When you’re moving house, there are dozens of little jobs, and sometimes it feels like hundreds. Alongside the paperwork and the money worries, there’s a never-ending list of tasks: clearing out the kitchen cupboards, finding the spare keys, fitting work and school around moving day. It all feels a lot easier if you spread the jobs out instead of leaving them for the last day. Here are five ways to make moving less stressful.
1. Start packing much earlier than you think
Start with the things you rarely use. Summer or winter clothes (whichever you won’t need before the move), books you haven’t read, ornaments and spare bedding can all be packed several weeks ahead. Label each box with the room it’s going to and what’s inside, for example “Kitchen: baking equipment” rather than just “Kitchen”. Plenty of people skip labels altogether, as any removal company will tell you.
Keep one box aside for what you’ll need on moving day. A kettle, mugs, tea or coffee, toiletries, loo roll, phone chargers, medication and a change of clothes are good candidates. With everything in one place, you won’t be digging through six boxes to find a toothbrush.
2. Choose movers who know your area
Your choice of removal company makes a big difference to how moving day goes, especially in a busy city like London. Ask whether they regularly move properties like yours, and check what they know about parking restrictions, stairs, narrow roads and awkward access before you book.
If you find the right London movers, they’ll have decades of experience, be fully insured, and know the city like the back of their hands.
Tell them about your situation up front. If you live on the third floor and there’s no lift, they need to know before moving day so they can plan for it.
3. Declutter before the boxes arrive
If you pack everything you own, you’ll only end up unpacking a jumble at the other end, which is extra work for nothing. Before you start, go through one room at a time and sort your belongings into four piles: keep, donate, recycle and throw away.
Be honest about what you keep. A coat you haven’t worn for two winters could be a great charity shop donation, and if you own three near-identical frying pans, you could pass two on to family. Getting rid of even five or ten boxes’ worth will help when you’re lugging everything down a hallway or working out where things go in your new bedroom or living room.
4. Measure large furniture first
A sofa that fits nicely in your current living room might not get through the hallway of your new place. Measure large furniture, doorways, stairwells and tight corners before moving day, and save the numbers on your phone so you can check them while you plan where everything goes.
For the really bulky pieces, measure the whole route, not just the room it’s headed for. A wardrobe might sit happily against a bedroom wall and still get stuck on a narrow landing halfway up the stairs.
5. Prepare the first 24 hours
You don’t have to unpack the whole house on the first evening. Just get the bedroom, bathroom and kitchen working. Put clean bedding on the bed, hang the towels in the bathroom and make sure you’ve got enough food for a meal. You probably won’t feel like cooking anything elaborate after a day of moving, so keep dinner simple.
Put your important documents, keys, and valuables in a labelled bag and keep it with you. Charge your phone before the move, and have some cleaning supplies to hand. Once those basics are covered, the rest of the boxes can wait until the next morning or the next few days.
Moving house will probably still be a bit stressful, but good preparation takes care of a lot of the things that could go wrong. Start early, hire movers you trust, take less with you if you can, and plan the first day, and that long list of jobs becomes much more manageable.
Disclaimer: This article is for general information only. Every move is different, so adapt the tips to your own situation and confirm details such as parking, access, and insurance with your removal company or local council before moving day.
