How to Make Moving Home Easy – The Do’s and Don’ts of Moving Home

What is the easiest way to move home, and what things should you be doing, and definitely not doing, to make your home move as cheap, stress-free, and easy as possible?

To help you avoid the pitfalls of moving home, and to discover tips to make your home move easier, here is a comprehensive home moving checklist of what to do and what not to do.

Whether moving home by yourself or with the help of a professional removal team, moving home for the first time or the twentieth, these home moving tips will ensure you have the best chance of a successful home move.

Be sure to click on the links in each section as they will go into that subject in far more depth and offer some essential home moving tips.

24 Must-Do’s When Moving Home With a Removal Company

Hiring a good removal company will make your home move as easy and stress-free as possible. But there are still plenty of do’s and don’ts that you must follow.

#1. Do begin preparing for your home move right now. The sooner you get started the easier your home move will be.

#2. Do make sure you have a home moving checklist to ensure that you don’t forget any home moving tasks that must be done. A moving timeline will ensure you organise your home move logically and efficiently.

#3. Do your decluttering first. That means getting rid of all the things you no longer need or love. The fewer items that you have to move, the cheaper your home move will be.

#4. Do create a floor plan of your new home so that you know what furniture fits where and what you need to get rid of. There is no point in spending time and money moving furniture that won’t fit in your new home.

#5. Do decide how you are going to move home, whether that be moving by yourself, or hiring a professional removal team.

#6. Do have a professional packing team pack your things for you. It is money very well spent. Packing for a move yourself is hard work and very time-consuming. Professional packers will ensure your precious items arrive in your new home undamaged.

#7. Do plan on moving midweek, or mid-month. Fridays and the end of the month are the busiest and most expensive times to move home. Moving outside the peak times may save you some money.

#8. Do get at least 3 quotes from removal companies so that you can prepare a home moving budget.

#9. Do compare removal quotes, but more importantly, compare the actual removal companies. Check out their reviews or get personal recommendations from people you trust.

#10. Do research any removal company you intend to hire thoroughly. Removal scams do happen so thoroughly research any prospective mover.

#11. Do book your removal company as soon as you can. The best removal teams get booked up quickly.

#12. Do ensure you have a change of address checklist to protect yourself from identity theft.

#13. Do take the time to photograph and label any appliances that you are unplugging. It is far easier to reconnect complicated electronics when you have a visual aid.

#14.  Do ensure you have the proper level of insurance to cover the full cost of an item should it get damaged.

#15. Do consider taking out insurance to cover your home move, from a cancellation to a delay in getting the keys to the new home. All aspects of your home move are insurable and may save you a lot of money in the long run.

#16. Do have expensive collectibles and antiques professionally appraised and valued before insuring them for the move.

#17. Do take the time to say goodbye properly to your friends and family, as well as your old home, perhaps with a leaving party?

#18. Do pack a moving day box. This will contain all the things that you are likely to need on moving day as well as high-value or sentimental items.

#19. Do arrange to have children and pets safely out of the way on moving day.

#20. Do be at the home when the removal team is there. Keep out of the way but close enough to answer any questions they may have.

#21. Do have a final check-around before you leave your old home for the last time, ensuring nothing has been left that should not have been.

#22. Do ensure that you have hot /cold drinks and snacks available on moving day.

#23. Do leave your home clean for the new residents.

#24. Do ensure there is easy parking for the removal van to get loaded and unloaded.

What NOT to Do When Moving Home – The 15 Don’ts of Moving

It is just as important to know what NOT to do when trying to make your relocation as easy and cheap as possible. Follow these tips for a stress-free home move.

#1. Don’t ignore the suggested timeline on your home moving calendar. Time waits for no one and moving day will be here before you know it.

#2. Don’t do half a job when decluttering. Be as ruthless as you can. This will save you time and money when moving out and make unpacking quicker too. Also, your new home will be more spacious without the clutter.

