It is said that moving home is one of the most stressful things that many people experience after a divorce or the death of a loved one. This may sound a little dramatic but there certainly is an amount of stress involved in any move.
Although you can never guarantee a completely smooth move from your existing home to your new one, there are some things to remember that can really help to make this period as stress free as possible.
Below we will look at some of the most common problems people have when they are moving home and how best to avoid them.
Four mistakes to avoid when moving homes
Packing
Good packing is an important part of any move. In fact, it is essential that all of your small possessions be packed into cardboard boxes as well as wrapping any fragile items in bubble wrap or packing paper. This means that when the house removalists arrive they can simply load the boxes onto the truck without any delays or last minute confusion. It is also good to remember when you are packing books to always use small boxes. If you fill a large one with books it will be too heavy and there is a risk that the bottom may fall out.
Labeling Your Boxes
After you have carefully packed all of your items into boxes you will need to label them. This means listing the contents of the boxes as well as clearly writing down the rooms in which they are destined for. This can save a lot of stress at your new home, as everything will be placed where it is going to stay, all you will then need to do is unpack and arrange. What is also very helpful is to label each room door to correspond to the boxes; the movers will then know immediately which room is bedroom 1 or 2 thus speeding up the unloading process.
Large Items
If you have any particularly large or heavy items be sure to tell your moving company well in advance. This includes anything from pianos to large pieces of furniture that have been assembled in the home. This is quite a common oversight and the last thing you will need is an on the spot surprise dismantle or door and window frame removal. Most good removalists can overcome these problems but hours of valuable time can be easily lost. It is also wise to show your removal representative any narrow staircases or other tight areas in the home as these types of areas can at times be quite problematic for the movers.
Essentials
Be sure not to pack away your essentials on the morning of the move. This means just having a spare box where in the kitchen where you can quickly pack away your tea, coffee and other essentials. Be sure also to have a box for other essentials like your banking documents and any other things of high value. Most people generally take these high value items with them in the car just as a precaution.
Light Goods
Light goods like duvets, spare blankets, lampshades and other items that are very light in weight can be separated to save time. This means just putting them in to bin liners and labeling them as light goods. This is important as at the start of any move the movers will look for the lighter goods to pack into the overhead part of their truck. By having them close to hand and easily recognizable means that the movers can identify and load these goods without having to stop and ask for them.
By Petar Dzhingarov