How to make your move

Moving house is cited as one of life’s most stressful events alongside starting a new job, having a baby, losing a loved one and going through a relationship break-up. However, unlike some of the other events, there are measures you can take to significantly limit the anxiety involved in moving house. 

Start Early

When it comes to packing up your possessions start as early as you can, it’s essential to set aside sufficient time to prepare properly for your move. While we often plan time off for moving day and the unpacking stage, if you take time before the move to create an organised structure to your packing process it will reduce the stress of the actual move and in the weeks that follow. Give yourself plenty of time to declutter because by doing so at this stage you’ll have less stuff to move which in turn should save you on transport/removal time and cost. Decluttering before will also help to get the house ready for the all-important photos for your Estate Agent and subsequent viewings. Staging your home in this way may even lead to securing a higher price for your home, according to Mouseprice, professionally staged homes can sell for prices up to 15% more than the competition. 

Be Ruthless

We’ve both moved house in the last three years and our biggest regret was not decluttering more beforehand. We put a lot of our household items in storage in between moves and when you live without certain things for a few months you realise how little you miss them. Needless to say, a lot of the items that were in storage never made it to our new homes. Save yourself the hassle and expensive storage costs by only keeping what you absolutely need or must have, now is the time to be ruthless! In the course of decluttering always bear in mind that the items being discarded could be donated or recycled rather than just thrown away, we can signpost you to ways and means of donating, reusing or recycling various items. 

Pack strategically

Start with the rooms you use the least in your home so that once those rooms have been packed up you can store boxes in them without too much disruption to your daily life. Label each box with the room you intend it to go into in your new home. We also recommend numbering each box and creating an inventory as you go detailing which items are in each box and which room they belong in. We advise using clear, stackable boxes when packing, while these may be more expensive than the normal cardboard boxes, they are sturdier and reusable so consider them a long-term investment. As they are clear you’ll be able to easily identify what is in each box and we find these types of boxes work well for storing items in attics and garages post house move. Remember not to overpack your boxes, despite being sturdier than cardboard they do have their limits - use small boxes for heavier items and larger boxes for lighter ones, that way you should avoid damaging boxes or yourself in the process.

Some removal companies may offer items such as cartons for books, china, linen, archive documents and your wardrobe. If you use only one of these opt for the wardrobe carton – you can put your 'hanging' clothes straight into it and the carton will ensure that your clothes remain clean. They can also be used until wardrobes are built in your new place. Some companies offer second-hand cartons at a reduced rate so it’s worth checking this with your removal company.

Save on space

Vacuum pack all your sheets, duvets, blankets and pillows, again this will involve some extra expense, but it will save on space and hassle during the move. Ensure you bubble wrap all breakables and super wrap any furniture with cupboards or doors and furnishings which could be marked in transit. If you can plan in advance what furniture you’re taking and what room it will live in in the new home that will also help. 

Keep essentials close to hand

Keep your important paperwork in a box, to be kept separate from the rest of the boxes. Make sure documentation such as passports, legal documents, insurance papers etc. are in this box and can be easily accessed if needed. It’s also helpful to pack a moving day bag containing items you may need that day and for your first night, such as toiletries, phone chargers, keys, bottles of water, snacks or that favoured comforter/teddy for your child. Anything that might be needed and that will reduce the stress for you on the day. 

 Lastly, do not be behind the door in recruiting extra help if you need it – our motto is “team work makes the dream work”, we know it to be true!

This article was first published in the September 2021 issue of Ireland’s Homes Interiors and Living.