#3. Don’t book a removal company until they have surveyed the things you want moving. This can be in person or via video link, but this is the only way to get an accurate cost for your home move, and for them to be able to prepare a moving day plan.

#4. Don’t decide how to move home, or who to hire, based on cost alone. Moving home is dangerous and hard work. Professional removal teams are worth their weight in gold, and a personal injury, if you decide to move home by yourself, can lay you off work for months.

#5. Don’t leave booking your removal company until the last minute. This will be costly, the nearer you book to the move date, the higher the price may be, and you may not be able to hire your preferred removal company.

#6. Don’t put off telling your removal company if any aspect of your home move changes. The sooner they know, the sooner they can change their plans. If you decide to take more things then let them know, they may need a bigger van on moving day, which could cost you more. Likewise taking fewer things may save you some money.

#7. Don’t lie to the removal company. If you don’t tell them your new flat has no lift and is on the 5^th floor, or that you intend to take that solid oak triple wardrobe, you will get a far larger removal bill on moving day than you expected.

#8. Don’t attempt to move items that may be dangerous or hazardous. Your removal company will supply you with a list of things that they are prohibited from moving for health and safety reasons.

#9. Don’t allow things like jewellery or cash to be packed into moving boxes that are packed on the removal van. Ensure they are moved by you, in your vehicle, not on the removal van.

#10. Don’t leave things in your old home that the new owners haven’t agreed to.

#11. Don’t forget to charge your phone the night before you move home. You are likely to spend considerable time talking to solicitors, estate agents, letting agents, or landlords on moving day.

#12. Don’t get in the removal team’s way on moving day, but ensure you are around in case they need to ask you something.

#13. Don’t allow children and pets to get in the way on moving day. It is safer for everyone if children and pets are looked after away from the dangers of moving heavy and large furniture.

#14. Don’t forget to have a Plan B for every aspect of your home move. The more prepared you are for something going wrong, the less of an issue it will be if it happens.

#15. Don’t forget to leave a review for the removal company you hired. Good or bad, others will benefit from your experience.

The 27 Must-Do’s When Moving Home by Yourself

Moving home by yourself without the help of a professional removal company throws up some unique challenges.

So here are some do’s and don’ts to help you successfully move home by yourself.

#1. Do use a home moving calendar and checklist. There are many home moving tasks to perform and good organisation is key to a successful home move.

#2. Do declutter your home. You can sell some of your unwanted things to raise money towards your home move, other things can be donated to charity, whilst some things will just be suitable for recycling. This is the single most important task of any home move. Fewer items being moved means less packaging materials are needed, which can be very expensive. You may even end up being able to hire a smaller van on moving day as a result of a good clear-out.

#3. Do create a floor plan of your new home so that you know your furniture will fit in the new home. Do this early in the home moving process to give yourself time to sell any items you cannot take with you.

#4. Do get as much help as you can. Never refuse a helping hand, there is always something that needs doing during a home move.

#5. Do enlist friends and family as early as possible to help on moving day. It is surprising how many people offer help but then drop out on the actual day.

#6. Do use the best quality packing boxes that you can.

#7. Do use the thickest walled boxes you can find to pack your most prized possessions in. The stronger the box, the thicker the cardboard ply, and the more protection they will offer the contents.

#8. Do buy good quality packing tape. Cheap packing tape will just peel off the boxes and may cause the boxes to collapse, causing damage to the contents.

#9. Do spend time clearly labelling every box with the room the box is destined for, a summary of contents, and a box number. This will make unpacking so much easier.

#10. Do photograph and label the cable connections on your electronics, it will be easier to reconnect them.

#11. Do learn how to safely move heavy and large furniture to not only make the process easier but to help prevent injuring yourself.

#12. Do learn how to pack your precious items properly. Not only will this give them maximum protection but will optimise the space within each box.

#13. Do start packing as soon as you can, seasonal items or rarely used things for example. Packing for a home move takes a long time.

