The Ultimate Checklist To Making Moving Home A Breeze #CP

A few experiences in life are guaranteed to bring us out in a cold sweat. And moving house is one of these experiences. 

It’s always more stressful than you remember if you’ve had the pleasure of doing it already. And if you’re a first-timer, you always go into it excited. Only to have that excitement crushed under the sheer weight of jobs you have to get done to make the move a success. 

But it doesn’t have to be that way. It is possible for your house move to go smoothly. And this ultimate checklist is the key to making that dream a reality.

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Pre-Move 

To make any big event go smoothly, you need solid preparation. And moving house is no different. As soon as you exchange contracts, the planning should begin. Before the big day arrives, you should aim to get these three things done.

1. Protect Yourself

Buying a house is likely one of the most significant purchases you’ll ever make. So it makes sense to protect yourself when you make it. Make sure you get home buyers protection insurance. That way, if the house sale falls through, the insurance will cover all of the upfront costs. 

2. Ask Questions

When moving home, asking lots of questions is key to making the process go smoothly. Stay in touch with the seller well before the move. Get as much information from them about the property as possible. Here are a few suggestions;

• Where is the stopcock to shut off the water?

• Where are the electricity and gas meters?

• What days are the bins collected? And what bins do you have (food, recycling, gardening, etc.)?

• Do you have tins of paint the same colour as the walls?

• Are there instruction manuals and warranties available for the electrical appliances?

• Where’s the thermostat?

• What company/s supplies your utilities (energy, broadband, phone, etc.)?

3. Compare Deals

Removal costs can quickly eat into your budget. Do some research before nailing a removal team down. Comparing deals means you’ll nab a great price and save yourself a bit of cash. 

The Big Day

• Every box should be labelled showing their destination room and a short description of what’s inside. Make sure the labels are on the top and side of the box. That way, if they’re stacked, you’ll still know what’s inside. 

• Make up an overnight bag for you and the family. This saves you from rooting through box after box searching for your pj’s. 

• Put all screws, bolts, and little bits from furniture into freezer bags. Seal them up tight and tape them to the piece of furniture they came from. It’ll make rebuilding the piece a lot easier. 

• Move your furniture into the new place first. The boxes will come next. Sounds simple, but it’ll make a big difference because you won’t have to rearrange boxes every time a new piece of furniture needs to come in. 

• Make sure you have a selection box of lightbulbs available. 

It’s a bit of extra work, but you’ll be thankful you did it.

1. Switch Bills

Try not to stick with the previous owners’ suppliers any longer than you need to. Because it’s likely, you can save a lot of money by switching up. Of course, you won’t get 100% accurate suggestions because you don’t have previous bills. But you can get a good idea of whether you’ll save yourself some cash. 

2. Deal With The Post

Yes, it’s no fun. But dealing with the post situation is a must. Make sure to get yours redirected from your previous address. And any post from the previous owner should be dealt with too. Simply write ‘return to sender, not known at this address’ on the front and put it back in the post. 

3. Furnish

Furnishing your new place is a lot of fun. But if you don’t have a tonne of cash around, and the house is a lot bigger than your last place, it can quickly become a headache. Head online to sites like Freecycle for, you guessed it, free furniture. It’s good for your pockets and good for the environment.