Six out of 10 Brits admit to putting off looking for a new home to avoid the hassle of moving, but there are plenty of things you can do to make relocating less stressful.
A survey by estate agent Yopa also found 40 per cent of those polled considered moving house to be one of the most stressful life events you could go through. However, with a bit of careful planning and some clever hacks, you can make sure your moving day goes without a hitch.
If you don’t have any newspaper or packing materials to hand, use your clothes, tea towels and bedding to protect breakable items. Make sure anything delicate is well wrapped with something soft to cushion them and protect them from clashing against each other or being damaged by impact.
If you move with Andrew Porter Ltd, all essential packing materials are provided!
Make life easier for yourself once you get into your new home by clearly labelling your boxes so you know which room they belong in. This will also help your removal crew if you are using one. A quick and simple way of doing this is to colour code your boxes with stickers, marker pens, paint or coloured tape. If you’re using coloured masking tape, you could even add some to the doors of the rooms in your new house to make it easier for your movers to match the boxes to the right locations.
If you are packing up your own house, it can be difficult to keep track of which pieces of furniture you have emptied. As you clear out a cupboard, wardrobe or chest of drawers, add some masking tape to it as a clear sign that it is empty. This will keep you motivated as a visual reminder of what you have already achieved and help you spot which areas still need to be tackled.
However well your moving day goes, you are likely to be ready for a rest once you get into your new home. Prioritise getting your bed set up and made so you can get a good night’s sleep at the end of a busy day. Keep your bedding handy and easy to get to so you are not worrying about finding it and pack a small overnight bag with everything you will need for the first night.
Be careful not to make boxes too heavy. One simple way of doing this is to fill the bottom half with heavy items like books and then put lighter objects on the top to fill out the remaining space. Our handy video has some useful packing tips.
Taping boxes to keep them secure and closed during the move is a good idea but opening them afterwards can be a pain, especially if they are well sealed. When using packing tape, add a length of thread under the tape but make sure it is longer than the tape itself. At your destination, pull the end of the thread and it should easily rip through the tape, opening your box for you without the need for scissors or a knife.
Keeping clothes on their hangers makes unpacking them into your wardrobe a piece of cake. Andrew Porter Limited sells special wardrobe boxes which are perfect for the job but if you choose not to invest in one, you can also save time by simply putting them into large plastic bags.
By far the easiest way of making your moving day less stressful is to choose professionals you can trust to do the hard work for you. Using a removals firm to move your belongings will make the whole process quicker and more efficient and reduce the risk of problems and breakages. Andrew Porter Limited also offers a full packing service so you don’t have to lift a finger and can simply enjoy settling into your new home.
