Moving Tips: 21 Tried and Tested Steps for an Easy Move
Are you in search for moving tips to make your move easy and as hassle free as possible? Then you’ve come to the right place! Here you will find the most relevant moving tips to help prepare yourself for moving house. If you have no idea where to start, take a look at our moving house checklist.
1. Start early
To save yourself some stress, be organised and start preparing your move a month or two in advance. This way, you will save money as you won’t be paying unnecessary costs that you didn’t plan for. For more advice on saving money on your move, you can read our cheap removals page.
2. Throw away stuff you don’t need anymore
By making an inventory list, you can see which items you definitely want to take with you and others that you really no longer need anymore. You can then throw away or donate the belongings that you don’t want anymore. This way you can reduce the time it will take to pack as well as the removal costs of your move.
3. Pack an emergency essentials bag
With everything that comes along with moving house, one of the best moving tips out there is to pack an emergency bag that you can easily access when you first arrive in your new home. Pack a spare change of clothes and toiletries so that you’re not running around trying to find in which box you packed the toothpaste!
4. Calculate your volume
One of the major moving tips that you should take with you is to measure the volume of your move, as you will save time when requesting quotes from removal companies. You can do this by using our removal volume calculator.
5. Request quotes
When moving home, removal companies may offer you a price different to others. Therefore, it is important to receive removal quotes from multiple movers to make sure you choose the right company. If you are interested in getting a price for your move, you can fill out our form to get up to 5 free quotes and save up to 40%!
6. Moving tips for your moving date!
If you have a flexible schedule then try to find the cheapest time of the month to move. Try to avoid weekends and bank holidays, if you aim for a mid-week move you may see a big difference in price!
7. The heavier the item, the smaller the box
No one wants to carry a big, heavy box, you may hurt yourself whilst trying! Which is why having a small box for heavy items will make the moving process a lot easier. Keep larger boxes for lighter items that are hard to carry on their own and never over pack a box!
8. More moving tips for your boxes
By creating a labeling system for the boxes you have, it will be much easier for your friends, family or the removal company that are helping you move, to know what room the boxes belong in. This should ensure that you don’t mix things up and you can settle in to your new home much quicker. If you would like to find someone to help you move, look at our house removals list.
9. Use your baskets for packaging
Something else to add to our moving tips list is if you’re trying to think of ways to pack your oddly shaped wicker baskets, then try to pack things in them instead. This will help you save space when transporting all of your belongings to your new home.
10. Pack a clear box with everything you’ll need on day one
As well as an emergency essentials bag, you may need to think about a shower curtain, towels, bed sheets and even snacks! This will make you feel a lot more comfortable and will allow you to settle in quicker!
11. Pre-clean the bathroom and kitchen
If you have time, a top moving tip is to visit your new home and already clean the bathroom and kitchen. This way you know what to expect when you move in and that you won’t be faced with having to clean as well as unpacking all of your boxes!
12. Keep screws together
It can be really easy to lose screws for your furniture during a move, which can be disastrous when you come to putting . An easy way to overcome this is to tape them together and then put them into a bag or box. This will make it easier to keep the right set of screws together.
13. Put electronic goods in original packaging
Keeping original packaging can come in handy! It can prevent your beloved TV from getting damaged and also makes it easier to carry! However, if you no longer have the boxes then make a list of what packaging materials you will need to buy to ensure that you items don’t break!
14. Defrost your fridge and freezer
You should really be doing this a day or two before you move. Then wipe down all the liquid from the inside. If you don’t, when you transport your fridge, you may find it full of mildew! No one wants that!
15. Take photos of how your electronics are connected
Taking pictures of how things are plugged in will save you lots of time and stress, especially when you just want to watch the TV. This way you can easily see how things were plugged in before you take everything apart!
16. Packaging protection
Make sure that you have enough packaging filler or bubble wrap for the move. Running out can put you at risk of damaging your possessions, and any extra that the movers have they are likely to charge you an inflated price for. A good way to save money, is to wrap certain valuables in blankets and clothes. Even screwed up newspaper balls or rolled up (clean) socks work well for smaller delicate items.
17. Moving tips conundrum: shipping or storage?
Think long and hard if you need to take everything abroad. The more you move the more expensive your relocation cost will be. Would moving your house into storage for a period of time be a better and cheaper option?
18. Donate to charity
If you have old clothes, shoes, bags or any other personal items that you don’t want anymore, you can donate them to a charity! This way you’ll be giving to a cause whilst also reducing the amount of stuff you have to move! You can drop off your belongings at any charity shop and they will be more than happy to take them off your hands.
19. Stop buying food a week before you move
Just like when you go away on holiday, it’s always best to try and eat everything that you have in the house. It will save you throwing out fresh food and from dragging heavy cans of food to your new home. If you really have a lot of food that needs using up, you can give your friends some unfinished bags of rice or just bring some things to your local food bank.
20. Take photos of your new home when you arrive
This is especially important if you’re renting somewhere as you can record any damages already existing in your new home. This way you have proof that you didn’t make any of these damages yourself after you have moved in the furniture yourself.
21. Write a review
The best way that you can help others is to write a review of your experience with your removal company. Whether it was good or bad, you will be helping others like you who are interested in finding the best removal company for them. Still not found yours? Look at the removal companies profiles within your area for a better idea of what services they provide.
