The most exciting thing about getting a new mortgage is moving into a new home. What’s less exciting is the actual move itself. With these tips we can’t promise you it will be fun, but they should make things a lot easier. The key is planning ahead, having a strategy and using a few tricks.
01. WHO’S DOING THE MOVING?
Before you move you need to work out who will be helping you out. You can get some professionals in to do it all – from pack, to move, to unpack. You can do the packing yourself and then get removalists to do the moving. Or you can do it all and ask some friends to help out with the lifting and moving. Whichever you choose, you’ll need to book in the removalists (get a few different quotes) or organise your friends to be free on the days you need them.
02. PACK LIKE A PRO
Heavier items like books and magazines should go into smaller boxes. Lighter items like towels, sheets and clothes can go in the larger ones. When you’re packing the larger boxes it’s always good to put the heavier items at the bottom, so the boxes don’t topple over when you go to lift them.
03. TIME TO DECLUTTER
Moving house, and going through all your possessions one by one as you pack, is the ideal chance to channel your inner Marie Kondo. Get rid of all the things you haven’t used in a while or didn’t even remember you had. The less you have to move the easier it will be.
04. GET CONNECTED
Before you move out of your old house, make sure all the essential services like power, water, gas, and internet are connected at the new one. You don’t want to be in the dark and hot-spotting off your phone on your first night in. And don’t forget to organise disconnections of your old home services and get your snail mail redirected.
05. MAKE THE FIRST NIGHT RIGHT
Make up a few boxes of essentials for the first night in your new home. Things like a change of clothes, toiletries, phone chargers, pyjamas and toilet paper are all good to have at hand. Even a kettle, some coffee, tea, milk and a few mugs can come in handy after a big day. And don’t forget pet food for your other family members.
Also, pack towels, sheets and pillows so beds can be made. Speaking of beds, chances are you’ll have to dismantle them first. Make sure you keep all the nuts, bolts, screws and any tools needed in a small bag and tape them to the bed pieces so you can rebuild them.
06. START WITH THE ROOMS AND OBJECTS YOU NEED LEAST
This means you won’t miss them in the days before you move. Christmas lights, gardening tools and gumboots are probably not things you’ll need as you’re moving.
07. LABEL BOXES FOR WHERE THEY’RE GOING, NOT JUST WHAT’S INSIDE
It’s a lot easier to only have to move a box once and put it in the place where it’s meant to be from the very beginning.
08. PACK TO PROTECT
Don’t over pack your boxes with plates, glasses and other breakables. Wrap each piece in bubble wrap or one or two pieces of butchers’ paper (newspaper can stain). And place scrunched-up pieces on the bottom, sides and top as padding. Don’t forget to write FRAGILE on the sides and top of the boxes. For furniture, use bubble wrap, corrugated cardboard and blankets for protection. The removalists should have these if you need them.
09. STOP THE LEAKS
There’s nothing worse than opening packed toiletries to find the shampoo has leaked all over the toothbrushes. Use some clingwrap and elastic bands, or some zip lock sandwich bags to stop this happening.
10. KEEP YOUR CABLES TOGETHER
Almost every electronic device these days has at least two cables. It’s not a great idea to disconnect and pack them in separate boxes. Keep the cables with the device and even label them. The most important tip of all is to take photos of the back of them and how they plug into the other devices. Then you can easily reconnect them when you’re in your new place.
And the final thing, enjoy your new home. No-one loves the move, but it’s the first step in making your new home just the way you want it.