Moving home comes with an incredible amount of excitement.
But it can also be overwhelming and extremely stressful.
In fact, moving regularly comes out on top of polls revealing some of life’s most stressful events.
But the good news is, with plenty of planning and these great tips, you can take moving home in your stride…
Things you’ll need to do when moving house
There are a whole host of things you’ll need to do when moving house – before you move, on the day itself, and once you’re settled into your new home.
This moving house checklist can help…
Before moving
- Give your landlord notice if you’re renting
- Contact your utility suppliers and let them know your moving out date
- Contact and book a removal company for your moving day
- Clear out, donate, or dump items you no longer want
- Arrange childcare if needed for your moving day
- Pack your belongings up, labelling boxes clearly
- Clean your current property
- Arrange mail redirection if needed
- Contact the DVLA to amend the address on your driving licence
- Settle any remaining bills at your existing property
Moving-in day
- Pack up any last-minute items and dismantle remaining furniture
- Instruct your removals company on what order to pack your items into the van or lorry
- Pack a bag of essentials, such as snacks, water, medication, phone charger, and wallets, for your move
- Run through your existing property and ensure everything is removed
- Take final meter readings for your utility companies
- Lock all doors and windows
- Ensure your removals company places all items in the correct rooms at your new home
- Take meter readings at your new property
- Make sure you know where key things in your new home are, such as the water shut-off valve, meters, fuse box and thermostat
After you’ve moved
- Contact utility companies and provide your moving-in day meter readings
- Contact your employer, GP, dentist, bank, and other key people to inform them of your new address
- Register for council tax with your local authority
- Find out what day your bins are collected
Top tips for a stress-free move
Follow these great tips, which can help ensure your moving day remains stress-free…
1. Get a good solicitor
A good solicitor or conveyancer will help to keep your property purchase on track, as well as ensuring everything is legally sound.
Conveyancing can sometimes be slow, with local searches very much dependent on local authority backlogs.
But a hands-on solicitor can often be the difference between some early stresses before your moving day and a smooth purchase.
2. Get your paperwork in order
You’ll need to be able to access a host of important documents before your moving day comes around.
So, as soon as your offer is accepted, put everything you’ll need in one place so you can lay your hands on it quickly.
Documents you’ll need could include:
- Passports
- Property deeds
- Mortgage details
- Wills
- Insurance documents
Being able to access documents like these quickly will help your solicitor keep your purchase on track and stress-free.
3. Budget for all costs
One of the most stressful aspects of moving home can be the cost of doing so.
If you’re moving for the first time, it can be easy to lose track of everything you’ll need to pay for.
Before you move, draw up a budget for all your moving costs, including:
- Valuation fees
- Mortgage arrangement fees
- Survey fees
- Legal and search fees
- Mail redirection
- Removals
- Child or pet care costs
4. Purge your possessions
One of the best times to declutter and purge your belongings is just before a big house move.
Not only will getting rid of things you no longer need mean fewer boxes or a smaller removals van, but it could make you money, too.
Try to sell things that have value, while you may be able to donate other items to charity.
5. Always try to be flexible
Moving home and buying a property can be complicated.
And in many cases, there are one or two issues or hurdles to get over before you get the keys to your new home.
While this can be stressful, try to stay calm.
If you’re experiencing problems with your purchase, there’s a good chance your seller
is experiencing problems of their own, too.
So, if an issue does crop up, be accommodating and flexible.
6. Spend time in your new area
If you’re moving to a new area, try to spend some time there before your moving day.
Relocating can be overwhelming, perhaps because you’ve lived in one place all your life, or in the same house for a long period of time.
Suddenly moving to a new house or area takes some adjustment. But visiting your new postcode can help take the edge off before moving day.
7. Be organised with packing
Being surrounded by boxes and bags in your new home can be daunting and it’s difficult to know where to start when unpacking.
When packing up your belongings before your move, make sure everything is grouped together room by room and your boxes are clearly labelled.
Direct your removals company to place boxes in the correct rooms at your new property, so you don’t end up with a mass of things in one room.
You can also use coloured stickers to match up electronic devices like televisions with the correct cable, meaning no more stressful searches.
8. Pack some moving-day essentials
Depending on the distance of your move, it can be a long day.
So, make sure you pack a bag with some key essentials – both for the journey to your new home and so you can pop the kettle on when you arrive.
Your bag of essentials should include:
- Toiletries
- Phone chargers
- Water, tea, and coffee
- Change of clothes
- Medication
- Bank cards and cash
Once you are all moved in, tiredness can arrive quite quickly.
So, having crucial items to hand like a toothbrush means you’ll be able to get some much-needed rest without a long search for essentials.
9. Get your removals company booked early
Removals companies can become booked up well in advance – especially during busy times, such as spring.
So, as soon as you have an idea of your moving date, make sure you book your removals as soon as possible.
While it can be tempting to move your belongings yourself, a good removals company can be a very worthwhile spend, and really take away a lot of the stress that often comes with a house move.
Many companies also provide a packing service, saving you even more time and energy on the lead up to moving day
10. Arrange food for your first night
Moving into a new home often means moving into a new home with an empty fridge.
Arrange a supermarket food delivery to your new home, so you’ll have some essential sustenance after a long moving day.
Or research some local takeaways online and make an order in advance, so you can enjoy a well-earned meal once all the heavy lifting is done.
