At some point in our lives we have all experienced the dreaded task of having to pack up our home and move to another. Moving to a new house is a very big task and you can be sure that you are going to need some help! I am pleased to share my top tips to make the process as smooth as possible.
Declutter – sell, donate or throw unwanted items
The last thing you want to do is take unwanted items to your new home. Figure out what you do not want to take with you well in advance. Set yourself a rule for sorting; if you haven’t used or worn the item in 1 year, it is likely you never will and it is time to part ways!
As an added perk, make some extra cash during the process by selling the items you do not want to take with you. Make use of local sales groups on social media, or auction sites such as eBay (after all, moving to a new house is expensive)!
Or, if you want to save the time and hassle of selling your goods, consider donating unwanted items to your local charity shop. The main bonus of this option is that it allows you to help others via the funds charity shops achieve by selling your donations.
Use the right tools
As the old saying goes ‘a bad workman blames his tools’ – in a challenge to this I would say ‘a good packer is sometimes defeated by poor quality boxes’! I learnt this from my own personal experience having recently moved.
Make sure you use strong sturdy boxes to transport your precious belongings. Take a moment to think about the size of the box you have and the items you are packing. Fragile items might require wrapping in bubble wrap (or newspaper if you are seeking a greener recycled option).
Try to avoid packing a large box with heavy items (such as lots of books) as you will find it difficult to pick up. Instead use a number of smaller boxes which will be easier to shift and store in your new location.
Be organised
Start the packing process as soon as possible in advance of the move, you don’t want to be packing in a rush the week before the move – this is when mistakes happen, things get broken and stress mounts up unnecessarily.
Less frequently used items such as ornaments and books could be packed first, potentially months in advance. As the move draws closer, pack more regularly used items, using this method the day before the move you will only need to pack a small suitcase worth of clothes and your wash kit.
Clearly label each box with the contents and the room it should go to in your new home. If you are super organised, consider numbering the boxes and producing lists of contents so you know exactly which items are in each box upon arrival.
Sound like too much hassle?
If packing up your home yourself sounds too daunting, think about hiring a removals company to assist you when the big day finally arrives. Reputable movers will employ skilled customer service people to share their expertise and experience with you during the process, alleviating your stress.
Bringing in expert help is certainly a time saver and is certainly worth considering as an alternative to ‘self-moving’. Professional crews can be on hand to help pack your items and load them into the van, they will also transport your personal items to the new home and even help unpack too!
Good luck!
No matter how you decide to manage your move, remember all of the hard work will be worth it when you are finally settled in your new location! I wish you the very best of luck, and happy packing!
Written by Amber Pittard – Global Account Manager at Alchemy Global Talent Solutions