Tips for Stress Free Move Day

When it comes to move day, preparation is king! Use our guide to plan ahead and get organised.

Declutter

If you’re planning to sell your home give yourself the best start by going through your belongings, anything you no longer need you can sell or give away. It’s very tempting to pack a box labelled “to sort” but what’s the point in moving items you aren’t keeping?

Pack non-essentials

When decluttering if there are items that you’d like to keep but don’t need to hand, pack them away. The clearer your home looks to begin with the better the impression for potential buyers and in the long run the less you need to pack!

Implementing a labelling system

Everyone has their own way of organising things but my best advice is to label your boxes. This can be as simple as writing which room the box is going to end up in or it could have a list of contents too. If you want to be super efficient use an indexing system - give the box a room name and number then set up a corresponding spreadsheet with the list of contents. This might sound like a lot of work, but it can save a lot of time when you are looking for something and need to check multiple boxes. Clipboard anyone!?

Essentials box

As move day fast approaches set a box aside to put essential items in that you are going to need on the day. Here are a  few things to get you started:

• Tea and coffee making items
• Scissors & tape
• Cleaning products & rubber gloves
• Bin liners
• Toilet rolls
• Fresh bedding for your new home
• Notepad & paper
• Toiletries & medication
• Any moving related paperwork
• Phone chargers

Service providers

Notify your service providers as soon as your move date is confirmed - see our guide to service providers for help on switching. Remember that broadband providers often need two weeks notice to install. If you are moving out of a home take the meter readings as you leave and likewise when moving in it should be one of the first jobs you do.

Clever packing

Work smarter not harder, here are just a few ideas you should consider when packing:

• Keep anything you’d like unpacked first in the car, this way if you’re waiting for the removal company to arrive you can at least make a start. 
• When packing clothes take them out of the wardrobe on the hangers and put them in your suitcases, this way when you arrive at your destination you can hang them up with less work
• Plastic wrap drawers that you are taking with you, contents and all! 
• Take photos of the position of the wiring of electrical items before unplugging like your TV, better still colour code the wire and it's socket with tape and permanent markers or nail varnish
• When dismantling furniture, label an envelope with the item name and keep all nuts, bolts and washers safely sealed inside until you need them… tape the envelope to the item of furniture or keep them in your essentials box
• Find a willing friend or family member to look after your children and pets first thing on move day, it’ll be one less thing to worry about and better for their safety
• Start potting garden plants that you are taking a couple of weeks beforehand and accumulate in one spot for easy recognition on move day

Measure up in advance

Panic stations! Your sofa doesn’t fit through the doors! Don’t wait until the day, most sellers are happy for you to arrange a review to measure up. Take note of the dimensions of your furniture etc when going to measure, it’s not the end of the world if it doesn’t fit as you have time to make alternative arrangements.

Clean 

When moving out most people like to give the house a once over, try to do as much as you can the night before but don’t go overboard as the new owners are sure to give it a clean when they arrive - like you’re bound to do in your new home!

Make the beds

If you're lucky enough to have helpers, why not delegate bed building and making duties whilst you coordinate the rest? If not, it's a job that you might like to put quite high on your list of priorities as you’ll be grateful to be able to get straight into bed after a busy day moving house…..and relax!