You’ve signed the deeds, got the keys and are ready to go! Or are you? What about the things in the drawer in the spare room? Did you remember to pack up the shed? How are you going to move the hamster cage?
However exciting moving house and starting fresh in a new location is, there are always plenty of things to think about which can make relocating stressful rather than enjoyable. But as long as you’re organised, all will be well. But where should you start?
Preparation is key when moving house, so here are our four tips and tricks to make your move go smoothly.
#1 Choose the Right Removal Company
The main factor that causes people stress is the removal company because this is the part that isn’t always in your control. Once your things are packed away in the back of a removal van, you can’t oversee the smooth drive to the new location or the putting of boxes of your personal belongings safely in the new location. What you do have control over, however, is choosing a reliable and trustworthy removal company in the first place.
The last thing you want is to worry about losing any boxes or having important or sentimental objects broken by carelessness. Once you know your personal articles are in safe hands, being moved carefully and are fully accounted for, a great deal of your moving day stress can be eliminated, so you should shop around for removal companies in your area to ensure you have the best people for the job.
How should you choose a reputable company?
- Check with any family or friends who have recently moved house
- Look at online reviews of the removal companies on your shortlist
- Ask if the removal companies are happy to give you a quote
- Consider your interaction with each company; were they agreeable or felt unreliable?
These factors will help you choose a great removal company, but you should also know what you want from the movers yourself.
So, What Makes a Great Removal Company?
When choosing your removal company, there are several factors that show they are reliable. When searching online and interacting with the company on the phone, note:
- Are they friendly?
- Do they have experience?
- Is their quote a reasonable price?
- Can they deliver according to your schedule?
- Do they have a number of vehicles to transport your belongings?
- Can they transport everything you need moved?
- Do they operate within your area i.e. can they take your belongings to their destination?
If the removal company tick all of these boxes, there’s a high chance your belongings will be safe and you’ll be confident trusting the movers with your boxes.
In some cases, certain items can’t be transported by movers, such as lawnmowers or plants with soil in a pot. So check with the removal company that they can transport everything you need before you make any agreements and have any nasty surprises on the day.
Experienced movers will also be able to assess the difficulty of moving certain items when they give you a quote for the move, such as taking large beds or sofas out of the house. Make sure you know what needs to be dismantled before the movers come, or what they can help you remove from the house and load up the van before you book anyone.
A company with a number of differently sized vehicles can also be a great help as they can choose the right size van for your needs, rather than charging you for space in the van that you’re not using.
#2 Make a Checklist
Once you’ve got your removal company booked and a date to have everything moved on, it’s likely that some things will come up and, unless they’re written down, will as easily be forgotten. Whether it’s unrelated to the move, like doctor’s appointments or parent’s evening at your children’s school, or something that needs to be done before relocating like cleaning the shed ready to be dismantled, there’s plenty going on in your life that you need to remember while getting ready to move house.
Make a list of everything you need to remember to do, pack and prepare, either on your phone or on paper for the kitchen corkboard, so nothing gets missed out or left until the last minute to add further stress onto your moving day.
Lists are also a great stress management tool because they’ll help you stay organised and it can be a relieving and satisfying feeling to cross things off when they’re done.
#3 Sort Your Things Before Packing
One of the big mistakes people make before moving house, and one that can end up costing you more time and more money, is not sorting through their things before they pack them. If you’ve lived somewhere even a few years, it’s perfectly normal to accumulate a bunch of things that aren’t really useful.
From old phone chargers to kinder egg toys to clothing and broken plastic tubs; whatever large and small objects you haven’t gotten around to getting rid of yet, take the time before you move house to go through all of your belongings and make sure you don’t take anything with you that you’ll end up chucking out when you arrive anyway.
If you’ve got time, sort through all of your things before starting to pack, or simply while you’re packing, have a box to pack and a bin bag to throw away useless things or a bag for things to go to a charity shop, so you can cut down on the things you’ll move from one house to another.
Not only can saving space also save you money on the number of boxes needing transportation, but if you can resell some of your things on sites like eBay or Vinted, you can even make a little money back.
#4 Keep a Case of Essentials
As you slowly pack your belongings ready for the removal company to collect, you’re bound to pack a few things that you’ll end up needing later if you don’t keep a list of essentials with you.
Make sure you label all of your boxes well with the contents so you can account for all of your things and nothing gets lost, and make sure to keep a box or suitcase full of essentials so you can have everything you need if things come up or your move is delayed for whatever reason.
Pack a change of clothes, a phone charger, any medicine you might need (painkillers for a stress headache on moving day perhaps?), feminine products, your computer… Whatever you may need to have with you if there are any hiccups in your plans or to make sure they don’t get lost in the bottom of a box, pack in a separate bag and keep it with you.
Maybe even keep a bar of chocolate, a tea bag or whatever it is that soothes you when you’re stressed so you can rest assured you have what you need to relax if you get overwhelmed at any point.
Still Feeling Stressed?
The important thing to remember if you’re feeling stressed despite all of your preparation is that it’s perfectly normal to feel stressed about moving house. After all, it’s a big decision to move your life from one place to another, whether you’re downsizing and just moving around the corner, or taking your whole family to start afresh in another part of the country.
Moving with children can be even more stressful, as there is even more potential for tears if a toy can’t be found right away, or if everyone’s suddenly feeling a little sensitive and sentimental. Last-minute doubts and sudden bouts of stress are perfectly natural, so don’t beat yourself up about not coping as well as you thought when it comes to relocating.
Our final tip for moments like this is to keep some comfort food nearby or treat yourself to a food or drink delivery from your favourite indulgent restaurant. Take some time for yourself to keep calm, enjoy your food and relax, so you’ve got the energy to carry on with your move and you’ll be able to laugh off any minor hiccups that may occur.
Wild and Lye Removals – A Removal Service You Can Trust!
If you’re living in the Bath and Bristol area, Wild and Lye Removals are the removal company for you! With our expert team of movers working in a company with more than thirty years of experience helping people relocate from the southwest of England to anywhere else in the country, we’ve got everything you need to have a smooth and stress-free relocation process.
We can see what needs moving and give you a reliable and reasonable quote by choosing from our large fleet of vehicles to make sure you don’t end up paying for any more van space than you need. From packing, moving and even storing your items, from large furniture to small valuable items, we’ve got the expertise to help you move house.
Find out more about us as a company and what services we offer, or find the answers to any other question on your mind in our FAQs, or simply contact us today to see how we can help you.