Get Moving……! 

 

By Amanda Edney

 

Moving house can be exhausting and stressful for some but for others it is an exciting time, heralding new beginnings and a chance to create a lovely new home.  The key to a stress-free move is to start planning as soon as you know you are moving and to get sorting and packing early, always focusing on your new home.

Get Planning

 

Moving house is the perfect opportunity for a re-think of your use of space and the function of each room.  As soon as you know where you are moving to, start planning what you will take to your new home and where it will all go!

 

Draw up some floor plans for your new home.  This will enable you to plan each room and to put the furniture in the right place right from the start!  It will also give you early heads-up if any furniture won’t fit!

 

·        Make sure you have accurate measurements of each room in the new home. 

·        Invest a couple of pounds in a scale ruler and teach yourself how to draw simple room plans of your new home. 

·        Indicate position of windows, doors, radiators, and chimney breasts on your room plans

·        Measure up the furniture you will be taking with you and draw and cut out templates to the same scale.

·        Place your templates on your room plans and move them about until you are pleased with the layout.

·        Trace the new layouts and use them to organise placement of furniture when you arrive at the new house.

 

Moving is also a great time to rethink uses for pieces of furniture.  That old kitchen table may make a great desk for one of the children or those old shelves could be painted up and used in the new playroom!  Also consider your storage requirements.  Will there be more or less fitted storage in your new home?  If you have adequate storage planned and know where everything is going before the move, it will make your move so much easier.

 

Being prepared before you jump into the task of sorting and packing up your house can save you valuable time and energy. Calculate how many boxes you will need and get these well in advance.  It’s important to use strong boxes, which are fit for the task but think of the environment and try to get used boxes – try www.freecycle.co.uk. Save old newspapers for wrapping breakables. Old rags, towels, worn bedding, duvets – can be also be used for packing. 

 

Get Sorting

 

Start sorting your possessions as soon as possible.  Be ruthless!  Get rid of everything that you no longer need or have use for so you aren't simply just moving your old clutter to your new home. Begin at the top of the house and move downwards. (If you have an attic, it's a good idea to sort that out first.)  Make use of online auction sites, charity shops or www.freecycle.co.uk so other people can make use of your unwanted items.

 

As you sort you can begin packing the things that you use less often, for example: old bills; photos; books; ornaments and out-of-season clothes.  When you are ready to start packing everything else up, you will be relieved that you gave yourself a head-start!

 

Get Packing

Allow plenty of time for packing and make it fun with some great music and perhaps some good friends to help. Pack one room at a time, clearly labelling each box contents in big black permanent marker letters on the side with details of its contents and the room to which it will go in the new house.  Colour coding labels according to which rooms they will go in is a good idea. Keep all boxes for each room together. This will save time unpacking later.

• Pack important documents together, such as birth and marriage certificates, and keep them in a safe place.

• Pack an 'essentials' box containing: toilet paper; cleaning materials; tea; coffee; milk; snacks; cups; plates, utensils and a kettle.

•  Prepare an overnight bag for everyone in the family.

• Other useful items that should be kept close to hand are a torch, a first-aid kit, pen and notepaper, and a small tool kit.

Get Settled

When you finally arrive at your new home, make sure everything is unloaded before you start to unpack.  Put all the boxes in the far corners of the rooms they belong in. This will allow you to have plenty of space to place your furniture – following your plans of course!

Don't attempt to do all your unpacking on the first day - just unpack the essentials and make sure there is somewhere comfortable to sit, eat and sleep. Make it your priority to make the beds and hang the bedroom curtains - by the end of the day you'll be exhausted and won’t want to be hunting around for bedding then!

Oh yes and don’t forget to crack open a bottle of bubbly to celebrate…!

Enjoy your new home…!

 

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