The date is set.
You’ve found your dream home, permanent or temporary, and a brand new adventure beckons, brightly, on the enigmatic horizon. A brand new start in a brand new place. It’s exciting. It’s nerve-wrecking. It’s…well…it’s a lot of work.
If you’ve done this sort of thing before, you will be well aware of just how much thought and preparation goes into shifting from one property to another. It can be a long, tiring and stressful experience.
If, however, you’ve only ever been in one place and have never so much as packed a box, then it can all seem extremely overwhelming. What do you need to do? When do you need to do it?
Well, not to worry. We here at Belvoir Edinburgh know what it’s all about and we’ve laid out some simple things you need to do before you pick up and move on.
So get your paper and get your pen. Here is a basic checklist for moving home that you can (and should) do well in advance.
Pack: Yes, we know, it’s the most obvious thing in the book. But there is a lot more to this than you might think. What about sorting out the things that you don’t need to take? If you’re moving to a smaller place this could be crucial. Have you got all of your boxes for moving home? And if you have, what about starting putting the unessential stuff away? You can start doing this weeks in advance. It’ll save you a massive headache later down the road.
Plan: Are you going to do the move yourself or hire some help? If you are going to get some professional assistance, shop around and see what works best for your budget. If you can afford it, it can take some of the stress out of the day. However, if you’re moving to a relatively small place and you have available friends and/or family who drive, then that might be the way to go. Have a think about it in advance and see who is available when and at what cost.
Utilities: Remember to let your utilities providers know that you are changing address. Electricity, gas, broadband, phone…everybody needs to know that you are moving on and with as much notice as possible. Some services can take a few weeks to move so, whatever you do, don’t leave it until the last minute.
Contacts: On the subject of informing others of your relocating exploits, don’t forget that this goes well beyond your electricity and broadband. The council, TV Licensing, bank, Doctor, Dentist, Amazon…You get the picture. The last thing you want is something important posted to you and it’s gone to the wrong address…Oh, and you might want to tell your family and friends too. But that’s optional.
Clean: Don’t leave this one at the last minute. Undoubtedly, a chunk of this will have to be kept until the end, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be forward thinking and save yourself a heck of a job later on. If you have a garden, this can be tended to, to a degree, well in advance. The same rule applies to the more unused areas of the property (store room, attic, etc). Do what you can with the time that you have. If you do this, you’ll make the whole moving experience a lot more palatable.
Whether you live in a house or flat, large or small, you should never leave organising your move until the last minute. There is plenty you can do weeks or, even, months in advance in preparation for the big day to ensure that everything goes smoothly and incident free.
What are your experiences with moving? Are you a seasoned pro? What would you add to our list of tasks?
From everyone here at Belvoir Edinburgh, we hope that you are well and happy. Take care of yourselves and we hope to see you all soon.
Happy Housekeeping.
