The Ultimate House Moving Guide

Moving has more in’s and out’s than a maze garden. Where it seems like it should all be so simple – pack things, move things, unpack things, it is very seldom such an easy road.

We’re not turtles or hermit crabs, and despite their enviable position, it’s nice to have a few more things that can fit in a shell on our back. Here is a good batch of advice for moving house to make the process less hassle and more of a hooray!

House Moving Guide: How to Move House

There are a few very important general steps to do when you have to move house, and they apply to everyone, without exceptions. This is the ultimate house moving guide after all. And here they are:

1. Cleaning up
2. Choosing a moving company
3. Packing everything
4. Transporting one’s belongings
5. Unpacking
6. Change of address

How to Clean Up Your Place

We all have things we do not need. When you move, you have a rare opportunity to rife through your miscellany and make a concerted effort to de-junk your life. It may seem like an arbitrary figure, but it’s a figure that has served this seasoned mover well.

De-cluttering is a very important part, as it lessens the baggage before the move.

1. Start with throwing away the garbage.
2. Look around for more hidden garbage. Sometimes garbage might not mean junk, but just an item that you’ll never use and only takes up space and gathers dust. You don’t want such things with you. Not when you’re starting a new life at a new place.
3. Use the 12:12:12 de-cluttering technique. Throw away 12 items you don’t need, donate another 12 items you don’t need and sell another 12 items you don’t need. It’s a good way to get rid of stuff you might otherwise not consider.
4. Do an end of tenancy deep clean. Obviously, it won’t look the same way as you moved in once upon a time, but it can be close enough. Deep clean of walls, carpets, not to mention the kitchen with all its weak points, like the fridge, the oven, the cupboards. If you’re expecting a security deposit back, this is inevitable. And, of course, you can always call professional cleaners for that.
5. Do a pre-tenancy cleaning. You just have to start your life at the new place with a clean room. Even if the previous tenants did an end of tenancy clean, you should make sure everything is spotless before moving in. You can use the cleaning services of pre-tenancy cleaners as well.

How to Choose the Best Moving Company

Do you have an army of helpers at the ready? Do you have a reliable truck sorted? Do you have enough beer and pizza to satiate your helpers? If not, or your move is too much for your friends and family to handle, the best way for planning a house move is to book a moving company.

1. Check online. It’s the 21st century and if a business does not have a website, they’re either complete dummies, or don’t have enough budged. Both cases, you don’t need them.
2. Evaluate the information. A good moving company maintains a very user-friendly website. If they don’t give enough info, or don’t list benefits, you might be looking at a scam. Even if it is not, they’re not trying hard enough to keep your interest. You don’t need them.
3. Check benefits. Good companies offer free non-obligatory quotes, have full insurance, at least a few different services, discounts for booking two or more services, good vehicles and a professional team of moving specialists. These things should be listed.
4. Ask for payment. Different moving companies charge differently. Some might charge you by the hour, other by weight, and others by staff members, including combinations of all three.
5. Compare quotes. Since the Internet provides a huge database of businesses you can choose from, it’s important to know how to compare different moving quotes, so you can chose the right one for you.

How to Pack for Moving House

Packing is the biggest headache inducing activity and takes up the majority of tips onpacking and moving house. When it comes to packing furniture, it’s important to get all needed materials (and make sure they’re not low-quality) and pack in waves.

1. Start a week before moving day with items you won’t be using the last week before the move.
2. Try to coordinate the amount of food you have in the fridge – it has to finish exactly one day before the move, so it can be empty on the next and not force you to throw away perfectly good products.
3. Pack boxes by room and not by item.
4. Label boxes for each room to make unpacking easier.
5. The day before the move, pack a box of cleaning essentials and a box of your own essential (snacks, towels, medicine, etc.) and label them in red so they can stand out and be unpacked first.
6. Wrap furniture with stretch wrap to avoid scratches.
7. Pack the last items (sheets, pyjamas) in the morning of moving day.

How to Unpack After Moving House

Unpacking in the new place is also a part of the house moving guide, and a very important one at that. You cannot start unpacking without a deep clean. So, hopefully you did a good pre-tenancy clean before moving in.

1. Use the movers to get the furniture where you want it. You can’t make things any easier than this. Furniture is heavy and will give you the most back pain, so knowing which piece of furniture goes where can help you a lot. Just tell the movers where to put everything and you’re only left with opening the boxes.
2. Place boxes in every room. This is why we had to label the boxes in the first place. Place every box in the corresponding room.
3. Unpack by room. Start with the kitchen and bathroom. These are the rooms that will more or less stay the same through your whole stay in this place and there probably wouldn’t be any rearrangements in the future.
4. Leave carpets and rugs for the end.
5. Get rid of moving boxes. There are lots of ways to get rid of cardboard boxes from giving them to friends, to donating, to selling them second hand if they’re in good condition.

How to Change Your Address

There are a number of logistical problems with a move, and utilities are a common culprit on this house moving guide. Before you move, change the address of your documents and all your utilities.

1. Passport. Be glad, you don’t have to update your passport, one thing less to think about.
2. Drivers Licence. Online fast and easy.
3. Water Supply. Online, fast and easy.
4. Gas and Electricity supplier. Give at least 48 hour notice that you’re changing your address, so they can calculate your last bill.
5. Minor Utilities. Landline, Internet provider, cable.

With a well organised list and plenty of advance notice will make even moving house for the first time easy. It’s not the best house moving guide out there, but the most important stuff are right here. A few simple steps, one simple house moving list. Make the big day easier.