July, 2018
Even once you’ve sold your property and are ready to move into your new home, there is one last (and pretty major) task to complete. That’s right: moving day.
And yes, it’s true that it can be an intimidating and stressful experience. There is a reason, after all, that it’s put up there with bereavement and divorce as one of life’s most distressing events.
Fear not, though. It doesn’t need to be this way. With some careful planning and preparation, moving day can go without a hitch with your stress levels kept to a minimum.
Below, using our experience as Northamptonshire’s newest and most innovative estate agent, we outline some top tips to help you move home successfully…
A secure approach
On moving day, security can be a key (but too often overlooked) issue. At both the home you’re leaving behind and the home you’re moving to, lots of windows and doors will be left open and lots of people will be coming and going. Valuable items, too, could be left alone for long periods while the moving process is in full flow.
Take care to keep valuable items out of view (and if possible, with you) at all times and try and make sure there is someone at both ends to ensure the properties are not left empty.
Aim for a smooth flow
What is the parking situation at your new home? Will you (or your removals van) be able to park up outside without causing a nuisance? These are the things you should be aware of before moving day to ensure things go as smoothly as possible.
Equally, what is the parking situation at your current home? Is there easy access to the front door to seamlessly transfer possessions from your property to the removals van? Will a large removals van be able to fit down your road or will something smaller be required?
The same considerations will be needed for your new home. Is it on a narrow street or will a large removals van be able to reach your new property with ease? If the former is the case, you may want to consider hiring a smaller van and doing more than one trip. Alternatively, should you not have too many possessions, you may want to consider a DIY approach to moving.
To save on plenty of hassle on moving day, make it as easy as possible to move items out at one end and in at the other.
Turn to friends and family
Even if you’ve hired the services of a trusted, reliable removals company, moving day is still likely to be a very busy, hands-on, manic day. As a result, it helps to have a lot of people around to help out.
Call on friends and family to lend a hand. Having more people around will also reduce security risks and ensure jobs get done in double quick time. Trying to do everything yourself is only likely to increase stress levels, so delegate effectively.
A good balance is needed, though – having too many people around could cause arguments, confusion and a higher level of stress for all concerned.
Organise, organise, organise
Good organisation is probably the most important thing to get right when it comes to moving day. If everything is planned with military precision, and carried out in a methodical, structured manner, the chances of anything going wrong or being left behind will be much reduced.
All boxes should be labelled in a clear way to save on confusion at the other end, transportation should be arranged in advance, and packing completed well before moving day arrives. Packing at the last minute is no fun and will only help your stress levels to motor.
If you have them, send the children and pets elsewhere while moving day is in progress. They are only likely to get in the way and won’t be able to offer much in the way of help anyway. What’s more, keep a checklist by your side and tick tasks off one by one to give you peace of mind.
Remember, too, to take breaks at regular intervals to keep your mind clear and your energy levels up.
At Oscar James we have three offices in Northamptonshire – in Burton Latimer, Kettering and Northampton – where we aim to do things a bit differently from the norm. We looked before at the main benefits of working with an all under one roof estate agency.
To find out more about what we offer, and our all-in-one approach to house moves, please get in contact with us at one of our branches.
We also offer a free and instant online valuation if you are eager to know how much your property is worth in today’s market.
