For many adults, moving up the property ladder is one of the key goals in life. In the beginning, you’ll likely need to save for several years to afford a deposit on your first home. In addition, you’ll be aiming to secure a form of employment that provides sufficient income to pay your monthly mortgage fees while also having enough spare money to have a reasonable standard of living.
Over the years, as your career improves (ideally, you’ll be able to secure important promotions that give you an increased income), you may be able to move up the housing ladder and secure a larger or more luxurious property. While the process of securing a new home can take time, it can also be a key way to enjoy an improved standard of living.
However, it’s important to put a similar amount of effort and planning into your moving day as securing the property. Put simply, moving house can be a stressful event, and you must make the process as smooth as possible. In this article, some top tips will be discussed that will help to ensure that your moving day is as stress-free as possible.
A few packaging tips
Firstly, it’s vitally important to pack all your possessions securely while ensuring that you have a clear idea of their contents once you reach your new home. This will ensure that damages can be minimised (or ideally, eradicated), and you don’t spend a significant amount of time looking for key possessions once you start unpacking.
Ideally, you’ll already have some strong cardboard boxes in your current home. If you don’t, visit your local supermarket and ask them if you could have some of their spare boxes. Many supermarkets will be happy to give you some free of charge. However, if this isn’t possible, search online for packing boxes and buy enough to store all your clothing and possessions.
When labelling the boxes, use a permanent marker pen and write a brief list of the contents and the room that they’ll be placed in. Ideally, write this information on two sides of each box so you don’t have to continuously move or turn the boxes to see what’s inside.
Consider your pets
Millions of UK homeowners are pet lovers and have cherished dogs, cats, or other animals as part of their family. However, moving home with a pet can be a stressful experience for both you and your animal(s). Pets get used to the routine of living at one home and may become disorientated when they arrive at a new address. In addition, you won’t want them around whilst you’re packing and preparing to move as they’ll be difficult to keep an eye on and difficult to transport.
When moving home with pets, the best practice for cats and dogs is to put them into kennels the night before your moving day. Once you’ve unpacked your new home, pick your pets up from the kennels and introduce them to their new address.
If you’re a dog owner, ensure that the perimeter of your home is secure (e.g., there are no gaps in the fence that a dog could get through) so that your beloved animal doesn’t escape and get lost in its new environment. Take them for a walk in the surrounding area so they can familiarise themselves with their new location as soon as possible.
Plan your route
When you move to a new home, it may be in an area that you’re unfamiliar with and may even involve a significant journey from your current address. Take the stress out of this first journey by planning your route on a sat nav. This is incredibly important if you need to drive a considerable distance, as you won’t get lost on the route. In addition, many modern sat nav devices offer live traffic updates (often by linking to your smartphone), helping you to avoid congested roads and any accidents that may have recently occurred.
If you don’t have a sat nav, consider downloading a route planner such as Google Maps to your smartphone. Such apps are just as effective as dedicated sat nav units and tend to be completely free.
Get a good night’s sleep!
As a brief final point, never underestimate the value of having a good night’s sleep before you move house. Moving home is exciting, but if you’re doing it when you’re tired, you may forget important tasks or feel more overwhelmed by the process.
Go to bed a few hours earlier the night before and avoid using tech devices with screens in the hours leading up to bedtime. If you struggle to sleep normally, enjoy a hot milky drink in the evening, take a hot bath, or read a book until you begin to feel tired.