Mover’s Guide to New Home Owners

Purchasing your very first house is among the most important steps in life that you can take. If moving to your newly acquired property is something you are preparing to do in the near future, you have all the right to be both excited and a little stressed — after all, domestic moves are voted as being one of the most strenuous challenges a person can face.

Have no fear though, with the proper preparation, even the largest and most complex of projects will go smoothly and without hiccups, headaches and problems of any kind. We are here to give you the ultimate New Home Owners’ Guide to help you achieve that.

Decide on the schedule and find proper help

The most important aspect of your removal that you need to lock well in advance is choosing on a good moving date. This might depend on several factors related to the acquisition of your new home when you are expected to leave your rented premises according to your tenant’s contract etc. It is strictly individual. Once you have decided on a date, you can start looking for a moving company. Hiring a professional relocations contractor, especially when you are moving to the first house or apartment you own, is vital for the smooth and stress-free outcome of this whole endeavour. There are many firms offering quality moving services in the UK. Finding the one best fitted to your requirements can be a little tricky but you should not have a problem if you make sure that those you are considering to match the following description and can provide you with the benefits listed below:

• Licensed
• Offering Insurance
• Adequate, cost-effective quotes
• Coverage of the area you are moving out of and the one to which you are moving
• Helpful client support
• Opportunity to help you with tasks related to your move — packing, storage, end of tenancy cleaning etc.

The firm you wish to hire also needs to be available on your exact moving date and be able to accommodate a removal of the scale like the one you are having. In any case, you need not worry about this particular step because finding local and nationwide removal services in London is not going to be a problem.

UK removals industry statistics 2015 — distribution of moves by size

The weeks prior to your moving date

Even if you still have several weeks before the time comes to move out, you should not relax. There is a lot of work that needs to be done. Start by sorting out your property and possessions. Every successful domestic removal in London, or anywhere else for that matter depends on how well you’ve done the packing. Good packing starts with cleaning and clearing out the premises.

Go through every room of your current home and make a list of the things that you wish to take with you to your first home. Those include, but are not limited to, clothes, personal items, furniture, carpets and decoration, books, appliances, TVs and computers etc. All objects which you have not used in the past year or so are more than likely not to make the list. Nevertheless, if you take them, you risk cluttering your new home even before you have moved in it. Gather all the rubbish and unnecessary goods and get rid of them — either recycle them, donate them to a charity or sell them online for a small profit.

When you start packing, you should stick to several key rules. Make sure that you have purchased enough boxes and wrapping supplies of an adequate quality. Work a room at a time — move on to the next room only when you have packed everything in the one that you have been currently working in because that will help you keep track of your progress. Last, but not least, do not forget to carefully label the contents of every box on the box itself, along with other relevant information — location (kitchen, bedroom, living room, bathroom etc.), handle with extra care etc.

Sorting out paperwork, dealing with your local council, finding a school for the kids (if you have any) and changing doctors are tasks that also need to be on your to-do list in the weeks prior your move. As you can see, there is a lot of work to be done. So, if you have a family or a household member helping you during this tiring process that would be great.

The moving day

Now that the dreaded moment has come, you will feel much more at ease if you have a precise plan for everything that is going to happen during it — the exact time of arrival of the movers, duration of the loading process, route on which your boxes are going to be transported.

You will need some extra peace of mind more than anything, which means that you have to repeat to yourself not to get angry or stress over things that do not matter.

Make sure that all your family members are familiar with the itinerary and your movers know in advance about specific requirements and needs of yours that may include special preparations. For example, that can be if you are moving with kids or pets, have fragile and high-value items that need to be handled with special care etc.

Before your movers arrive, check if everything is okay with the parking permits for the van. Additionally, prepare a bag of essentials that will not go with the rest of your stuff on the removal vehicle but will ride with you in the car. Those should include a change of clothes, a toothbrush, documents, medicine, some canned food.

Now you are fully prepared to move to your new house. It really is not that scary — all that you have to do now is to enjoy the ride and make the most out of the fact that you have joined the club of the British homeowner. You’ve earned it!

Thanks for keep reading till the very end! You’ve earned a little bonus as well— one of my favourite videos for new home owners. Enjoy!