Moving into a new property with your loved ones is one of life's most exciting experiences; however, the work involved in preparing for this event is rarely as enjoyable. Here are some steps you can take to make the process less daunting and ensure that your impending house move goes according to plan.
De-clutter your current home
There are many benefits to de-cluttering prior to a house move; in addition to reducing the amount of items you have to lug around on moving day, it also ensures that when you move into your new home, you only bring with you the things that you genuinely need and love. Moreover, if you have any items of value that you no longer require, you may be able to sell these and use the profits to cover some of your moving costs (for instance, to pay your team of removalists).
There are several different ways to sell unwanted possessions; you can hold a garage sale, post an advertisement in your local newspaper's classifieds or sell them online on a free auction website. If you come across any belongings that you don't think you will be able to sell, you can either donate them to a charity shop, or if they are unusable, throw them out with your rubbish or recycling waste.
Be methodical when packing
Packing up your possessions carefully will make both the run-up to the move and the moving process itself far less chaotic and stressful. The first items that should be packed away are those that you are certain you won't use at any point in the run-up to your move; things like Christmas decorations and gardening tools might be included in this category. Any belongings that you need on a daily basis should be left until last, so that you don't have to waste any time rummaging through boxes for say, the kettle or your pyjamas during the days before the move.
Items that you intend to keep in the same rooms in the new property should be grouped together in the one pile of boxes; this will make the unpacking process a lot simpler as you won't, for example, have to wander all around your new home looking for cookware, dishes and cutlery when you're trying to get the kitchen ready for use.
Lastly, make sure not to over-pack any boxes; this is an easy mistake to make, particularly with books. It could lead to the person carrying the boxes sustaining a back injury, or the boxes themselves falling apart. Ideally, each container should weigh no more than 15kg.
Share29 August 2016
Moving can be really expensive! But I move regularly for one reason or another, and I've become pretty good at moving on a budget. I can always find a cheap removalist and get some great deals on packing supplies. I also have some good tips on smart packing to reduce the amount of boxes that you need to move, which can help to minimise the costs as well. People are always impressed with my budgeting mojo, so I thought it would be good to start a blog to share my tips as well as create a place for others to share their ideas on moving on a budget.
