Moving House Tips and Checklist: Your Roadmap to a Smooth Transition

They say that moving is one of the most stressful situations you’ll find yourself in. Often fuelled by excitement as you move into a new place, but with a side of slight trepidation about the mammoth task ahead; knowing exactly how to move successfully will make your moving day stress-free.

Moving in real life is a lot different to the sitcoms you see, although who can say they haven’t been stuck in a stairwell trying to pivot a sofa like in Friends? Before you start packing for the big day, read on and keep that box marker handy – you might want to write down a tip or two. 

Packaging matters

Everyone loves to rehome their boxes instead of cutting them down and putting them into the recycling. Ask around the neighbourhood, reach out to friends or enquire with your colleagues at work – you’d be surprised by the size and shape of boxes you might find on offer.

Failing that, there are plenty of options online for purchasing the right size you need, along with tape and markers. Ensure you get some bubble wrap too – an absolute must-have for wrapping up those more fragile items – not to mention the stress relief that popping it provides!

Avoid packing mismatches 

Even if you aren’t naturally organised, it’s crucial for easier unpacking on the other side, that you keep all the items for one room in the same boxes and don’t allow for crossover. This also means that your moving company will be able to carry boxes specific to different rooms to the right place for you. 

Further to this, if using multiple boxes for each room, then labelling each box can make it really easy to find necessary items quicker, ensuring a smooth transition in the days after moving. 

Clear out before you move out

Moving out is the perfect opportunity to clear out your wardrobes and that illusive cupboard in the hallway that holds all your misplaced bits and bobs. 

Divide your packing for each room into two boxes – keep and give away. Not only will doing this reduce the number of boxes you’ll have to take with you and unpack while settling into your new home. But it means that you won’t be taking any clutter or unnecessary items with you – a real fresh start!

Keep essentials close

Much like when you’re packing for a holiday, make sure you leave all the important bits out of the boxes. Toiletries, a few changes of clothing and important documents needed for moving should be kept separate from the main packing. 

Make sure to include some spare cash too, in the event that you misplace everyday items like your wallet in the upheaval of move day.

Finding the right professional movers

From a man with a  van to professional do-it-all movers, you should be able to find the right moving company to suit your pocket and your needs. Try to keep your removal as stress-free as possible, so consider how much you can afford to spend and how much of the work you are willing to shoulder yourself. There are plenty of online aggregators where you can submit the date and time of your move, and in return, you’ll be contacted by reputable movers who are available to help you that day. 

Costs vary depending on location, amount of furniture/ boxes, included services and sometimes whether it’s a peak or off-peak day and time.

Schedule all utilities

Now that your plan for packing is underway and you’ve hired professional movers, it’s time to move onto a few essential admin tasks, ensuring a smooth transition. List out all the utilities you use (eg. water, electricity, broadband, phone, alarm and gas) and inform them of the date you are moving out. At the same time, let them know your moving-in date into the new property unless your new home includes utilities and bills. 

Making this contact with your various utility companies is important to do a month in advance as many of them require appointments. Eg. Many broadband providers need to book a re-installation date for a technician to come and check and set up the connection in your new home. 

Update your address

How wonderful would it be if all your mail magically started arriving at your new home? If not just for the inconvenience of not getting important post, then to avoid any unnecessary bills and fines, update your address for everything.

Failing to update your address with the DVLA can result in a £1000 fine. Failing to update your council tax address could result in you paying two different fees. 

Don’t forget to update your details with your bank too, as well as with all your medical providers and electoral registration. Less urgent, but no less important is updating all of your loyalty programs too.

Update your insurance

Let your insurer know that you’ll be moving – this goes for car insurance, home insurance and even pet insurance. If moving from an apartment to a home, then your insurance requirements will change, as will your car insurance should you find yourself now parking in the street instead of in a gated parking block. 

Also, make sure to check the coverage dates of all new or updated insurance policies to ensure you are covered up until the day you move out and from the day you move into your new home.  

Make sure you’re ready for this next big chapter in your life and plan your move as best you can. Be realistic about what parts of the move you can do on your own and do your research about companies who can help you with the rest.

Moving is easy when you get to move into one of the new homes at Victoria Riverside. Find your new home today!