On the move: tops tips for a stress-free home removal
You don’t need a psychologist to tell you that after bereavement and divorce, moving home is the third most stressful life event. The upheaval, packing and endless admin can leave the most stoic individual feeling frazzled. Getting organized and approaching it in a methodical way can do much to ease the strain. Follow our guide to moving home without tears. Van talk Unless you’re moving from a small apartment or live a minimalist, clutter free existence, think carefully about whether the money you save by hiring a van and moving yourself is worth the toll on your nerves. If you’re a dab hand at navigating a sofa up two flights of stairs and have beefy friends who can help out, all well and good. If you’re going to hire professionals, make a list of all your large items before you pick up the ‘phone to removals companies. In order to give you a quote based on size of van, distance to be travelled and work time required, they’ll need to know the volume of contents that you want to move. Jot down a list of the number of beds, tables and chairs, wardrobes and other pieces of furniture, white goods, electrical items such as TVs and computers, garden furniture and gardening equipment, bikes and an approximate number of boxes. Get three quotes from different companies to make sure you get the best deal. Pets Cats and dogs get very attached to their territory, so while moving can be annoying for you, it’s extremely stressful for your pet. Arrange to have them stay with a friend while you move so you can concentrate on the job in hand, without worrying about the little blighters running out while the front door is open. You may even want to board them in kennels or a cattery for a few days while you settle in to your new home. Paper trails The sheer volume of paperwork involved in upping sticks can be overwhelming, so make a list of the companies and service providers who need to be informed of your change in circumstances and new address. List all the utilities suppliers – gas, phone and electricity and water boards – your bank and credit card providers, and insurance policies from cars to home contents and other policies such as private healthcare. You’ll also need to update your driving licence, TV licence and remember that cable and digital TV suppliers often require that you notify them 30 days in advance in order to cancel services without penalty. It will be a long list of phone calls to plough through, but you will have the satisfaction of knowing it’s all been done. To ensure that important and confidential correspondence doesn’t go astray, it’s also worth arranging for your post to be re-directed at least for the first month. Postal re-direction forms are available at your local Post Office. Packing wise If you own a vast collection of fine china, antiques and expensive glassware or simply don’t have the time required to wrap and box your fragile items carefully, it’s worth considering asking your removal firm to do this for you. The larger firms usually provide this service and will pack up your home for you over a number of days prior to the move. If you require this assistance, make sure it’s included in your three quotes. If you are packing yourself, you’ll need plenty of boxes, bubble wrap and tissue paper wrap or newspaper, strong packing tape and a fistful of marker pens. It's worth checking your local recycling network – try Freecycle – to see if you can get hold of someone else's boxes before you shell out on a new lot of your own. You can buy strong packing boxes in various sizes from retailers such as Homebase, from your removal company or local storage depot. Buy plenty! If you’ve calculated that you’ll need 30, buy 40 and chances are you’ll still be looking for just one more box. Although it’s time consuming, all fragile items – each cup, saucer and ornament - needs to be carefully wrapped. Tackle the packing room by room and mark up each box with both the room it’s destined for and what’s inside – ‘Kitchen-glasses’, ‘Kitchen crockery’ and so on - so all can be readily identified at the other end. And don’t over pack large boxes with heavy items such as books – split the contents over two – your removal men will be grateful. Electrical goods such as CD players and TVs, computers and printers must be handled with care. If you no longer have the original boxes, ensure that they are bubble wrapped and tightly packed in well-fitting boxes so they won’t rattle around. And don’t forget to pack an ‘essentials’ box- the kettle, a few mugs, tea bags, sugar, milk, cutlery, a torch, radio, tea towel, cleaning cloths, toilet roll and light bulbs - to take with you in the car or to be put on the van last. The move While it’s impossible to know how all your belongings will fit in your new home until you’re actually in situ, it’s a good idea to have a rough plan of what needs to go where. This way, you can tell your removal men which pieces of furniture and boxes need to go in each room and will mean you won’t need to lug around large pieces of furniture after the move. Again, if boxes are clearly marked ‘kitchen’ and ‘bedroom 1’ and so on, the unloading of the van into your home will run more swiftly. If there is a spare room in the house, allocate this space for boxes and bags of items that do not need to be unpacked within the first week at least. This will keep the decks clearer for the items you need immediately. If not, identity a corner of a room. On the day of the move, wear comfortable clothes and shoes. It will be a long day. It pays to keep your removal men plied with snacks and drinks – particularly if you’re moving on a hot day when they’ll need to drink plenty of water. This way they’ll be more congenial when you mutter that you think the solid oak sideboard would look better upstairs. Insurance matters Despite your best endeavours, items can get broken or damaged in transit especially if you’re moving a long distance away. Most large removal companies provide insurance cover as part of the package but if you’re using a smaller outfit or local "man with a van" you may have to arrange this yourself. Contact your home contents insurance provider to check whether you’re covered for a house move and adjust your policy – along with details of your new address – accordingly. Sainsbury’s offer a range of financial services including personal loans, life insurance, pet insurance and savings accounts. Visit www.sainsburysbank.co.uk for quotes and more information
