Moving houses is a weird mix of excitement and nervousness. You’re excited about moving to a new place and a better life but nervous about what the future holds. You’re also freaking out about the actual move — there’s so much to do and your multitasking abilities are about to be put to their greatest test.
Luckily, you don’t need to worry (a lot) because we’re here with some tips to make the entire process less stressful and even somewhat enjoyable.
The key is to stay organised, and you’ll see that theme repeated throughout this article. So here’s what you can do.
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1. Hire professionals.
You could try to go at it alone (and save the costs of moving), but moving will become a whole lot easier if you hire a professional moving company. Professionals are there for a reason — they know moving inside out and taking help from them will greatly reduce the risk of things going wrong.
Finding local removalists is easy through Muval, and they will be particularly helpful (probably even essential) if you have kids or if you’re moving across large distances.
Plus, because most moving companies offer insurance for your items, you’ll have the peace of mind that’s often not possible when transporting things yourself.
While you’re gearing up for a change of residence, don’t forget to explore the Best Time to Move. This can be a game-changer in ensuring a smooth transition.
2. Don’t move anything unnecessary.
A lot of people make the mistake of taking everything that they have to their new house, which not only increases the moving cost and time, but also deprives your new place of a clean look.
Moving houses is an ideal time to undertake a rigorous decluttering exercise. Decide if you’ll really need all the clutter you’ve accumulated over the years. You’ll find that you can discard most things and a good rubbish company like 1300 Rubbish is a good way to take care of it.
Reducing the number of things you’ll have to take along will help you focus on the items that really matter and keep the moving process organized, so don’t ignore this first step!
3. Can’t discard a certain item? Let self-storage take care of it.
Self-storage is a godsend when it comes to moving houses. Self-storage companies provide storage units, which can be used for temporary storage of items. The service is often extremely affordable and the payment flexible. Some companies even offer to collect your items from your doorstep for storage, and return them to you whenever you need them back!
So if you have items that you can’t discard but don’t want to move immediately, store them in self-storage.
You should also be aware that professional movers don’t move certain items. These include firearms, batteries, fire extinguishers, paints, and chemicals among other things. If you’ve hired a moving company, you should ask them for a list of items that they don’t take.
It’s useful to make arrangements for these items in advance so that the move day goes as smoothly as possible. You can transport these yourself, but if that’s not possible, self-storage is a great option!
4. Gather all paperwork in a master folder.
Moving involves a lot of paperwork, including contact information of the property owners, contracts, moving truck reservations, hotel room reservations (if you’ve booked one), and important financial documents.
When you purchase a new property, make sure that the title will be under your name, you can do this through the assistance of a conveyancing Brisbane service. Once you have the title, make sure to keep it safe and secure. You can protect property documents against liquid spills and other harsh elements by placing them in one folder and a self-sealable plastic envelope.
Inability to find these documents at the right time can lead to a lot of stress and delays in your moving process.
So it’s a good idea to create a master folder with all the important paperwork in one place.
5. Pack smartly.
Packing is probably the most important part of a house move, and the way you do it will make or break your moving process.
While it’s impossible to cover all the packing tips here, here’s a basic principle. Go room by room. It’s also important to label all the boxes, and make a list of items that go into each box. That way, it’ll become very easy to unpack at your new place.
People also make the mistake of packing all the heavy items together. This is risky because a box that’s too heavy can give in, damaging your items and prolonging the moving process. So make sure you throw in a mix of heavy and light items in each box.
6. Moving into a condo? Don’t forget to check their rules.
Condos and apartments have their own building rules, and your new place might not allow move-ins on a weekend. Also, some condos need you to book the service elevator in advance. The building might ask you for a security deposit, so knowing the rules in advance will help with your budgeting.
There’s nothing worse than making the move on the wrong day, so don’t forget to check the rules!
7. Assemble the beds ASAP.
As soon as you move in, the first thing you should set up are the beds. Moving is a tiring process, and you might want to rest as soon as you can after a move-in. Setting up the beds early on will save you the frustration of doing it at the end, when all you want to do is sleep.
Also, it’s good to make an essentials bag when you’re packing. It should contain the items you’ll be needing for the first night after a move-in, including toiletries, snacks, bedsheets, medicines, first-aid kit, and anything else that you deem essential.
Don’t put this bag with the rest of the luggage — keep it at hand so you can have an easy and exciting move-in night!
While there are many factors to consider before you rent, while you rent and when you leave a rental, Soho’s got you every step of the way. If you’re still on the hunt for your next great property, browse our search pages. And remember to shortlist and swipe our listings so we can curate better matches for you!
