A Guide to Help You Move into a New Home
It’s moving in day! The day you’ve been so excited for but dreading at the same time. The process of packing up can actually take away all the fun. It’s very daunting thinking about the prospect that you are literally packing your whole life away. Best to stamp these thoughts out quickly and think about why you’re moving in the first place! Fear not, this guide will give you ideas to help make the process a lot easier. It also includes some sustainability tips to make the process a little bit greener.
Plan ahead
Moving to a new home is always stressful. Make your life easier by planning ahead of time. Create a list of all the things you want to get done for the big move. Be sure to hire professionals well in advance. If you’re the type of person that tends to procrastinate, consider even making a moving schedule. Each day, plan what room you intend to pack up. A tip is to leave the kitchen till last as you’re likely to use this up until moving day. That’s unless you plan to use this as an excuse to order in takeaway every night!
Accept help from friends and family
If people offer to help you, it is most likely that they genuinely mean it. Welcome the offer! Moving in with the help of friends or family makes the job more fun in itself. Put on some upbeat music to help you get through it. Packing up with people you love will make the time go so much quicker. Once everything is all packed up and in your new home, go treat yourselves to a cocktail or two.
Get rid of stuff
We only realise how much stuff we’ve accumulated over the years when we decide to move out. This is the perfect opportunity to declutter. There is no point keeping stuff you no longer use. Here’s a great tip if you find it difficult to throw away your sentimental items. Take a picture of all the items you once held dear. These could be gifts that you don’t use or need anymore. Put all these photographs together in a journal which you can keep forever. It’s much better to give these items away to a charity so they can be used again.
Take a couple of days off work
Moving home takes up a lot of time and energy. It’s wise to take some time off work so you don’t frantically race to get everything up and running in time. You’ll be more mentally ready knowing you have time to get everything sorted out. Moving everything in a rush is just going to make the ordeal more stressful. I would also suggest taking an extra day off to recover. Moving is exhausting and you should treat yourself after all that hard work.
Collect cardboard boxes from local shops
There’s no need to buy brand new cardboard boxes. This will not only make your move more expensive, but it’s also environmentally unfriendly. It seems pointless to buy boxes that will only be thrown out after one use. Cardboard boxes are often fine to use multiple times before they wear out. Visit your local supermarket and ask if you can pick up some boxes. They’re likely to say yes and save them a bit of hassle. It’s important to try and be environmentally conscious when moving home.
Pack smarter
Another way to reduce the number of cardboard boxes you use is to pack smarter. This means utilising all your space. Utilise your furniture. Pack items into your drawers so you don’t need to use as many boxes. Be wise on how you pack your items too. Don’t just stuff everything together without thinking properly where everything will be most well-placed. You’re likely to lose out on essential space if you pack this way. Take your time!
Create an inventory to save much time and hassle
You’ll thank yourself for this one when it comes to unpacking. You don’t have to list every single item, but it would help to categorise your items. This doesn’t just fall into categorising which rooms your items will fall into. It’s best to be more specific and systematic. For instance, when it comes to the kitchen label your items in groups – electronics, cutlery, crockery, pots, and pans. This little extra effort will save you a lot of time later on.
Do not use plastic
You may think you need to use plastic to protect your valuables, but that is simply not the case. There is a wealth of other materials you can use to help keep your most treasured items safe. Keep hold of your magazines and newspapers from the last months. These can be used to wrap your valuables. You’ll also be giving them a second use! Your linens are also a great way to keep your fragile items safe. This will actually give more protection than plastic because it’s softer. This would be great to shield your treasured ornaments.
Decorate before you move all your furniture in
If you’re given the opportunity, decorate your new home before you move in. This way you don’t have to bother moving your furniture all over again in months to come. Get all your walls painted before the big move. Whilst you’re at your old place packing up your stuff, your decorator can be at your new home finishing off the final touches. Once again, this will help reduce the stress that comes with moving into a new home.
Purchase green cleaning products
One of the big pains that come with moving is that you have to clean two properties! There’s no exciting way of getting around this (besides keeping that music playing in the background!). However, you can make this process more environmentally friendly. There is an increased variety of green cleaning products available on the market now. You can even find guides online rating the most environmentally friendly cleaning products you can purchase. Be sure to recycle the bottles once you’re done with them.
Hire a handyman to help around
You want to make moving into a new home as convenient as possible. We’ve already established that it’s a big hassle in itself. There’s no need to make it harder on ourselves. You won’t regret forking out a little extra money to make your life easier. Hire someone to install your washing machine and hire a different person to make sure your curtains are properly fitted. You have enough stress to deal with without worrying about whether your bathroom shelves have been properly fitted.
Although moving to a new home can be stressful, there’s no need to burden yourself with the thought. Don’t let it take away the excitement of moving home in the first place. There are plenty of ways to make the transition smoother. If you’re thinking of moving home soon, start the process now by getting in touch with one of our sales specialists at Zanzi Homes. We’ll add extra peace of mind to finding your perfect new home.