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Moving to a new home – take a look a these 5 tips

To move to another, different home can be a very exciting thing – a new beginning of unknown – and, as we always continue to hope – much happier life. But if we are unprepared for it, the moving can cause to us a lot of stress. The last thing is proved by the psychologists.

An interesting fact is that in the official list of the most stressful life events moving comes next to: marriage, divorce, the death of the spouse, losing a job, being in debt, getting broke, planning a wedding, getting a new job, selling or buying a house, being a parent for the first time, bad medical condition and many more. Are you scared now?

moving house

As you can see, the list is quite long, and the life can be very full of stress just by itself! We all know that stress can lead to various health and psychological problems, such as severe heart diseases, asthma, obesity, diabetes, headaches (including migraines), depression and anxiety, gastrointestinal problems (such as gastroesophageal reflux disease and irritable bowel syndrome), Alzheimer’s disease, accelerated aging, and premature death. We shall stop here – before you get too scared!

What is the true purpose of this article? It is very simple. We cannot solve all the problems that cause stress, but we definitely want to help you avoid at least one of them – the stress caused by the moving from one home to another. That’s why we continuously talk about how to better organize your move, and we always share wonderful removal tips with you, and we truly hope that you will find them useful, wise and interesting. So, friends, here we start… Be ready!

Opt for decluttering at the earliest opportunity

You don’t need some stuff? The time before your removal is the best possible moments to get rid of some stuff you really don’t need! There is absolutely no need to additionally burden yourself with things that you don’t use, or you are simply not sure that you will ever use again. There could be various reasons for you to take this decision. We know that sometimes it is not so easy for us to leave some of our favourite things – wonderful, but still things that we will not fit in our new home. Maybe your home is smaller… or maybe you plan to live with a person that has better versions of what you already have? In any case, the first step here is to take a very good look at your belongings, and obligatory to estimate, and even rather measure, the space in your new place. Now it is the time to make a good decision!

  • Sell your things! By now, there are various wonderful web pages that will help you get rid of these things in favour of people who will actually need them. Of course, on lower price, but it will benefit both you and your potential buyer. You – because you will not bother with the transportation, which can actually save some cash, and your customer – this is pretty obvious: he or she will get a quality, saving some money as well.
  • If you choose to sell online, put some efforts to shoot really good pictures of your stuff – if not professional, at least close enough. It might seem to you as an irrelevant waste of time, but it is proved that customers naturally tend to choose the better photos, i.e. best looking products.
  • Be extremely honest about your stuff: how long it has been used, and especially if there are any flaws, even if they are small.
  • Keep in mind that you must announce your stuff for sale at least 2-3 weeks in advance. In this way, you will give the right people the opportunity to react.
  • Be especially careful, if you have mattresses for sale. Too many people are reluctant to buy such an “intimate” stuff from unknown persons, and this is pretty understandable because of medical and hygienic reasons. That’s why you have to offer a really low price, or to contact people from your own social circle whom actually know in person. They can be relatives, for example.
  • A good old yard sale can also work. If you announce it in time in the neighbourhood, it can be one of the fastest way to get the desired results.
  • Another wonderful idea is to donate your belongings to some organization. The world is full of people in need!
  • Organize a sweet little home party. Put the things that you don’t need in some proper place with a sign: “Please, feel free to take anything that you like!” You might get surprised how quickly they will disappear!
  • Books. They are something sacred. Sell them to a book store for used books, or to donate them to the local library, or orphanage, or organization that takes care of lonely old people (many of them actually have small libraries, low budget, and they will be more than happy to get your unexpected present).
  • Very important: start packing early. In this way, you will not feel too stressed. And eat as much of the canned food you have at home, avoiding buying new cans and jars. In this way, you will have less stuff to occupy with.
  • Keep your “moving receipts.” You never know, but they might be tax-deductible.
  • For some time before you move, save your newspapers. They can be very useful when you pack later.

ARE YOU READY TO PACK?

Of course, this is the most important step. So, what can we say about it? (In case you don’t what to pack yourself, don’t worry, call us)

  • Estimate the amount of your stuff and, depending on it, buy at least 20 boxes, clear packing tape to seal them, plus a good amount of bubble wrap for the fragile objects – in this way you will ensure their safety.
  • Carefully label all the boxes – both on the top and on the sides. You can mark them with numbers, so you ever know to which room your stuff belongs. For instance, 1 is the kitchen, 2 – is the bedroom, etc.
  • Make sure that the things you need to use first are accessible. They can be various things, such as pillows, blankets, your laptop or personal computer, even your coffee and coffee machine, if you cannot go without caffeine.
  • Remember all the important papers and documents! They should have to be stored in a very especial and accessible place, so that you will be able to find them immediately, if it is necessary!
  • The boxes with divided inserts are just perfect for packing of bottles – wine, whiskey, olive oil, vinegar, and other stuff like this. Make sure that you have at least one or two of them, depending on how many such bottles you have at home.
  • You have to remember to use rubbish bags only for rubbish and sort place them separately. In this way, you will avoid the chance to get rid of something that you really cherish. We all know the unpleasant this experience can be!
  • Take breaks now and then. The packing is a heavy labour!

ASK YOUR FRIENDS AND RELATIVES FOR HELP IN ADVANCE

In this way you will give them enough time to settle their schedules and be “online”, or just to inform you that, because of some reason, they will be prevented to join you.

  • Few days before the Big Day, call them to remind them about it, send them an SMS, use Skype, or an e-mail, whatever. There are many ways to contact them, so just do it! People tend to forget different things when they don’t concern their own personal lives.
  • When everything is done and the fuzz is over, show the good taste to reward them for their help. It can be a home party, a restaurant dinner, an organized trip to some small cosy place, such as a summer cottage, or a small family hotel in the mountains… It all depends on your budget. Even better it will be if before doing this, you send them a second message just to say “thanks” – the true gratitude is always welcome!

ORGANIZE THE UTILITIES IN YOUR NEW HOME IN ADVANCE

They are such gas, water, electricity, Internet, TV, etc. Inform your friends, your medical doctor, your dentist, your bank, and all the relevant people and institutions who take care for your life and business for your new address. Obligatory try to locate the police station, the hospital, etc.

HOW TO RENT A VAN?

  • Make a research and compare the prices of the different companies before you finally make your choice.
  • Ask the driver to come earlier in the morning – in this way you will avoid the overloaded roads. The same is valid if you have rented a truck that you plan to drive yourself. In the latter case, it is better to return the truck to the company on the same very day, or on the morning of the next one.
  • If the company sends you movers, supposed to unload and carry the stuff to your new home, do not forget to reward them. A little, lunch, some coffee, or few beers might be a good idea. And of course – if they have been nice to you and your belongings, give them a good tip!

If you still have concerns about your forthcoming removal, you can contact us for a free, no-obligation removal consultation.

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