Essential Advice For When You’re Moving House
Moving is a nightmare for some but a lifestyle for others. If your work requirements mean you have to move a lot or if it’s just a case of not being able to stay in one place for more than 2 years, you may already be a master of moving.
However if you’re about to move for the first time, and you’re really not a fan of the thought of it all, the tips below will make getting through the task a whole lot easier.
Moving house? Here’s some top tips to help you pack >
1. Don’t make your boxes too heavy
You may find yourself wanting to fill your boxes to the brim so that you can get the job finished as quickly as possible. But try and avoid this way of doing things. A box that’s too full can damage your belongings and also make it hard for the person having to carry it.
2. Protect Your Boxes.
If you’re going to use cardboard boxes, remember to use styrofoam or bubble wrap to prevent any damage that may occur during transportation, especially when packing fragile products such as kitchenware. Failure to do so could result in a nasty surprise when unpacking your items in your new home.
3. Avoid overfilling your boxes
If you fill the boxes too much with stuffing, it’s quite possible that the tape you’ve used to seal them will come loose. Fill the boxes to their capacity and don’t overdo it.
4. But too much space in the box can also be a problem
Yes, we’ve just warned you not to overfill the boxes, but not filling them up enough is just as common a mistake. If you leave a box half empty, it could collapse if anything is placed on top of it, potentially damaging your items.
Starting with larger pieces and filling up with smaller ones will make the job easier.
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5. Ziplock bags for your liquids are a lifesaver
If you’re going to be transporting liquids, we recommend placing them in ziplock bags after you’ve secured the lids of the containers they’re in. You might want to take products such as honey, oil or jam but even if you place them upright when packing, there is a risk of them falling over, getting damaged and spilling everywhere. After placing your products in the box, fill the gaps around them with foam or scrunched up newspaper. If possible, pack products with a similar height together to try and keep a balanced surface. You should also mark the box with a warning that it should be transported upright, turned to a particular side to fit in the vehicle, etc. By doing the above, you can help prevent breakage and spillage.
6. Don’t neglect preparing a checklist
You can almost guarantee that after having packed up and left the house, you’ll remember something you forgot. You can avoid the stress of having to return and stressfully stuff that thing into a bin bag by...making a checklist!
Stick your checklist to the inside of your front door a few days prior to moving day. Make note of the things you’ll need to remember and the things you’re likely to forget. When the time comes to get going you can check your list and make sure you have everything.
7. Pay attention to your shoes!
If you stuff all your shoes into a box or bag, they’ll get crushed, lose their shape and this is just an issue you don’t need to be dealing with. Instead, use your packing paper (avoid newspaper at this point - the print can transfer and mark your shoes) wrap each shoe individually, using one bit of paper for each pair. Alternatively, if you’ve kept your shoeboxes, you can use them. Complete the process by placing the heaviest shoes and the bottom and the lighter ones on top.
8. Don’t try to do everything at once
Prepare yourself by planning room by room. Don’t pack just anything that comes to mind. Instead, organise an order and move through the rooms.
9. Don’t leave it all until the last minute
Don’t wait until the last minute to figure out how many boxes you’re going to need, how you’re going to transport everything and what kind of vehicle you’ll need to do so. Manage everything with some accurate planning ahead and avoid the last minute panic.
10. Don’t underestimate the number of boxes you’ll need
This oversight can ruin all your organisation. If you miscalculate how many boxes you might need, you may find yourself falling into one of the traps detailed above. It’s better to have too many boxes than not enough.
11. Don’t forget to label your boxes
Label, label, label. You don’t want to get to your new home and have to open up and rifle through each box to know what’s in it. Put as much detail into the label as possible - you can colour code each room and even write the room as well as what’s inside the box to avoid any confusion.
12. Include a note in each box, detailing what’s inside
Another way to avoid the need to rifle through the boxes is to include a small note inside the top of each box just before you seal it up. This will give you a quick guide to what’s inside and save you a huge amount of time when unpacking.
13. Have you got your keys?
While packing, remember to keep both your old set of keys and your new set in a safe and accessible place. After doing so well with everything else, you don’t want to find yourself in a position where you can’t lock up the old house, or unlock the new one.
