How To Prepare For The Big Move

The anxiety of not knowing where to start can be daunting. Packing household items and transporting them to your new home are not the only things that should be considered when moving. If you develop a strategy and have a clear to-do list, the stress of relocating can be decreased majorly.

So how should you prepare for the big move? Britannia Fleet Removals are highly skilled and experienced in helping families and individuals move every day. Here are some tips to help you.

 

Declutter Your Home

You may hear this tip often and possibly for good reason. Decluttering before packing is highly effective when preparing for a move. Not only will it eventually save you space in the van, but it will also save you time packing up. Disposing of unwanted, outdated things, or giving your old clothes to charities, means you won’t have to think about the necessity and relevance of each item when you come to arrange your belongings in the boxes.

After you get rid of the clutter, you can also evaluate the space in your new home more objectively. It is easier to plan the space and locations needed for your inventory in the new home when there are only the necessary items left.

Packing items is just preparing to unpack. The less clutter you have, the less time it will take to unpack the boxes at your new home. You will be able to get on with the rest of your settling-in plan much quicker. Most probably you will want to concentrate on more important tasks, such as signing up with your new council, shopping for new household items and furniture, maybe starting a new job.

 

Plan Your Moving Budget & Decide How To Move

Relocating to your new home requires some expenses, most of which can be planned for. Bear in mind, you should also consider emergency spendings in your budgets, such as deposit deduction and repairing accidentally broken items.

You can plan expenses for:

  • Packaging materials,
  • End-of-tenancy cleaning,
  • Van and removal company hires,
  • The moving journey.

You might ask how much on average your friends or family members spent on moving their homes before, however, the best solution would be to do individual research. The costs will vary depending on your property type and size, the distance of the journey you need to make to your new home, as well as the type of services you will require.

Doing everything by yourself may not always be the cheapest solution, and we suggest some key reasons to hire professionals. Read How Using House Removal Services Can Save You Time & Costs on our previous blog post.

The best way to budget for required services is to ask for a quote from the companies in your area. If you are a busy person some house removal companies like Britannia Fleet Removals may create a plan and budget for you after filling out their moving survey. Get in touch with us for your quote for moving in and out of the Liverpool area today.

 

Prepare Enough Packing Materials

It is convenient to have all package materials ready for you to use when the time comes. Avoid the frustration of searching for boxes, wrapping and sealing tape, or running out of materials at the worst time. Having to regularly visit the shop to buy more materials, such as sealing tape, is time-consuming and unnecessary. Do your best to evaluate how much packaging you will need for the size of your house and the volume of your items. Additionally, make sure to practice compact packing to use any free space in the boxes.

Furthermore, think of protecting your houses’ access areas. This means covering your doorways, walls, and narrow staircases to protect them from accidental damage or scratching while carrying out items with sharp edges. This will require additional protective materials.

Some packing tools can be pricy and if you don’t buy in bulk the costs will add up to be more than expected. House removal companies often offer to estimate the approximate amount of packing materials you need. In some cases, you may even be entitled to free materials – get in touch with Britannia Fleet Removals to find out if you’re eligible.

 

Settle Any Bills & Arrange a Change of Address

This step might seem obvious but easy to forget. Make a list of all your providers and confirm that the bills have been settled. It’s easy to miss some payments when you’re in charge of the move, especially if you leave some tasks to the last minute. You don’t want energy companies chasing you with outstanding bills when you’re trying to settle in a new home.

Before you start, make a list of everyone that needs to be notified of your address change. That way you can avoid new letters, postcards, vouchers, and bank details being sent to your old address.

Make sure to notify your council, bank, doctors, and service providers of a change of address in advance. For example, it takes 3-4 weeks to transfer broadband and internet to a new address, considering your internet company provides the service in the new home area. Notifying them in advance will give you time to arrange the best service for your needs. Not to mention, you won’t have to live in a new home with no internet for the first 3 weeks.

Finally, make sure to contact your council to settle the council tax and collect all the bins. If not done in time this can result in a penalty fee.

 

Plan Your Logistics

After you’ve made the moving plan, it is easy to change some logistics before the actual journey. You can consider the strategy as your starting point to save you time and effort when you move. Changing any required services last minute, such as hiring an end-of-tenancy cleaner, is possible. You can even decide to rent a storage space last minute to make the final transportation process easier, in case your new home is too far and you need to move out of the current property in advance.

However, once you’re in the process of transporting all belongings, no major changes can be made. Depending on the size of the van you hire, you may need to schedule time for several trips if all belongings don’t fit in the van at once. Furthermore, you need to plan the most appropriate journey to your new home. This includes calculating the costs and time you will spend on toll roads, avoiding narrow neighbourhood roads, accounting for any service stops, as well as arranging parking space at your current and new home to load and unload your items efficiently. It will require some research and mapping if you drive yourself. However, if you hire a removal company to help you out, it will save time and costs if you notify the team about any possible obstacles in advance.

 

Don’t Hesitate to Ask for Help

Whether you move alone or with a big family and young children, it consumes a lot of energy. Preparing can be made easier by house removal companies, such as Britannia Fleet Removals which help people to move in and out of the Liverpool area. Professional teams can prepare the plan for you. They can arrange everything, from budgeting, packing your house, to unpacking in your new home. To get your quote today, call Britannia Fleet removals on 0151 482 0432 or get in touch via our contact form.