Moving house is stressful, there is no getting away from that but there are a few things you can do once you get the keys and have moved all your stuff in to make life a little easier on yourself in the long run.
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Unpack as much as you can: Don’t leave boxes lying around for a rainy day. Give it your everything and power through. If it means getting a babysitter, doing a ten hour unpacking shift or taking holiday from work- just do it. I know people who still have boxes unpacked now after years of being in their not so new home. Do it now or you never will.
Give everything a home: Don’t unpack a box and simply put something in the room it’s meant for or earmark it for upstairs or downstairs. Give it a home or you will be dealing with misplaced items for weeks afterwards. You can always give something a home and then change your mind, but at least for now, it is put away and won’t get damaged or lost.
Start a donation/trash box: Even those people who decluttered before they moved will still come across things that slipped through the cracks. As you unpack and find things you don’t want- place them in this box then once you are more settled, you can take it to the donation centre or to the local tip.
Make a full list of people you need to inform of your change of address: Don’t wait for redirected mail to come through or for people to ask you- tell the people who need to know ASAP. If that means spending a couple of hours on your first day working your way through all the contacts you have- do it. If you don’t you will be billed wrongly or miss an important notification somewhere down the line.
MORE: Minimalism: Seven reasons to declutter BEFORE you move house
Take meter readings: For gas, electricity and water and keep them safe. You don’t want to be paying for the last tenant’s usage. Notify the companies as soon as you can.
Sort your keys out: Take stock of what keys you have and what you need then get some more cut if you require a larger amount than what you were left. Make sure you label each set clearly with a distinctive key ring or coloured toppers so that you know which set belongs to who and what each one is for. This helps enormously while you are still getting to grips with all the new locks in your home.
Be social when you can: Introduce yourself to the neighbours, these are going to be the people who keep an eye on your home while you’re on holiday and take in parcels for you. Take the time to get to know them and ask them all the important questions like when the bins get collected, when the window cleaner comes round and if they know of any good tradespeople (if you need anything doing in your new home).
Also chat with your postman or woman and let them know when you will be home to take in parcels and where to leave them when you’re not in. This will all help to make things on your street or floor run more smoothly.
BONUS TIP: Make sure you've got some fabulous flooring for your new home! There's nothing better than moving into a new place and instantly making your mark on the house, by installing some stunning flooring. There are more options than you could ever dream of, so do some shopping around and pick the one that's right for you.
Wishing you lots of happiness in your new home!
MORE: Minimalism: Top tips for minimising when you are moving house
If you are going to move house in the near future, this is the perfect time to declutter the things that no longer serve you. If you are unsure where to start- here are some tips to get things in motion...