Moving house: the one thing you probably didn’t think of

Moving house is one of the most stressful events of a person’s life. From boxing everything up to changing your address with a million different service providers, there’s a lot to remember leading up to the big day.

And we’d hazard a guess there’s at least one thing you haven’t considered that’ll make moving day go a lot smoother… (we’ll get to that in a minute).

Moving house should be a happy day, so let’s break down a few of the bigger things you need to consider so you don’t end up stressed out when it’s time to go.

Going through all of your things BEFORE moving house

Moving house is a great opportunity to declutter your home.

Packing up, physically moving, and finding a place for things you don’t use anymore is a real waste of energy and money.

First, you’ll want to decide what you really want to keep. This can be quite draining, because you’re constantly making decisions you’d probably rather not be making.

Before throwing anything away, first decide if it’s something that can be sold, donated (to a local charity shop, for example) or repurposed (maybe those old boots would make a quirky plant pot for the new house…)

At SunSkips, we’re committed to keeping as much waste out of landfill as possible, and the best way to do that is for things not to end up as waste in the first place.

Having already cleared out a lot of unnecessary things, your new home will feel like it’s already had a spring clean by the time you get there.

Getting rid of what’s leftover (the one thing you probably didn’t think of)

When moving house, people are usually so concerned with getting their stuff packed up for the big move that they forget they’ll need to make arrangements to get rid of all the stuff they won’t be taking with them.

This last-minute realisation can often cause problems when the local recycling centre opening times don’t fit your moving schedule, or there’s a queue to get in.

So, for everything you weren’t able to find a use for or sell, consider hiring a skip so it’s all taken care of without any additional hassle.

Once you’ve confirmed a time for the skip to be dropped off, all you need to worry about is filling it before the collection date.

This is also a good time to scope out the logistics of moving day. Understanding how to prepare for your skip hire is going to help when it comes to getting moving vans/lorries to your property.

If you’re moving from the Suffolk and Cambridgeshire area, SunSkips can help you find the right size skip for the job, from a two-yard mini-skip (if you’ve only got a few things to throw out), to an eight-yard builders’ skip if you’ve got whole garages and attics to clear.

Bear in mind that SunSkips won’t be able to help out with any liquids (half-filled paint tins, for example), asbestos, food water, faeces, gas bottle/cylinders, medicine or needles.

Things like TVs, monitors, fridge/freezers, microwaves, kettles, mattresses, tyres, dry paint, fluorescent tubes, batteries, and plasterboard can be taken away by special arrangement. Get in touch to discuss your requirements when you have a clearer picture of what you need to throw away.

See? Didn’t think of all that, did you? Now, let’s get packing!

Picking up a few different size boxes and some packing tape

You can buy strong cardboard boxes for a reasonable price, and they usually come folded down and ready to assemble with packing tape, but you might be able to find some perfectly good ones without spending a penny.

Ask friends and local businesses if they have any cardboard boxes they would otherwise put in the recycling to save money and reuse resources that are readily available.

Give them a quick strength test (a little kick once it’s assembled should do the trick) and separate the decent quality ones from the ones that are likely to break down in transit.

If any of them are in good condition after the move, see if anyone you know in the area could use them to avoid creating more waste.

Wrapping delicate items ahead of time (it can take a while)

Photo: Fantastic Removals

Rather than frantically running around looking for old newspapers to wrap your fine china in because you left it too late, get some of the more fragile items packed up sooner rather than later.

One sheet of newspaper or brown paper per item should be enough, and add additional cushioning to the box they’re going into so they don’t get chipped.

Avoid piling all your crockery into the same box because there’s a danger of them knocking together and getting chipped. If there’s room in your own car, try to find a secure place for them there rather than risk it shifting about in the moving truck.

Small items like jewellery should be properly stored in a box with the lid and drawers taped down so they don’t open unexpectedly in transit.

Packing up everything else for moving day

It might make life a little uncomfortable for a while, but packing up everything that’s not essential for day-to-day living will really help keep everything on track.

If you’re unsure if some things will be useful ahead of moving day, don’t bury them in boxes at the bottom of the stack. You can leave a couple of boxes open that you can seal on the day or that can be popped in your own car.

You might want to pack an easily accessible suitcase or bag for the essentials, almost like you’re planning for a short break. There’s nothing worse than wasting time opening sealed boxes for that one thing you didn’t set aside.

Things that tend to get lost easily like important documents and contracts related to the move and the keys to the new property, so put them somewhere safe and let everyone involved know where they are.

Organise and label your boxes so it’s easy for you and the movers to put them in the right room when they reach your new home.

But just because items belong in the same room, doesn’t mean you want to pack everything into the same boxes. Larger boxes are usually better for lighter items, so you might pack the bed linen in with the living room cushions, for example. Similarly, heavy items like books are best put into smaller boxes so you don’t injure yourself trying to lift them.

Hiring a removal company

It’s probably best to have as many of your things packed up as possible before you get in touch with movers, that way you’ll have a much clearer idea of how much you’ll need to be transported.

You might also be able to easily disassemble a few pieces of furniture in order to save space (and perhaps money if it means you won’t need a big truck).

Once everything is in view, it’s a good idea to make an inventory of all your belongings (or better yet, take a few photos on your phone so you have a handy reference that can also prove the pre-move condition of your furniture).

If you haven’t already, you should measure up all the furniture that’s going with you and lay out a plan for where it’s going in the new house so you don’t have to shift things around yourself.

You might like to get a quote from a few different companies (three is probably enough) so you don’t pay more than you have to. There are several removal companies in the Suffolk area and of course, many reputable Cambridge removal companies too (we don’t have a relationship with any of them; just trying to be helpful).

Changing your address with service providers

Once you’re in your new house, you’ll need to change your details with all your service providers so they know you’ve moved and to stop sending mail to your old address.

It’s easy to forget a few providers, so you could also set up a redirect with Royal Mail to make sure you don’t miss any important post.

On top of that, you should also let the local authorities know where you’re living for the purposes of council tax and voting. If you live in East Cambridgeshire, for example, you can let them know of your change of address on their website. Most local authorities have an online portal to make this process a bit easier.

Getting the new house ready

Depending on the type of property you’ve moved into, you might have more clearing out to do once you get there.

Perhaps you were left with a space that wasn’t properly emptied, a rogue wardrobe still full of junk, or you’ve set your mind on renovating the kitchen as soon as possible.

Again, people get very excited picking out cabinets and buying new odds and ends to decorate with, but forget that these projects generate a lot of waste.

Fortunately, you already know who to call…

Book your mini skip (or larger) ahead of the busy moving day so you don’t waste time during an already stressful period.