoid when moving…
It’s frequently said that moving house can be a stressful experience, especially if you feel unprepared to handle the different moving parts which come with relocating. We wanted to look at what some of the most common problems were that people facing moving house, and offer our expertise in relocating to help your move go as smoothly as possible.
1) Using the wrong boxes to pack your items
As far as possible, use good quality removal boxes that are made from double walled cardboard for strength. Flimsy boxes can break when being moved or collapse when they’re stacked. This can lead to breakages and can make moving a lot more painful than it needs to be. Plastic crates are also excellent and great for re-using. Ideally boxes should have the same size footprint for easy stacking.
When filling boxes, always fill them to capacity. Partially full or bulging cartons can tip or collapse. Heavy items like books and crockery should be packed into small boxes so they’re easy to lift. You’ll soon become tired of moving overweight boxes! You can click on the following link for more tips on packing.
2) Trying to do the move without help
If you budget will allow, hiring a removal company is a fantastic investment and will take a lot of the burden off your household when moving. You’ll be glad you did it! Removal companies can save you valuable amounts of time and effort, doing the heavy lifting. Their experience will also mean things won’t get damaged and they can foresee and solve issues before they transpire. Good removal companies can expertly pack and load items to make the trips between your homes as efficient as possible. Using a removal company can massively reduce your stress. They will give you a lot less to worry about when you already have a lot to organise without the additional burden of physically moving everything.
3) Not measuring your new property’s rooms for floor planning
You may be able to get a floorplan of the property you’re moving to and the room dimensions from the estate agent. From this you can make a rough calculation of how much space big items, such as wardrobes and sofas could take up before you move. This will allow you to make decisions on whether you need to potentially sell, give away or dispose of some items of furniture. If you’re downsizing be particularly cautious of how much you take to the new house. We’ve seen plenty of incidences of people toking too much to their new house and it simply doesn’t fit!
4) Not decluttering before you move
Taking extra items to only get rid of them shortly after moving is not efficient so you should try to clear out as many of your old items ahead of moving. This means you’ll have less to move, move in quicker and have more of a blank canvas in your new home without the distraction of excess items. Read our blog for tips on decluttering.
Short term self storage can also be useful to store some clutter out of the way ahead of your move as well as items you might not be sure will fit or look right in your new home. Putting some things into storage ahead of your move, helps to get yourself organised, it means you have less to move on the big move day and it will afford you time after you’ve moved into your new home to make decisions about things you’re not sure whether you want to keep or not.
5) Not setting up your internet ahead of moving
Moving in and not having things setup that you need for day-to-day can be stressful and make your life difficult until they get sorted. Look at the best ways to set up the internet so it’s ready to use as soon as possible in your home. Speak to your current provider and see if they’re available where the new home is, this way you can negotiate transitioning so your old deal ends in good time without paying more than you need to. You can also look at new providers for a way to negotiate cheaper offers for switching.
6) Not ordering new furniture in time
It can be inconvenient to say the least if you have to use makeshift furniture until your new pieces arrive. It could be wise to arrange new furniture to be delivered before you move but after you get your keys, this way you can position it in the best space and have more room to manoeuvre bulky items like sofas in an empty room.
If you’re having to move out of your existing house and into your new house on the same day, you could also think about hiring a self storage unit and having new furniture delivered there before you move in to your new home. You or your removal company can then move the furniture out of storage on your moving day or soon after.
7) Forgetting to redirect your post and update addresses
Forgetting to update your address can lead to serious issues. If your driving licence doesn’t match the address you gave your insurer, your insurance could be deemed invalid. You may also not receive penalty notices or fines through the post if you haven’t updated your address. This can lead to hefty costs and even court orders. You may also miss notices of bill payments due if you have the wrong address listed. Update your address as soon as you can once you’ve moved.
8) Not contacting your removal company in advance
To make sure you get your desired date to move, you should contact your chosen removal company well in advance to secure a set date. Leaving things too late could lead to the risk of delays in availability and missing your move-in date. Even if you’re not 100% sure of your move date, most removal companies will be happy to book a date in the diary for you and subsequently move that date should things get delayed.
9) Not creating an inventory of your main items
This tip may seem laborious but will prove extremely helpful when you have moved in and you need to find specific items in set boxes. Make a list of the items you’ve packed by box and stick the list onto each box, then take a photo of each list per box so you have this handy to find on your phone. This will mean you need only open the boxes you immediately need things from and don’t have to make a mess looking for things. It also provides peace of mind if you worry you’ve left anything behind.
10) Not packing by room
You should aim to pack items by which room they will live in, to make unpacking so much easier. Try to keep things categorised as simply as possible, such as pots and pans being stored together so when you unpack you can do this room by room. Label boxes with the room name both on top of the box and on the side of the box (so you can still see the label if boxes are stacked one on top of another).
11) Forgetting to check your utilities and electrics work before moving in
Nobody wants to finish a move to find the light switches don’t work or there’s a problem with their boiler. You should do checks before you move to see what is or isn’t working to aim to get repairs that are needed done before you move. When viewing a property to buy or rent there’s only a short window of time to take things in, meaning a lot of small details can be missed. Try to ask the owner or previous tenants questions on any known issues in advance so you know what you’ll be dealing with.
We hope these tips help with your house move. If you need self storage near Tamworth, Hinckley or Nuneaton we provide state-of-the-art storage facilities for business storage and domestic storage. We make storage as simple, easy and hassle free as possible. You can click here to find out more or go online and get a quote in 30 seconds!