Are you in the process of planning a home move but feel overwhelmed?
Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Relocating can be stressful, but with the right planning and preparation, it doesn’t have to be.
This comprehensive guide will walk you through every step of the moving process, from packing to settling into your new home. So whether you’re moving across town or the country, follow these tips, and you’ll be on your way to a smooth move.
18 Tips to Make Your Move Stress-Free
1. Clear out Your Belongings
Before you can decide what to pack and what to leave behind, you need to declutter your belongings.
Going through every single item will take time (and we know that before you know it, that moving truck is going to be there any minute), but the time spent now will be well worth it. It’s important not only for packing purposes but also to mentally prepare for the transition.
2. Be Realistic About Your Living Space
When packing, you will likely want to include all your favourite items (after all, you’re probably going to need that memory foam body pillow more than ever now that you’re sleeping on a mattress directly on the floor).
However, if there’s too much, you’ll become overwhelmed by what to take and what not to. The best thing to do is to start packing like items together (i.e., all kitchen utensils in one box).
3. Sort Through Your Invoice File
“Why is this important?” you might be thinking. Rather than throwing away old bills and invoices, group them in one file folder, so you can see what you’ve paid for over the past year (you might even uncover some old receipts worth keeping!).
This will prevent you from spending money unnecessarily when the time comes to transition into your new place.
4. Prepare a Packing List
Once you’ve decluttered your belongings, it’s time to make a detailed packing list.
If you’re moving, this is especially important because you’ll need to know how much stuff you can take and what’s simply too big to lug around on your own.
5. Don’t Move Necessities
These include the kitchen sink, the stovetop, and a vacuum cleaner.
Items like these are expensive to move, especially if you’re renting a truck or hiring movers. If you don’t own them outright, take pictures of what you have so that your landlord/new owner will know that they come with the place when it comes time to fill out the paperwork.
6. Research Your New Home
If you’re moving across town, things should be relatively easy (especially if you’ve already done all this work).
But if your move is long-distance, it’s important to know what to expect from your new neighbourhood. If you’re moving to a foreign city, you should do some research before your trip (research the cost of living, average rent price in the area, etc.).
If it’s a different country, make sure you know what to expect from customs and immigration.
7. Book of a Removal Company
If you’re moving soon and don’t have time to do it yourself, hiring a removal company is your best bet.
Whether you’re looking for full-service movers or simply want help carrying items out of your old place and into your car, picking the right moving company will make everything much smoother.
8. Keep Your Valuables Organised
You should keep essential items close to you (phone, wallet, etc.), but if you have extra valuable items like a laptop or jewellery, make sure they’re stored somewhere safe.
Consider hiring a security guard to watch over the place while you’re packing and then again when it’s empty before moving day.
9. Don’t Forget About Your Pests
Whether it’s a cat or a dog, your furry friends will probably have some trouble getting comfortable in their new home. Make sure you give them plenty of attention during the transition, so they don’t become too distressed by the move.
10. Packing the Least Used Rooms
If you’re moving to a smaller space, packing up your least-used rooms first will make things much easier later on.
For example, if you have a big walk-in closet you barely ever use and a small kitchenette, start with the closet and pack up all the stuff you don’t need before you focus on packing up your kitchenette.
11. Use Proper Labelling
To keep track of everything you have, it’s important to mark your boxes correctly.
Mark items that are fragile with a red line, anything of value with the word “valuables”, and anything else with an indication of what room it belongs in (i.e., kitchen utensils, bathroom supplies). This will make unpacking much easier.
12. Prepare a Survival Kit
You should pack a survival box for the ride or drive to your new place.
Include items like water, chocolate bars, painkillers, and sunscreen (and don’t forget to take it with you when you leave). These items will make things much easier during the journey.
13. Open Your Windows
This is important because you want to air out your new place before you start unpacking. If it smells like someone else’s home, chances are good that you won’t want to unpack your things.
14. Plan Your Utilities Ahead of Time
If you’re moving to a new place, avoid the hassle of trying to arrange these in between unpacking and settling in. Getting them in place before you even start packing will save time and money in the long run.
15. Change Your Address
If you do not have an accurate address, you cannot make any important plans (such as signing up for a gym membership).
Make sure you get your mail forwarded to your new place early enough so that nothing falls through the cracks while you’re busy unpacking.
16. Examine the Council tax Band
It’s important to find out if you fall into a specific council tax band when moving into a new house. If you don’t, you could end up paying more than the average rate for your area.
17. Inviting Friends
Your friends will probably want to celebrate the fact that you have a new place, so invite them over as soon as you can.
Having friends over during the transition will help keep things less awkward and allow them to ease your furry friend into new surroundings.
18. Sign up to Vote
You can’t have a say in your local government if you don’t know where to vote. Make sure you register as soon as possible so that nothing falls through the cracks after unpacking.
Living Room Tips
Mirrors and Glass Frames
To prevent breaking your mirror during shipping, tape an “X” onto the glass using packing tape.
This will guard against any edges getting damaged and help keep mirrors safe in transit by keeping them upright with no items stacked on top!
Electronics
To ensure that your electronic devices are safely packed for shipment, first, make sure you have the original packaging.
Next, use bubble wrap and blankets to protect them from any potential damage in transit; remember, not all electronics can be shipped at a higher temperature, so please see our guide on how hot it should get before shipping!
Once these two steps have been taken, remove anything inside with sensitive materials such as leather or fur-lined jackets because they will melt if heated up too much while going through customs!
Rugs and Carpets
When packing up your rug, be sure to clean it first.
