Here is our checklist of jobs to complete in the lead up to a move:
1. Don’t leave anything till the last minute – being prepared will mean that your first night in your new home will be comfortable and you will be able to relax – with the electricity on!
2. Connect your utilities: It goes without saying that this one is important. The last thing you want when you on your first night in a new home is to arrive only to find that your lights, water and gas don’t work. Eating dinner by candlelight isn’t as romantic as it sounds when you are surrounded by half unpacked boxes and children who want to watch the TV. Making sure utilities are connected in advance also means that if you have chosen to move on the weekend, you will not have to wait until offices open on Monday to be able to sort it out.
3. Change your address: Take some time to sit down and notify all the relevant people of your new address. This may include schools, government bodies, or sporting clubs. Send out a group email to your friends to let them know that you have changed address. Do this before you move as you may find that you are very busy after you arrive in your new home.
4. Organise insurances: Make sure you organise insurance for your new home. Ensure that your insurance for your new home begins the day before you arrive and your old homes insurance ends the day after you arrive. This way you are fully covered in case anything unexpected happens.
5. Get spare keys cut: In the hustle and bustle that is moving day, you may find that some things get lost. If your new house keys fall under that list then problems can arise. As soon as you receive the keys to your new home you should get copies made up for your family. This way if your keys are misplaced then your family will be there with a backup and you will avoid any unnecessary stress.
6. Organise parking: If you will be relocating to a built-up area then make sure that there will be a place to park the van when you arrive. If you are using a professional moving service such as Allied then they will be able to organise this for you.
7. Organise entertainment for children: When booking your move, you should consider whether you want to move on a weekday or on a weekend. Moving on a weekend means that children will not be at school. Make sure they are kept entertained on the day by giving them their own special box to pack or keeping colouring in books or a ball aside for them to play with. It might even be a great time to get family members to have a playdate with them to entertain them and let you focus on the move.
8. Prepare an unpacking box: This box should contain everything that is needed to successfully unpack your belongings on the day. This might include scissors, tape, screwdrivers, nails, and everything else that might be required to put your furniture back together. Having this box pre-prepared means that everything you need is easily found and you will not have to spend time searching for parts of furniture.
9. Prepare for the first night in your new home: Prepare what we at Allied like to call a ‘first night box’. This box will contain everything that you will need to survive the first night in your new home. This can include basic toiletries, pyjamas and a spare change of clothes. Make sure that you include a set of fresh linen and bedding in your first night box. Moving day can mean that things are hard to find and you don’t want to have to spend hours looking for your sheets on your first night in your new home.
10. Cater for the day: A good idea is to prepare food and drink for the day in advance. Chances are that on moving day you will be too busy to sit down and prepare lunch for yourself and family, so a good idea is to prepare some sandwiches the day before.
Remember that using a professional moving service to facilitate your move will alleviate a lot of the stress that comes with relocating to a new home. Moving companies such as Allied move thousands of people every year so will be able to help you to make sure that nothing is forgotten when you move homes.
Remember that using a professional moving service to facilitate your move will alleviate a lot of the stress that comes with relocating to a new home. Moving companies such as Allied move thousands of people every year so will be able to help you to make sure that nothing is forgotten when you move homes.