Top Tips For A Pain Free House Move

Moving house is notoriously stressful, but there are things you can do to minimize the pain and make the whole process as easy as possible.

A little bit of planning goes a long way, so don’t scrimp on making preparations. “Sitting down with a pen and paper and organizing your to-do list might seem like just another strain on your already busy schedule, but you’ll be thankful in the long run!” says Newington Green estate agent, M&M Property.

Here are some top tips for a pain-free house move.

1. Label all your boxes and clearly outline which room they’re intended for. Put two labels on your box- one for the top and one for the side- so it’s easy to see when your boxes are all nicely stacked and ready to go.
2. When you’re taking furniture apart, collect all the relevant screws and bolts and place them in food bags. Attach the bag to the piece of furniture and you won’t have to spend hours fishing around for screws when you get to the other end.
3. Lay flattened cardboard boxes on your floor to protect wood and carpets from heavy items of furniture and white goods being dragged across them. Tape the flattened boxes to the floor to stop them moving around and causing a hazard-the last thing you need on moving day is a trip to A and E!
4. Pack plenty of light bulbs for your new house. You can’t ever assume that the previous owner won’t have taken theirs with them.
5. Place all your furniture as close to how you want it as possible. Then everything else can fit around it, rather than the other way round.
6. Redirect your mail and tell people you’re moving. Catching up with admin can be a real drag, so get prepared beforehand and arrange for your mail to be redirected by the time you move in.
7. Register to vote. This is particularly important if there’s a big election coming up, but not being on the electoral roll will also affect your ability to apply for credit if you need to. Make sure you get this sorted as soon as you move in so you don’t have any last minute panics to deal with.
8. Register with Freecycle. “If you’re short on funds, Freecycle is a great way to source things like tv’s, fridges and sofas- and plenty of them are of a surprisingly high standard. It also means you won’t have to worry about getting rid of your unwanted items- you’ll be surprised by what other people are happy to come and collect,” advises Best Gapp.
9. Sort out the previous residents’ post. Opening your door to a mountain of someone else’s mail can be annoying, and if they haven’t arranged a redirection it could keep coming for months. It’s against the law to open someone else’s mail, so write “return to sender” on the envelopes and pop them in the nearest post box.

“Preparation makes everything a whole lot easier, and by spending a short time following these simple steps you’ll save yourself hours and a whole lot of stress when you’re in your new home.” Assetgrove concludes.