Moving house: 8 Tips that eased the stress of Moving

Moving Tips

Have a clear out

When I say a clear out I don’t mean a few bits here and there, I mean really go through your things, room by room. Work through your wardrobe and create piles for keeps and piles for charity. Many of us keep things that we simply don’t wear and it takes up so much unnecessary space. Be brutal and make your way through old documents, letters and paperwork and shred them. It’s best to move to a new place with a fresh slate and doing this will help with that. Marie Kondo up your space, keep only things that really matter to you so when you move to your new house it is filled with things you love and not things you think you need.

Use Laundry Bags/ Large Ikea bags

I know people prefer to use boxes for packing but actually, I found large bags much easier to work with. We used these dimpa storage bags  and they were a lifesaver. Not only can you see what is in each of them but they are also easier to carry. We used them for not just clothes but bedding and pillows and we also added a few fragile items in between soft items as they provide the same kind of protection as bubble wrap. I think in total it cost us £15 for 5 bags and I think it was worth it, especially as they can be used for future moves, storage or even for food shopping!

Use movers and a moving van

This was the first time we used a moving service, and I can 100% say we will never go back to doing it ourselves again. Moving house is one of the most stressful things you will do in your life and boy does it take it out of you. The last time we moved as renters we moved just up one floor in the same block and did it completely by ourselves, at the time I thought ‘How hard can this be’ well it turned out really bloody hard. By the end of day I was in tears, exhausted and in pain. During the move I accidentally broke a window when a chair I balanced on a table fell through, I also really hurt my back carrying a large cabinet down the stairs. It got so bad that we even had to find a random man on gum tree to help us for the final stretch because I just couldn’t do it anymore. This time round we were moving to the complete opposite side of London and we made a decision to get professional help. We did our research and then I reached out to Fantastic Services  to  work together in exchange for sharing my experience. You know I would never peddle anything I didn’t believe to be worthwhile and I can honestly say I would have been lost without using these guys.

As part of the process you fill in a quick quote form, giving an idea of how much you will be moving, whether either properties have stairs/lift access and how large your items are. After the quote is generated they send someone out to survey your current property in order to give you the most accurate quote on what exactly you need. We had two vans and four men to help us with the move which at first I thought was too much but actually was exactly what we needed (it turns out I have more stuff that I thought I did!)
The whole move took half the time than when we did it independently and the guys even took down and re-assembled all of our furniture. I think I valued that part of the service the most as it is always the most difficult and tedious part of the unpacking process All of our things were taken such good care of and I honestly would use and pay for this service myself if we moved again.

Eat through the fridge and freezer a week before you go

We made the mistake of leaving this till the last minute and I would not recommend, melty freezer and packing boxes do not mix It is best to do this ASAP so you can clean and dry your fridge ready for the move. We didn't and the fridge smelt foul even when it was empty, would not recommend.  There is nothing worse than having to clean things once you are in your new place, having everything ready is much better! 

Don’t pack heavy items in boxes.

Don’t use suitcases for clothes, pack items like books and heavy bits in these instead, they are much more study, easy to carry and much more durable, this was a tip I actually got for asking out on twitter and it was a godsend. We used some old battered suitcases that were on their way out and this still worked a treat. There have been far too many accidents with over packing boxes to count, but that will never happen again knowing this little trick 

Make up an overnight  bag

This is another tip I got from the great people of my twitter page and it was a lifesaver! The week of the move I made up a little bag with our tooth brushes, some PJ's. fresh pants, socks and toiletries. I also put in fresh bedding, and some little snacks for us to have when we got peckish! It truly helped so much when after a long day of moving in. driving and setting up the basics to be able to get the things we needed for a hot shower and a good nights sleep.

Label everything clearly

Scribble writing on a box might seem like a good idea when you are stressed and over packing, but trust me taking a little longer to correctly label will save you tons of time! We just bought a pack of sticky back labels from a stationery shop and used a black marker to clearly label what was in each box. We also, in small writing briefly wrote what was inside of each box to make it easier when finding things you need to get to asap 

If you have pets, set up a room for them first

This was a completely new experience for me as we have never had pets before getting our two little cats. But I read a lot about how to settle them in with a move on websites and took advise from friends with pets which I think really helped with the whole process. The first thing we did when we arrived was put their bed, their litter tray, toys and items that smelt like us in the spare room so that when they got there they would have familiar things around them. We also used Feliway, a cat pheromone spray that helps calm distressed animals in periods like moves, vet appointments and change. It definitely helped and made settling them in a lot easier. Once they arrived we kept them in the room and sat in there with them and played to help calm them, before letting them out early the next morning to explore in the quiet. It took a little while but they soon settled in and got used to their new home just like we did.

So there you have it my 9 tips for moving house,I hope you find them as useful as I did!If you have any other super duper tips for moving house let me know below.