Property Advice: Moving House
Whether renting or selling, it's probably only when you need to move home that you truly realise the sheer amount of "stuff"
that you have accumulated around your house over the years. Although the idea of having to pack and
move all these items can seem like a nightmare, it is also an opportunity to have a clear out of
those things that you don't really need and that you know you will never use again in the future.
Minimise the amount of your house contents that actually need to be moved. Go to your local charity shop and find out what they will, and won't accept. If one shop won't accept what you believe is valuable, try another. Next, try friends and relations and check if they could do with some of the stuff you have no further use for. Put ads in the papers or on online auction sites and see can you get rid of your house contents that way, and possibly make a little money on the way.
After that, it's time to visit the nearest waste recycling centre and dispose of the stuff you just can't get rid of any other way.
Make a full list of your property contents, starting with the most important things you need to move. This list should be as detailed as possible so that you leave nothing behind. When you start to pack things into boxes, label the boxes A, B, C etc., then mark on your list which item is in which box.
Call around to your local supermarket and ask about the empty boxes which they would otherwise
throw out. Don't use up all your boxes, keep a few for the last minute items that you need to
access quickly. As well as boxes you will need string, tape, bubble wrap and markers, Put a large red label on each side of those boxes you will be using for crushable goods. Then you can easily check that they are on the top, rather than the bottom, of each pile of packed, ready to go boxes.
Another use of coloured labels is to indicate which room in your new property the items are meant for, blue for kitchen, yellow for bathroom, green for sitting room etc. Doing this will allow the house movers to know which items go where in your new house.
Packing boxes is an art. You can't make them too heavy to lift but you need to ensure that they are
packed well enough not to collapse when other boxes are placed on top of them. Packing your house contents tightly will reduce the risk of damage.
Try to keep your stuff together when you are packing boxes. So for example, extension leads should be kept with the electrical appliances they were originally attached to.
It's vital to pack well ahead of moving day. If you are moving house during the summer, get your winter clothes packed. Pack up those kitchen implements that you won't need. In the bathroom, you can do without weighing scales and spare towels in the days before you move house.
It's a good idea to keep valuable possessions, such as silverware, collections, or antiques, with
you. Either way, check your homeowner's insurance to see how you are covered during the
move, and if you need additional insurance from the mover. Also, find out what paperwork (receipts,
photos etc) you might need to make a claim if you do lose these items. As well as valuables, make sure you keep any important papers with, such as passports, id cards, birth certificates, etc.
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