Top tips for moving

There is no denying that moving house can be traumatic, but our top five tips might make it just that little bit easier

1. Are you the king/queen of clutter? A serial hoarder, who hates parting with their possessions? Well hoarding and moving house do not go well together! Use the move as an opportunity to sort out your possessions. Be strong and throw away all those useless items that just don’t get used. Take things to charity shops or you could even hold a car boot sale to earn that extra bit of cash. A clutter free move will be a lot more enjoyable.

Take the stress out of the big move

2. As the famous scout motto goes, be prepared! Calculate how many boxes you will need and get these well in advance. Think about other things you will need as well, such as strong tape, bubble wrap, and self-seal bags for keeping nuts and bolts together. Keep all your old newspapers for wrapping up your belongings and for lining the boxes. Try not to compromise on the quality of the boxes, ones made from corrugated cardboard are usually a lot stronger than regular ones.

3. Unless you have very few possessions it is probably best to call in the professionals rather than going for the one man, one van option. They know exactly what they are doing and it will definitely relieve some of the stress. It may cost, but postponing those grey hairs is worth it.

4. Ensure you have clearly labelled all your boxes making the essentials easier to find. The last thing you need on your first night in the new home is hours and hours spent trying to locate that toothbrush or god forbid the tea bags!

5. It’s important to inform all the relevant people that you are making the move. You should do this well in advance as there are lots of people to think of. You will need to redirect the post, inform the doctor, dentist, children’s school, banks, water, gas, electricity, internet/phone provider, TV licensing and the list goes on! Print off this handy checklist to ensure you don’t miss anyone out.