Moving house can be an exciting event for some, or a dreading event for others. In most instances, it can be pretty stressful because suddenly there seems to be so many things that you need to keep into the boxes. The big items seemed easy enough, while the small items seemed to keep going into boxes you may label ‘miscellaneous’.
If you wish to have a stress-free experience moving house, you should probably take a planned and structured approach to make things more manageable.
1. Measure and buy
Before moving into a new house, you may wish to get a measuring tape and start getting the sizes of the rooms to plan your furniture. It will show you an estimate of how many things you can put in the different rooms, and always remember to have some empty space for walking and to get a sense of ‘space’. There is no point in covering all four walls with furniture unless you really have too many things to put. You may actually decide on spending a little extra for build-in cabinets especially for your bedroom to keep your clothes and other things.
2. Packing
Once you have the measurements and know just how much you can bring along with you, it is time to pack. Get some carton boxes, and if you are moving alone, you better make sure that the size of the carton box is something that you can carry by yourself. You will also need to label the boxes so that you may unpack easily after.
To make it easier, you may wish to make a priority packing list. It means that these items are the ones that you must bring to your new home. Packing time is actually a good chance to do some stock takes, throwing out things that you no longer need, and decluttering your belongings. Get that priority list in mind, and then start counting how many boxes you may need.
Somehow, bigger things are easier to pack, such as books and clothes. There can also be some glasswares and teacup sets that you wish to pack, and you may want to stuff the box with some bubble wraps or foams to keep the glassware protected. Usually, original boxes for these glassware will be the best boxes to pack the items in, and stack them neatly into bigger carton box for moving house.
3. Utilities
While you are busy packing, it is also important for you to get all the facilities ready at your new home. Are you moving into a unit which has been long vacant? You may need to check that both electricity and water are working. Are the wiring and piping proper? Will there be any danger with the electric outlet points? Do check, even if you have seen that they are in proper condition when you saw the house many times prior to purchase.
4. Get a Van ready
You may be moving on your own, or get a professional mover to help you. Whichever the case may be, you will need to give a proper estimate on the number of things that you are bringing, so that you may get a van of the appropriate size. If you have very little things, getting a van which is too big will waste your money for the rental of a big van, while getting a van too small will hike up your petrol price or service due to the number of trips that you need to take.
5. Preparing for the first night
When you move, you probably will want to move your beds into the house first and install them just to be sure that you have a surface to sleep on for the night. If you do not, you probably will need to get some sleeping bags ready for yourself and your family. Most of the time, it is advised that you plan ahead and move the biggest furniture and items into the house first before you move everything else. Have someone work on the installation of the furniture while the rest of the team work on bringing in the remaining items from your old home to the new one. If you’re not in a hurry to move, you may wish to make several trips over the span of a few days, with the first day doing cleaning and furniture installation, and the next weeks bringing in items from your old house. Spanning your move this way may even save you some money, as you might not need to engage in the rental of vans or professional movers.