Family moving into a new home with cardboard boxes, as an excited child runs through the doorway.
Congratulations on securing your dream home in South West London! Now, the final step is preparing for the big moving day. With a mountain of belongings to transport, planning ahead is key to ensuring a smooth, efficient, and stress-free move.
To help you get started, here are our top tips for a seamless house move.
1. Declutter in advance
It’s best to start packing well in advance. In fact, it’s ideal if you can start packing up when you begin your new house hunt. This way, you can forget about the stress later on and instead begin to declutter and pack at the same time.
Sell any items of value that you don’t require to make a small profit and to offset some of the high costs of moving. Donate items to charity that aren’t worth selling but are still in good condition, and then recycle or bin the rest. This applies to everything. Streamline what you will bring to your new home.
2. Create a packing plan
Create a packing plan by going through what you need to have available until the day of the move. Once you have that list, you can then work out how you intend to pack up your belongings. This can be by theme, by room, or by both.
For example, you might have general bathroom boxes, bedroom boxes and kitchen boxes or you might instead pack by object type, for example packing away all your towels and tea-towels in one box and bathroom toiletries, hand soaps and so on in another. When packing, try and keep boxes at a manageable weight and ensure that items won’t break through the box, so don’t pile them too high. The last thing you want is for your valuables to become damaged in the moving process.
3. Label each box as you go
When packing up items in boxes, it’s important you label each box with its contents. This way, you won’t have to open every box right away and have your new home filled with items that don’t yet have a place to go. If you created a strategic enough packing plan, you should be able to unpack a few boxes and have everything you need to be comfortable whilst you unpack your belongings.
4. Disassemble furniture
Not every piece of furniture can easily be taken apart, but the chances are you will have at least one or two items such as beds or wardrobes. Disassembling these items can make moving your furniture and belongings so much easier.
You might also want to invest in movers blankets so that your furniture doesn’t get dented when it is disassembled.
5. Have your children help you pack
Moving with children can be challenging, especially if they’re anxious about the change. To ease the transition, involve them in the process by letting them help pack. Encourage them to declutter their own rooms and assign fun tasks that feel like games. This not only keeps them engaged but also helps make the move more exciting and less stressful.
6. Hire professional movers
Once everything is packed and labelled, it's wise to hire professional movers.
This not only eliminates the heavy lifting and protects your back but also ensures that your furniture is handled with care during the move, especially for larger items that can’t be disassembled.
7. Bring “First Night Boxes” with you
The last items you should pack are your “First Night Boxes.” These boxes should contain essentials for your first few days in your new home, such as clothing, towels, toiletries, bed linen, blankets, and kitchen tools such as a kettle and mugs. Keep these boxes with you in your vehicle so you can easily access them.
A successful house move requires careful planning well in advance. If you need assistance with any aspect of your home move, the team at Coombe Concierge is here to help with all your moving requirements, ensuring a smooth and stress-free transition.
Get in touch with us today. Call +(44) 20 8947 9393 or email us at enquiries@coomberesidential.com.