Top 10 moving house tips

Top 10 moving house tips

Top 10 moving house tips

Whether you’re moving into your newly purchased home, or you’ve just recently finished building your own property, or just switching rental properties. Moving house does not necessarily have to be a stressful experience. Be Forward Real Estate have compiled the ultimate moving guide featuring the Top 10 moving house tips.

1. Book a removal company

The first decision you need to make is if you’ll be moving yourself or whether you’ll use a moving company. When you do it yourself it could  mean a lot of added stress and time. The removal company will have many years’ experience. They’ll carefully pack, handle and load delicate and heavy items so they arrive safely at your new house.

2. Declutter your belongings

Decluttering is essential to do every now and then, but it’s even more important before moving house. Before even attempting to pack, you should decide what to sell, donate or throw out. You don’t want to be moving clothing,  furniture and ornaments that you don’t want to use in your new property. You’ll be glad of it come moving day and believe us, the removal guys will be glad that they don’t need to shift unnecessary items.

3. Pack as early as possible

Once the moving date is confirmed, make a start on packing as soon as you can. Get together a plan of action with a room by room checklist of how you will pack along with all of the packing material you’ll need. Make sure you are ruthless here.  This is the perfect time to cull unwanted and unneeded items.

As you pack, try to label each box with what’s inside, where it goes in your new home and any special instructions such as FRAGILE, THIS SIDE UP etc. Be as detailed as you can as it will make it much easier when you’re unpacking if you know what needs to be unpacked first.

4. Create an inventory

Creating an inventory helps you keep an eye on all your belongings. This helps make sure nothing is lost throughout the whole moving house process. Your removal company can create an inventory for you so this is also worth considering.

5. Take photos

Take photos of all wired connections at the back of your electronic sets ups. This is a great way to keep track of what goes where when you’re putting everything back together in your new house. The same applies to any furniture that requires complex assembly. You can also take photos of any wall displays, ornament placement, or shelving setups in your current home that you are fond of and wish to recreate in your new place.

6. Make travel arrangements

If you have pets think about their travel plans and how they will be relocated to their new home.  It is worth contacting a few pet transport companies to work out the logistics. If you’re driving a long distance to your new home, make sure your car is fully serviced and checked. You don’t want to have any issues on the way.

7. Pack an essentials box

This is your survival box! Pack the things you use every day and night in a separate bag and keep this with you at all times. Items such as medicine, toiletries, change of clothes, phone chargers etc will all come in handy.

8. Get the kids sorted

If you’re moving house with children, get them involved in packing their own items. For teenagers this is an opportunity for them to let go of old toys and books, helping you to declutter further. Get them to creatively label their stuff with bright colours and drawings as a way to keep them interested.

However, if you are not comfortable with the little ones around, it’s better if they are out of the way completely. Ask family or friends if they could help out for the day or organise a trusty babysitter to take care of them.

9. Use quality materials

Usually, you’ll be able to buy quality packaging materials from your removal company. But you’ll be pleasantly surprised what you can also get for free. There is a vast assortment of different boxes you can get from removal companies along with the correct packing materials. Additionally you will also need packing tape, bubble wrap, zip tie bags, labels and marker pens.

10. Contact your utility providers

With a little over two weeks to moving you need to contact all your relevant utility providers. You do not want to wait until the last minute to get things sorted in your new house, this can be a recipe for disaster. Be Forward Real Estate can point you in the right direction and connect you to the people with the right expertise. Things to consider include connection of your electricity, water, internet, pay TV, home phone and more.  With one call we can arrange all your core home moving needs and connect you with Zambia’s leading suppliers.

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