Roll and tie each end with twine or string so that you can easily unwrap it when ready for transport-don’t wrap the entire article in plastic as this will cause mould and mildew! Put some sheets together at once, then tape them shut before placing them in the largest container available.
Repeat this process until all rugs are packed away safely. Don’t forget about those corners either-they often get overlooked because there’s nowhere else worth looking at besides right below where we stand.
Furniture
When you’re moving, the last thing on your mind is taking apart furniture.
But if it can be easily put back together and there is no major damage or missing pieces that would make re-making this task difficult for movers, then consider doing so!
You could get creative by using blankets as coverings while wrapping tape around each item to keep them safe during transport–just remember they might not look quite right after the water has been spilt from accidentally bumping into another object along the way!
Bathroom Tips
Try to use up all your toiletries before the move, so you don’t take up valuable space.
Wrap tape around opened bottle caps or covers of any kind then packs them in zip-lock bags once they’re sealed! Make sure not only do I pack what’s necessary but also nothing else-no expired products and no garbage either.
Makeup
To keep your make-up from cracking, put cotton wool on top of the compressed powders or cover eyeshadow palettes with bubble wrap and wrapping tape.
To avoid spilling any liquids inside or outside, wrap nail polish in newspaper before placing it in a plastic zip-lock bag!
Separate lipsticks by type: creamy textures should go together nicely; mineral-based colours will melt at higher temperatures, so be careful not to burn yourself while handling them; they’re also more likely than water-soluble pigments (such as pans) to cause stains if intentionally applied over another colour; oil-based lipsticks (waxy/chubby) will melt quickly, so try to stick with water-soluble ones, which can be less harmful if not melted completely.
Electric Hair Straightening Devices
The best way to pack your hair tools is by wrapping the wire around them. Heavy appliances should be placed at the bottom, and all other items should be kept together in a labelled box so you can find what you need when packing for camp or travel!
Towels
When packing your towels, use one for each item of clothing and then wrap the remaining spare bands in a towel. This will provide padding that can be used on almost anything, from delicate fabrics such as lace or chiffon to rough clothes like denim jeans!
Tips for Kitchen Packing
Food
If you are moving, don’t do your weekly shopping the day before! Bring any canned or packaged goods with you and donate anything that’s not wanted/needed more than just sitting around-like cereal, for example (though perhaps check ingredients first).
Make sure there are items in each fridge at home, so everyone knows what they should grab when it comes time to start packing up dishes, etc., though remember that this will take some planning ahead; having those lunch supplies ready means no one has to go hungry while switching homes.
Glasses, Mugs, And Cups
To avoid breakage when packing your glasses, pad them with bubble wrap and tea towels. Stack polystyrene cups to keep them light!
Do not put heavy items on top of any delicate goods such as mugs or fragile cargo like dishes; they will certainly rise at some point during shipment, which would be unfortunate given how much work went into presenting each item carefully before placing it here for safekeeping.
Appliances, Both Small and Large
Don’t forget to defrost the fridge or freezer before moving day and keep items such as kettles and toasters handy.
For example, in a hurry at work one morning, I dropped my toast on its side, so when it arrived home it was all bent out of shape!
Try not to have anything break during transport by being careful with what’s inside-especially electrical goods, which can cause shocking accidents if touched while plugged into electricity or pyjamas worn next time you go abroad since most countries do not allow clothing made from denim fabrics due to their hazardous chemical content (spills).
Crockery and Fragile Items Like
The best way to protect your dishes is to stack them with polystyrene plates in between each one.
Don’t wrap the plate, pack items that are least used first, such as cookbooks and big mixing bowls!
To create a cushion for safely packing the delicate pieces of crockery, you should fill up most or all the space within a box’s height so there’s enough room when moving from one level down into another container where they will be packed tightly together because not only do these pots and bowls take damage easily, but also weight if thrown off balance during shipment, causing possible breakage.
Bedroom Tips
Mattresses and Bed Frames
It’s always a good idea to dismantle your bed ahead of moving day and sleep in sleeping bags or an inflatable mattress, so you don’t damage any parts.
You can put all the nuts, bolts, etc into bags as well as Allen keys if necessary; this will help keep them together while they’re being transported!
If there’s anything fragile like headboards that needs extra attention, then secure them onto furniture with tape before packing up everything else, including clothes, vices, cabinets, shelves, or anything else lying around using these types of materials (padded), which may protect against broken vases or glasses that can cut your hands badly while being moved.
Clothing
Packing clothes into a suitcase is an easy way to transport them during a house move.
Vacuum compression bags work best for this because they can hold more dirt without taking up as much room in your luggage, which means you’ll have all of these lovely new outfits ready when it’s time!
Jewellery and Accessories
The best way to keep your necklaces and bracelets safe from tangling is by packing them through a plastic straw.
You can also pack other pieces of jewellery in an egg box, such as small dainty earrings or stones that are too delicate to store any other way–just make sure they don’t get damaged! Pack anything valuable close at hand, so you’ll still have easy access if it gets misplaced (don’t forget about these!).
Drawers and Wardrobes
When packing to move, empty your wardrobe, so you can finally get rid of all those unwanted clothes.
Keep anything that’s still worth wearing and pack it up in boxes or bags according to size; if there are too many items that won’t fit, then disassembly is necessary!
It might be best not to do this unless the move requires more space, because sometimes, even though our closets may appear spacious enough, they’ll require significant amounts (especially compared with other homes).
Conclusion
Contact us for your free consultation, and we can help you make the process of moving as stress-free as possible by providing you with all the essential tips.
Whether it’s packing up your kitchen or organising a living room, we have tons of advice to share that will ensure everything goes smoothly on move day, so contact us today!