Packing up your life and moving house can be a very stressful experience. You feel like there is so much to do and so little time.

Luckily, through helping so many people find their dream home we have picked up some advice to make the move less painful. Follow our top tips for moving and you’ll be relaxing in your new home in no time.

Preparing for the move

1. Declutter – Make packing easier with a big clear out. There is no need to move the things you don’t use anymore. Bring the unwanted items to charity shops, recycling centres or even sell them on Facebook Marketplace or Done Deal. Don’t forget to clear out attics, sheds and storage rooms too!
2. Make a moving folder – Have one place to keep all the paperwork about your move. Have a physical folder for the hardcopies and make a folder in your email/phone to keep all the important information in one place.
3. Create a master moving to-do list - You’ll be juggling a lot and you don’t want to forget any of the important tasks. Written lists are great for the smaller tasks when you’re doing them but consider a master electronic list in your phone, tablet or laptop. Outline all the items for the entire move with as much detail as you can think of.

Packing

1. Boxes: Start getting boxes and containers ready for packing early. You could call to your local shop and see if they have any that they can give to you for free.
2. Colour code labels: Labelling your boxes avoids you from digging through 10 boxes to find the frying pan for your first breakfast in your new home. Save time with your box labelling by picking up sheets of different coloured stickers and assigning each room a colour. No need to hunt down the marker every time you pack a box!
3. Take pictures:  Snap a quick pic of the back of the television or workstation before you unplug all the wires so you can easily set them back up in your new home. Also, a quick picture of a box, once it’s packed, can jog your memory of what’s in which box.

The Big Day is Nearly Here

1. Keep the essentials with you – Pack a suitcase with a change of clothes, a toothbrush, must-have stuffed animals or toys for the kids, medications, etc. This way there’s no stress to locate these in the mountain of boxes for your first night in your new home.
2. Utilities: If you can sort out your new utility bills such as gas, electricity, broadband etc, before you move you will be all set up and ready to go when you move in. Likewise, if you can cancel your utilities in the old home, you will save yourself the time and hassle of cancelling them when you’ve moved.
3. New address: Update your address with your bank, car and home insurance, just to name a few.

These are just a few tips to make your move go smoothly. Happy moving!