How Far in Advance Should you Plan Your Move?
Moving house is inevitably a stressful time. From getting a mortgage to finalising the sale, it can be an arduous process. This is why it’s essential to be organised during this time, especially when a sale has been agreed and you’re counting down to moving day.
Many people will find themselves asking themselves ‘when should I plan moving house?’, as it can be difficult to know when it is appropriate to get the packing and preparation underway.
Here at Britannia Sandersteads, we’ve spent more than 50 years helping people throughout London, Croydon and Surrey move into their dream homes, offering a comprehensive range of services that can assist you with your move and make it as stress-free as possible.
In this blog, we’ve put together a handy timeline to help you organise your move, helping you understand how far in advance you should be planning.
6-8 weeks
Once your offer has been accepted and all the red tape has been dealt with, you can begin to finally get excited about moving into your new home. We recommend that you begin preparing your move around six to eight weeks in advance, in order to ensure that everything is ready for the day itself.
The earlier you start, the easier the whole process will be, lessening the burden on you and reducing stress.
At this point in the timeline, the first thing you should do is give your entire house a quick clean. A cleaner house is easier to work with and can help when it comes to making decisions on what belongings to keep and take to your new property.
Next, go through every room and decide what items you’ll be keeping and which ones you want to get rid of. The less you take to your new property the cheaper the move will be, so choose carefully.
Remember to separate out the items you’re not going to be taking with you. This will provide you with a clearer idea of just how much stuff you’ll need to transport.
5 weeks
Once you’ve separated your items, it’s time to get rid of the unwanted ones. It’s a good idea to do this about five weeks prior to the move.
The best way to get rid of these belongings is to sell them, and any money made can make the overall cost of the move cheaper. You can sell items online, or put on a garage sale in your neighbourhood.
If you don’t have the time or if you have some items that you don’t think can be sold, then donating them is always a good idea. Many charity shops will be more than happy to take items off your hands, and you can either deliver them directly to the store yourself or give them a call – most can come to you to collect items.
As well as this, you may have some items that you want to put in storage until you’ve decided what you want to do with them. Whether you need long term storage or temporary options, at Britannia Sandersteads we offer a whole host of storage options.
2-3 weeks
When you get to two or three weeks before the move, you can begin the packing process. If you require, Britannia Sandersteads can take care of all the packing on your behalf.
But if you prefer to pack yourself, make sure you have enough packing materials, such as boxes, cartons, bubble wrap, bags and more.
Always start by packing up your non-essential items, and then move from room to room. Doing one room at a time means that you stay on track and it keeps your packing efficient. Once each room is packed, leave the boxes in that room and label all boxes so you know exactly what is in them. For items that don’t have a specific room, storing these boxes in the garage until moving day is a good idea to keep the house free of clutter.
If you do have packers helping you, it’s still a good idea to deal with any personal or valuable items yourself. This way you can guarantee their safety.
If you need any assistance with your latest move, get in touch with Britannia Sandersteads today. For more information on our range of services across London, Croydon and Surrey, get in touch with our team today.