Moving home? Make it easier with a checklist

It’s one of life’s most stressful tasks, but moving home doesn’t have to be as daunting as you might expect. When planning to move house, it’s important to stay organised and take the process one step at a time; in doing so, you can emerge from the moving process with a little less hair-tearing than initially anticipated.

Moving home can be both a costly and time consuming experience. In fact these factors are perhaps expected with such a task, but being organised helps a great deal and even if you’re not, then making and following a simple checklist could help alleviate all your moving home worries. In terms of the amount of time you should allocate, it’s normal to plan at least six weeks in advance to achieve all the steps on your checklist. This should be sufficient time to plan and pack your belongings and take care of any administrative duties, while also leaving enough time to allow for any unexpected occurrences that could set back the moving procedure.

Packing is an opportunity to have a spring clean of those possessions that have been gathering dust in the attic for years. It is also an opportunity to discover old forgotten items; however, once the packing is complete it is onto the next step – physically moving them! An important first decision to make is whether you will be hiring a removal firm to do all the hard work for you or if you are going to make the move on your own.

If you decide to hire a removal firm, then ensure the hire is made at least two weeks before you move and also check that they are a member of the British Association of Removers. It can also be helpful to make a list of your possessions to ensure you stay on top of things and don’t leave anything behind. However, if you choose to make the move on your own, then it will help if you have an idea with regards to the size of the vehicle you would need to make the move – can you make the move by car, or will you need a van? This will come down to the amount of possessions you are expecting to move and also the distance required to transport them to your new home; either way shop around for the best deal you can possibly get for van or removal hire.

Apart from the actual movement of possessions, the other main considerations are informing relevant companies, such as your bank and energy supplier of your change of address, and ensuring that your dentist, doctor, and optician are aware of your move. It is also important that you source home insurance cover by the day you move into your new home, or inform your current provider of the move.

Following these few simple steps should help ensure your move goes as planned, whilst helping you remain calm.

Paul McIndoe writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.