#14. Do ensure that your items are adequately insured when moving home. Many policies will not cover you if you have packed your items yourself.

#15. Do ensure that you have the correct driving licence to drive a van or tow a trailer.

#16. Do make sure you load the hire van or trailer safely.

#17. Do have children and pets kept out of harm’s way on moving day, preferably looked after by friends or at boarding kennels.

#18. Do pack a moving day essentials box with all the things you need close to hand on moving day.

#19. Do try to keep the packed boxes near the front door or all in one room. It will make the loading of the van quicker.

#20. Do make sure you plan the route to your new home carefully ensuring there are no weight or height restrictions that your hire van exceeds. Have GPS and paper maps just in case.

#21. Do make sure you have a final walk around your home before leaving it for the last time. Ensure that it is secure, that you have not left anything that you should not have, and that you have not taken anything you agreed to leave.

#22. Do leave your home clean for the people moving in.

#23. Do make sure you have a contingency plan for every eventuality. The hire van being too small or unavailable, nobody turning up to help you move, road closures to your new home, or the lift not working for example.

#24. Do take time out of the home moving process to relax. Moving home by yourself is hard work. You need to be as organised and fresh as possible on moving day.

#25. Do make sure the path to the hire van is free of tripping hazards.

#26. Do make sure you reserve a parking spot near your home on moving day to load and unload the van.

#27. Do hire the proper furniture moving equipment, it will make it safer and easier to move things.

The 14 Don’ts of Moving Home Yourself

The don’ts of moving home by yourself are there to ensure that you do not injure yourself or damage your precious items, whilst ensuring you move home as easily and cheaply as possible.

#1. Don’t attempt a self-move if you are not healthy enough to move heavy and large items, lift boxes, trudge up and downstairs for hours, or know how to maneuver big pieces of furniture through tight spaces.

#2. Don’t attempt a self-move if you are not confident about driving a hire van through heavy traffic or down narrow country lanes, or even just parking it.

#3. Don’t attempt a self-move unless you have friends and family that you can rely upon to help you.

#4. Don’t attempt a self-move unless you can manage your time effectively. Packing your moving boxes can take a long time and is one of the most expensive parts of a home move.

#5. Don’t forget to make use of a home moving timeline and checklist. It ensures that you do all your home-moving tasks in a logical sequence and prevents you from forgetting to do anything important.

#6. Don’t start packing until you have sorted through all your belongings and got rid of the things you no longer need or want.

#7. Don’t forget to clearly label all your moving boxes. When it comes to unpacking or finding an item it will make it so much easier.

#8. Don’t overfill your packing boxes or make them too heavy to lift. Use small boxes for heavy items and large boxes for lighter items. No box should weigh more than 20kg.

#9 Don’t move MDF type of furniture if you can avoid it. This type of furniture is not designed to be dismantled and moved, so is easily damaged.

#10. Don’t rely on everything going to plan. Have a backup plan for each stage of your home move.

#11. Don’t forget to factor in the weather. You may need to wrap the boxes in cling film or refuse sacks to stop water damage and you will need to have a protective covering for floors.

#12. Don’t skip doing your change of address checklist or you may find yourself a victim of identity theft.

#13. Don’t assume you cannot afford a good removal company to help you move. Moving home yourself is no easy task, and hiring a removal company can be surprisingly affordable. If nothing else, very seriously consider hiring professional packers.

#14. Don’t wonder how to move home yourself. Visit our home moving blog where you will find help and advice on every aspect of your home move.

#15. Don’t go into moving day tired and stressed. Make sure you get plenty of rest. Moving day can be hard enough, so start the day with a fresh mind and body.

Avoid the most common pitfalls of moving home, plan your move properly, and your home move will be as easy and stress-free as possible.

Good luck with your home move and don’t forget to visit our home moving blog which is packed with essential tips and advice about every aspect of your home move.