Congratulations, you are moving home! It’s exciting to move to a new location and start again, but the process can also be stressful and difficult; you have to uproot your life once again but don’t let that put you off. With the right planning and resources, moving day is straightforward.   

Key Takeaways: Moving Day 

• Make sure you move to a new place for the right reasons and avoid disappointment
• Always visit the new location to check it out, even when it is an overseas property 
• Always declutter the home and downsize belongings when you are moving home 
• Pack up the home using bubble wrap, boxes, and bags, and use a removal firm 
• If you have children, it’s a good idea to make the moving day as enjoyable as possible 

Choosing the Right Location 

In some cases, a new moving location is decided for you, maybe you landed a new job, or you have to move for family reasons. Either way, it’s important that you feel happy and comfortable in your new surroundings. So, don’t be afraid to visit the location prior to signing any paperwork.   

Reasons to Change Location 

There are plenty of reasons you might want to change location. Perhaps you found a new dream job overseas, you have a new family member on the way, or you fancy a change of scenery after some years in the same place. Chances are you will know when the time is right. 

If the area you live in has become a little mundane, or you have itchy feet, it might be time to consider moving again. Although Moving locations can be stressful, time-consuming, and expensive, it is often worth the effort, and the more you move, the better at it you become.   

Finding the Right Location 

If you are moving for work, finding the right location might be an easy task. Unless you want a long commute every day to the office, your options are limited. In other cases, you might have more freedom of choice, which only serves to make the decisions harder to make conversely. 

It’s important that you feel comfortable and inspired in your new location and not like someone that needs to fit into a special box to be happy. Don’t settle for pictures of the new place or the biased opinion of the estate agents. Visit the new location, even when it requires a plane trip.    

When to Start Your Planning 

Life is easier when you make decisions; then, you can start working towards your goals and making progress instead of languishing in the decision-making stage. This is true of most aspects of life, but it is certainly true of moving home, whether you are solo or with a partner. 

As soon as you decide to move home, start planning the move. Buy a special journal that can be used as a moving planner. The moving planner will contain all of your objectives along with any ideas, notes, and reminders you come across in your everyday life in the planning stage.    

What You Need to Think About

Once you have decided to move and you have a location in mind, it’s easy to start imagining yourself in a new place, but don’t forget about all the practical planning steps you need to take before your dream becomes a reality. Think about what you need to do at both of the locations. 

At your old address, you will have to cancel all the bills and services are the right times so that you can use them right up to moving day. At the new address, you will have to think about hooking up the services in the same manner. There is also decluttering and removals to plan.  

Moving House Checklist 

Moving house can be time-consuming and stressful, but having a plan always helps. Make sure you have a flexible moving home checklist to work from early on; the checklist can be stored in your moving bible and added go as you go along. Here are a few checklist items to start with. 

Declutter the Home 

Moving home can be challenging, but it also presents some excellent opportunities to organize and re-organize your belongings to create more room in your new home and create a more efficient economy in the moving process. Start by decluttering the home and selling belongings. 

There’s no point in paying a removal firm to transport belongings that you are only half interested in; instead, use the home moving process to downsize your home and sell the things you don’t use very often. It’s best to start the process early and create categories for clothing.  

Book a Removals Company 

Some people swear by them, and others are lucky enough to have obliging friends and family members, but wherever camp you fall into, a removal service has a number of advantages. Firstly, a removal service allows you to transport items safely and without any damage. 

Damage to personal belongings is common when you move home by yourself, but their less chance of any incidents occurring with a professional moving service, and if there is an issue, you always have insurance to back you up. A removal firm also makes a move much faster.  

Buy Some Insurance 

Don’t forget to buy insurance for your home move. Most removal companies offer insurance for your belongings, and it’s worth taking as even the world’s best removal service will be prone to the occasional mistake. Consider a contents insurance policy for your move to a new location. 

Contents insurance should cover your belongings in transit as well but double-check this with the insurance company before you commit to a contract. The other type of insurance you will need is building insurance for the new property; this should become active on moving-in day. 

Pack up the Home 

With only a few days to go before the big move, you should have most of your belongings packed and organized. Hopefully, you are transporting a lot less than you would otherwise, thanks to downsizing, and you have made a little extra on the side from selling unused items. 

There are good and bad ways to pack up your home for a home move. The last thing you need is to scratch your head in the new place and wonder where you put things, so always label boxes. Also, use small boxes for heavy items and larger ones for light items for the best results.   

Moving Home Tips and Tricks 

Bags and Boxes 

When it comes to moving home, most people think about boxes for their packing. Boxes are an excellent way to store and transport items, but you need to make sure they are in good condition; otherwise, they might break or split while carrying them, causing moving day stress. 

Another thing to keep in mind is bags. While you don’t want to be transporting lots of your goods in conventional supermarket bags, stronger carry bags are useful for transporting books, appliances, and miscellaneous items. Talk to your removal firm about using bags and boxes.  

Bubble Wrap 

Again, a professional removal firm is likely to wrap your items in bubble wrap to transport them safely, but that isn’t always then the case. Bubble wrap can prevent furniture items from being scratched and damaged during the move; it is also lightweight, convenient, and can be reused. 

Check whether your removal firm packs the items for you ahs what packing they use. Hopefully, they say bubble wrap, but if not, there’s no reason you can’t wrap the items yourself prior to moving. A removal firm might also offer a discount if you pack and prepare your belongings.    

Room Planning 

Have you turned up at a new house or flat only to realize that your wardrobe or sofa won’t fit through the entrance door, or you can’t get the items into the rooms you want them in? Not only is this frustrating, but it is also avoidable, especially if you plan rooms in advance with accuracy. 

Before moving day, you should visit the new property with a tape measure and get an idea of the dimensions of the doorways. Use this information to decide what furniture will go in what rooms; it will also give you a chance to sell or give away the furniture that doesn’t fit in rooms.   

Stress Reduction 

Moving home can be stressful, especially when you have children to think about, so how can you streamline the process, reduce your stress overall, and make the moving day enjoyable? The good news is that all of this is possible by planning ahead and using the best tips and tricks. 

Of course, you will want to make sure the home is packed and measured, and everything is in place for a smooth move. That only leaves you with the task of entertaining the kids during the day. Using snacks, toys, and games, try to elevate the moving day experience to make it fun. 

Final Thoughts 

While this article is still short of definitive, it does give you a better idea of what to look at when planning your next home move. Make sure you start your moving process early to ensure you have all the right pieces in place for a successful and stress-free move to a new state or country.