STEP 4: MOVING DAY

On the run up to moving day

In the weeks running up to your move, start running down the contents of your freezer so that you don’t have to bin a pile of food on moving day. You might even stumble upon some amazing taste combinations – anyone for fish fingers, Brussels sprouts and leftover chilli?

If you’re moving from rented accommodation, note down all utility meter readings the night before you move.  The easiest way to do this is by taking a picture of the meters on your phone – that way there’s no chance of losing the scrap of paper you’ve scrawled the info onto in the rush of moving. Remember, you’ll also need to take meter readings at your new home on the day of your move to make sure you only pay for gas and electricity from the day you moved in.

Boxes, boxes, boxes!

If you’re planning to use a removals company, contact at least 3 different companies for quotes around 6 weeks prior to your move date. It helps to make an inventory of all your furniture, and estimate how many boxes you’ll have too. You can buy ‘packing kits’ online, which contain boxes of various sizes, bubble wrap, tape etc or you could ask your local shops to keep used boxes for you.

The number of boxes you’ll need will vary depending on whether you’re a minimalist or a hoarder, but as a rough guide expect to need at least:

Use the move as an excuse to declutter. The less you have to move, the cheaper your removal costs, plus, you could even make some extra money if you sell your unwanted items on sites like eBay and Gumtree.  Your local charity shop will also be happy to take items such as clothes, furniture, toys, crockery, books and ornaments.  Clearly mark your charity box for items that you want to donate to avoid the worst-case scenario of your prized possessions getting handed into the local Oxfam by accident!

More boxes!

Start a box for important documents – things like passports, insurance papers, driver’s licences, birth certificates, recent bank statements etc.  When you’re packing up each room, make sure you add any important docs that you find and keep the box closeby on moving day to avoid it going missing.

Have an ‘essentials’ box containing everything you need to get you through moving day and the next morning.  That way you don’t need to unpack every box on the first night!

Here’s our list of essentials for your moving day survival kit:

Make good use of friends and family

There’s always more boxes to move than you think so rope in everyone you can with the promise of an invite to your house warming!

If you’ve got young children or pets, ask a friend or family member to take care of them on the day of the move.  Doing this will not only mean that you’ll avoid tripping over little feet while moving heavy objects, but also means that you can make the ‘official welcome to the new home’ moment less stressful.

Change of address

A quick text to friends and family with a note of your new address will make sure they know where to send your new home cards, but remember to also update the following companies to avoid hassle or even fines:

And breathe…

Moving can be stressful – but it should also be exciting.  With boxes piled everywhere and décor that’s not your own, your first night in your new pad might not feel like the cosy home you imaged.  Just remember, it might take a while to make it feel like home, but that’s half the fun!  Pop the kettle on (or pop the cork on the bubbly), put your feet up and leave the unpacking until tomorrow.