- Change all of your details!
Remember to swap your utilities to your new address. There are normally quite a few different companies to contact, including:
- Gas
- Electric
- Water
- Phone
- Broadband
- Your bank
- Any loans/credit
- Driving licence
- Supermarket Loyalty Cards
- Benefits
Most of these are pretty simple to change and some you can alter for free online.
- Get your boxes ready
This all depends on your removal company. Some will provide and pack for you, some will leave you to it. We advise that you ask your removal company in advance to organise and know exactly what you’re paying for.
If your packing materials aren’t included ask supermarkets, shops or businesses to see if they have any spare boxes and start collecting these weeks before your move. You’ll be surprised how many you’re going to need!
- Keep your wires tidy
Wires and cables can be a nightmare to organise if they’re all in one box. A clever way around this is to get some old toilet roll tubes and place individual wires inside. This will stop them tangling and also give you something you can label so you don’t forget what’s what!
- Keep your doors open
Make sure you do this before your start to move anything in or out of your house. Wedge bits of cardboard under your door if you don’t have a door stop. This will give you a lot more freedom moving around your house.
- Pack some clothes
You don’t want to spend all day moving then have to rifle through your boxes to find what you need for overnight. Pack some spare clothes, toothbrush and bedding last so you have everything you need when you’re ready to crash!
- Don’t forget your keys
Make sure you have all of the keys necessary for everything in your house. Make sure you have keys for:
- Front door
- Back door
- Pantry
- Conservatory
- Windows
- Garage
- Utility room
- Shed
- Loft
- Organise your packing
Make sure you keep each room separate. That way you can unload in sections and you don’t have to worry about where you put something!
If you work on a room by room basis, it will also make cleaning an awful lot easier!
- Keep valuables with you
Never leave the important things behind. Always keep your valuables on you. So pack everything and bring the valuable in the front of the van with you.
- Take care of fragile items
Wrap socks around glasses to keep them safe. Also covering mirrors with blankets or anything soft is an effective, easy way to make sure nothing breaks. It’s obvious, but also don’t put glasses/mirrors or anything fragile at the bottom of the van!
- Label your things
Easily overlooked, but always place a label or write on the box what is inside. If you pack room by room as mentioned earlier it will make life a lot easier. If you also try to pack the most important items together it’ll hopefully make unpacking a lot quicker.
How long will it take you? It depends on how many things you have and how far you’re moving. It’s always tricky to say how long it will take to move house so visit an excellent site I have just found online:
http://mybigmove.co.uk/How-long-does-moving-house-take if you would like to know any more information.
Good luck!