Top 10 Tips For Moving House


Moving house is a big ordeal for anyone. There’s a lot of change, organisation and work that goes into packing and moving. Sure, it’s an exciting time, but I wish I’d known these simple little things in advance! Having moved a few times over the last few years, this is my best advice if you’re moving.

1 | Give Yourself Time
Once I was ready to hand in my notice with my Letting Agents, I found out I had to give four weeks from the 20th of the month. It was the 10th at the time I sent the email, allowing me 6 weeks to actually move. I am so glad I allowed this time, I really needed it. I probably could have done it all in four weeks, or even two, but the extra time has allowed me to get the new place in shape, move things when I had a chance, and not rushed the cleaning and ‘end of tenancy’ process too.

2 | Write a ‘Change Of Address’ List
I used the notes app (there’s a ‘make a checklist’ tick button you can use to tick off when you’re done, and it syncs with iCloud for phone or computer!) and wrote down all the people and places I needed to change my address with. Here is an example of some of mine:

  • COUNCIL TAX
  • ELECTORAL ROLL
  • DRIVING LICENSE
  • CAR FINANCE
  • BANK ACCOUNT
  • CREDIT CARD
  • BOURNEMOUTH WATER
  • WESSEX WATER
  • BRITISH GAS
  • BT INTERNET
  • CAR INSURANCE
  • HOUSE INSURANCE
  • DOCTORS
  • DENTIST
  • MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTIONS
  • PHONE
  • ROYAL MAIL REDIRECTION
  • BOOTS
  • SAINSBURYS NECTAR
  • TESCO CLUBCARD
  • PAYPAL
  • AMAZON
  • ASOS
  • ITUNES & APPLE
  • SPOTIFY
  • GOVERNMENT GATEWAY SELF-EMPLOYED
  • OPTICIANS & CONTACT LENS

3 | Take Photos Of Your Gas & Meter Boxes
It’s easy to write down your reading, but what if you lose them? I found taking a photo of the boxes and saving them to my camera roll has been an essential. It’s also absolute proof you aren’t lying about the numbers too, just in case it’s queried. I also took photos of my empty flat when I finished cleaning, so I can refer back and cross-reference how I left it, with my Schedule Of Condition.

4 | Declutter As You Pack
The packing process is quite simple really, but if you can try and declutter as you pack, this will save you so much time. Have a bag for charity or friends and family, and donate old clothes you no longer need. I gave all my unwanted skincare and beauty products to my Mum and her staff, so I know they’re going to good homes.

5 | Vacuum, Sandwich, Storage & IKEA Bags
Vacuum bags are an absolute moving house MUST. You can get these everywhere (I’ve had some from Wilko and Primark) and they allow you to suck the air out with the hoover to make them smaller. Perfect for bedding, pillows and towels. Next, sandwich bags are an essential for things like wires, screws for furniture and jewellery. I have these on hand when I’m packing, and label the bags accordingly. Storage Bags are great for coats and clothes, I picked mine up super cheap in Home Bargains, and transported all my clothing with them. Finally, IKEA bags. They’re 40p and so handy for so many miscellaneous things which don’t need boxes. I put some clothes in them too. I love them when I move house, and for storing things in the loft too.

6 | Keep Clothes On Hangers
On my last move, I did actually take everything off hangers because I was having a new wardrobe built and couldn’t hang them straight away, but I was also being extra ruthless in my decluttering as I had far too many clothes! However, sometimes it’s actually easier to keep your clothes on the hangers. Just pop a black bin bag over the top (make a hole for the hooks), and transport them straight from one wardrobe, to the next. Saves so much time!

7 | Make an ‘Essentials’ Bag & ‘Important Things’ Box
There is nothing more frustrating than trying to find a charger, important document, set of spare keys or for me, memory cards and batteries for work, and not being able to locate them. It happens almost every time I move, so I’d highly recommend making a bag of essentials items of clothes you need during your move, along with a box (I like the foldable ones without a lid) that has your bits and bobs that you might need access to quickly.

8 | Buy Boxes With Handles
A lot of people say “don’t buy boxes” and you can totally find some for free at Supermarkets etc however, I bought my own boxes from Argos this time and was much more satisfied with the quality and size of the boxes. I’m also using them to store things so they needed to be strong. The extra bonus was that they had handles, which made moving SO much easier. If your boxes don’t have handles, cut some out on the sides…thank me later!

9 | Don’t Make The Boxes Too Heavy
It’s easy to fill a box to the top, but if you’re packing heavy items, make sure you give it a quick check of how much it weighs. I packed my office things first, including books and folders, and it was so heavy I actually had to write ‘HEAVY’ on the box to remind myself I needed a hand with it. You also risk the box breaking which would be a total disaster, so try and keep the weight balanced. When I packed my beauty products, I used two or three smaller boxes as I knew it would get too heavy all in one.

10 | Tape Gun & Labelling Boxes
A tape gun is a huge game changer when you’re ready to pack up, it saves so much time and faff trying to locate the end of the tape and scissors to cut it. You can pick up a tape gun in Supermarkets, with a roll of tape, for about £10. When you’re ready to label up (you’re gonna want sharpies here), make sure you write which room it’s for, as well as roughly what’s inside. When you get to the new place, it’s great if you have several boxes which say ‘Kitchen’ for example, but you might want the mugs, plates and cutlery first, as they’re a bit more of an essential than say condiments and pans. It’s also worth writing ‘FRAGILE’, ‘GLASS’ or ‘HEAVY’ if these apply. Finally, if you’re moving with more than one person, sometimes it’s worth write your name on too.

I hope these helped at least one of you out there, and I wish you all the best of luck and happy memories with your move and new home!

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