6 Practical Tips to Moving Home
Moving home – the inevitably chaotic process of dismantling, packing, and transporting your whole life to a new home. Before reaching that "new chapter" of your life, however, you need to plan your house move properly. This is the stage which most people ignore, thinking: “Purchasing some boxes, a few rolls of bubble wrap and some tape should do the job, right? Unfortunately, this approach most often results in a complete disaster and you end up having a frustrating experience when moving into your new home.To prevent you from making such a mistake we have prepared for you a summarised list with six practical tips – all of which have been drawn from the experience of movers, who have been delivering professional removals services in London for years.
Tip #1: Plan out your home moving
The first step of planning your home relocation is to decide whether you will be hiring a professional removals company for the job or moving on your own. In this article we assume that you prefer to go through the moving process without any professional help.
Two weeks prior to your moving date you should declutter your home. In other words, go through your belongings and separate what you need from what you find no use for anymore and willing to throw out or donate it to charity. This way you will have less to pack and move.
Additionally, if you do not have your own vehicle nor the opportunity of borrowing one from a friend, research rental companies, their prices and availability. Preferably search options for van rentals – they are bigger, which means you will be able to move your home in one or two trips, thus saving on fuel costs.
Tip #2: Stock up on packing supplies
In order to move your home without any colossal damages - most often to fragile items such as plates, cups, etc. – you should use plenty of packing materials aside from boxes. These include bubble wrap, stretch folio, moving blankets, most importantly don’t forget to buy enough tape – you will be surprised how many applications it has.
Make sure you also purchase some colour markers or coloured stickers. You will need these to mark each box and make sure you separate items belonging to the kitchen from the ones that belong to the bathroom. Moreover, you will know in which room to place each box after arriving at your new home.
Tip #3: Pack ahead
Packing a week ahead of your moving date will ensure that you have enough time to prepare properly. Moreover, you won’t feel as pressured as if you leave packing and sorting through your belongings for the day before moving. Additionally, you will be able re-stock on packing supplies if you need more without the need to rush.
Pack any glassware thoroughly – ideally use the nesting technique. Nesting is simply using two sheets of newspaper to wrap glassware such as cups and plates. Wrap the first cup with two sheets of paper (make sure you cover the whole cup both outside and inside), after which place a second cup into the first one and wrap it the same way. Usually you can stack up to three or four cups, then for extra safety wrap the stack of cups in bubble wrap and use tape. This can also be applied to any plates, bowl you are moving as well.
Tip #4: Group your belongings
Remember those colour markers and coloured stickers we talked about in Tip #2? Assign a colour to different rooms of your household and mark the boxes with the colour you have assigned accordingly. For example, if you use orange for the kitchen, then mark each box that is filled with items from there. This way you will easily know the room each box belongs to without the need to check its contents.
Separate your valuables in a box and hide it in one of the boxes or bags you are using. Make sure you to remember where you have put it.
Tip #5: Live on bare essentials for the last couple of days
Disconnect your fridge and let it defrost to prevent any leaks or bad smells during transportation. Pare down on any cooking utensils to make last minute packing go smoother. Pare down on food supplies prior to moving.
Tip #6: Last-minute activities
Set aside a box or two to use as a last-minute packing for any clothes, bedsheets, towels, etc. Doing this will help you avoid searching for free space in already sealed boxes or bags.
Furthermore, make sure to separate any shampoos, shower gels, toothpaste from the rest of your belongings in case anything spills during transportation. Additionally, to prevent any spills try sealing them in plastic bags or placing a plastic bag under the cap.
Bonus tip: Mirrors
Transporting mirrors when moving your home is quite difficult. This is a bonus tip on how to prepare your mirror(s) to be moved. Purchase some masking tape and create an equal “X” on both sides of the mirror. Next create four smaller “X”s for each quarter of the large one. Afterwards, wrap the whole mirror in bubble wrap, making sure not to leave any edges exposed.
Wrap the mirror in blankets and pack it in a box. When loading it in the van make sure to place it lying on its long side in an upright position. Make sure that the mirror is properly secured and cannot move during transportation. Additionally, make sure that it will not get crushed by any of your other belongings.
Following these 6 moving tips will ensure you have enough time to properly prepare for your home moving. This will also greatly improve the chances of actually achieving that much expected fresh beginning from the moment you arrive at your new home.
Finally, if all of this seems too overwhelming, you can always contact us for a free quotation. Send your service enquiries via our Online Contact Form or give us a call on 020-8004-0004. Our professional movers in London will make sure that you enjoy a hassle-free moving service.
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