Not everyone has your cool relocation resolve. While some folk crumble, under a badly placed stack of terribly constructed packing boxes, you’re about to become a moving day maestro. Let’s do this!
Declutter
All that treasure/junk you’ve been meaning to sort through and clear out for years? Now’s the time! There’s no point paying to move stuff that will ultimately end up cluttering up your new home. A move is the perfect conduit for a clear out, make like a Disney Princess and “Let it go, let it go…!“.
Big Light, Small Heavy
Place heavy items in small boxes and light items in big boxes. It’ll make boxes easier to lift and prevent them from splitting. Yes, you’re strong now, but at the end of a tiring day, you’ll be glad of a lighter load.
Fill Your Boxes
Use blankets, pillows and light soft items to fill boxes to the top before sealing them. Empty spaces at the top of boxes creates crumple zones when your boxes are being stacked into vans/lorries.
Label On All Sides
Label your boxes on all sides to ensure you can still read them when they’re stacked. Write the room that box is going to and what’s inside. If you want to be uber organised, use different colour pens for each room.
Moving Bag
Prepare a bag of moving day essentials; phone chargers, tape, bottles of water, print out of all the vital paperwork, note-to-remind-you-why-on-earth-started-all-this-madness-in-the-first-place, etc.
Meter Readings
Take meter readings at both your old and new properties on moving day. Use your phone to grab a photo of the readouts, as evidence.
Essentials First
The last things on the van will be the first things to come off, these should be the essential items; beds, curtains, kettle, mugs, things you’ll need as soon as you are in the new property. Prioritise making bedrooms liveable, rebuild the beds, put curtains up, etc. You don’t want to be building your bed at midnight after a very long moving day “I’m just too tired, do you think we could fit in the dog’s bed..?”.
Last In
Last items to go in the moving van should be cleaning products and tools. As soon as you get to your new property, you might need to give some areas a quick clean. A tool bag full of simple essentials will also be handy, at some point the chances are you’ll need to tape something, screw something or whack something with a hammer!
Broadband
“There’s not even any WiFi. It’s like living in the Dark Ages!” The last thing you need on moving day is tiny/teeny temper tantrums because there’s no YouTube for 12 hours. Get broadband set up for the day of arrival at your new property to avoid digital delays or Instagram withdrawal symptoms.