How to Move Home Quickly

Don’t panic, you can do this, you can pack and move house in just a few days.

Whatever life has thrown at you to necessitate moving home in a rush, it is what it is.

This is essentially an emergency house move, so we may not be able to play by the normal home moving rules, but that will not stop you from having a successful home move.

Your first reaction may be to just grab anything and everything and throw it into the first available box to sort out later.

But that is not the quickest way to move home, it is just a waste of time, resources, and money.

Being calm, focused, and organised will ensure a swift but safe home move.

A professional removal team could pack and move you in only a day or two and this is the quickest and safest method of moving home quickly.

But if you choose not to use a reputable removal company, then we will use all the tricks of the home moving trade to enable you to pack and move your home in the shortest possible time.

How to Move Home Fast – Get Organised

It may seem counter-intuitive to sit down and get yourself organised rather than just get on with filling your moving boxes.

But if you fail to get organised then things will be forgotten which may delay your move and even end up costing you extra money.

So, Stop. Breathe. Focus. Then follow these top tips for getting organised for a quick home move.

#1 Create a Home Moving Checklist

Whether you plan to move in 2 months or 2 days, organisation is vital, and a moving home checklist will help focus your attention on what must be done, and by when.

Your home moving calendar and planner should, at the very least, include the following headings.

1. Declutter
2. Create a home-moving binder
3. Get packing materials
4. Make a packing schedule
5. Enlist helpers
6. Redirect mail
7. Utilities – disconnect and reconnect
8. Create an Open First Box

Breaking down all the jobs that you need to complete to move home into individual tasks will not only ensure an organized home move but will be a good motivator as each item is ticked off of your to-do list.

Bonus Home Moving Time Saver: A comprehensive moving home timeline and planner is available here, you will have to just put your own timeframe into it. This planner spans the ideal 8-week home moving period, but you have considerably less time to move home, so will need to alter the dates accordingly.

#2 Declutter – This section is essential reading for a fast home move

This is the most crucial part of your emergency home move.

You should reduce the number of items that you need to pack and move drastically.

Fewer items to pack will save time, and fewer items to move will save money – which is a win-win all around.

Create a floor plan of your new home to ensure that the items of furniture you have fit in the available space in your new home. It makes no sense to pay to pack and move furniture that will not fit in your new home.

Many removal firms and charities offer house-clearing services so the quickest and easiest way to declutter is into two piles: Keep and Clear.

Once you have separated the things you are not taking with you they can be collected and got rid of out of the way.

• Attack one room at a time so that you know that room is complete
• Go through all your cupboards and drawers, removing anything that you wish to clear and the remainder that will need packing to be moved.
• To save time when packing, there is no need to add items to the KEEP pile, if it means that you will only have to return that item to a drawer (we will be using the drawers instead of packing boxes later).
• Don’t take clothes off the hangers that are for the KEEP pile either, leave them in the wardrobe on hangers for now.

If you can sell items of furniture, that will speed the packing and moving process even further. A house clearance company, or a website such as freecycle may be ideal for this purpose, as this could dispose of your unwanted furniture in a day or so.

Alternatively advertise them online with a 24 hour deadline for collection.

Be as ruthless as you can, and do not deliberate over items for more than a minute, if in doubt, throw it and move onto the next item.

You may also like to read: The Epic Guide for Decluttering for a Home Move. In this guide, we share the most efficient way to declutter each room of your home for a home move using the more traditional 3-pile method.

Completing this task first will not only be a huge morale booster but will serve a useful purpose in reducing your home moving costs.

Top Moving Home, Time Saving Tip: Keep some clothes back that you intend to throw away. That way, in the run-up to moving day you can wear and then throw them away, rather than having a pile of washing to do.

#3 Create a Home Moving Binder

Whether conducting the majority of your home move online, or by good old fashioned paperwork, you are about to be inundated with important documents.

Have a binder to keep all these documents safe and in one place. You can also create a front page for your binder with a list of important telephone numbers that you may need on moving day.

Keep all your electronic documents in one file too for easy retrieval.

You may also like to read: How to Create a Home Moving Binder. Creating a home moving binder does not have to be time-consuming or complicated, but it will definitely make life easier for you when moving to a new home.

#4 Get Packing Materials

Unfortunately, you do not have the time to go looking for free cardboard boxes, so you will have to go and purchase them.

These are available for immediate collection from some warehouse type retailers, moving companies, and storage companies.

However, seriously consider using plastic tote boxes for your home move.

They are far faster to use as they require no construction, and they can be hired very quickly from firms such as Crate Hire UK which even offers next-day delivery.

You will also save money by not having to buy packing tape or go through the frustration of using tape to construct the boxes.

After the move, you do not have to worry about deconstructing the boxes and then what to do with them, the plastic totes will be collected from your doorstep.

On your shopping list should also be bubble wrap, packing paper, marker pens (or coloured adhesive tape or stickers – for identifying which room a box goes into) and plenty of packing tape.

Most people underestimate the amount of packing materials they will use, so over-estimate what you think you will need. You will not have the time to make repeat shopping trips.

You may also like to read: How Many Boxes Do I Need to Move Home? In this guide, we look at how many boxes the average home mover uses, what they cost, and what to pack in what boxes.

#5 Enlist Helpers

Many hands make light work, but if you do have helpers it is a good idea to have a task list prepared for them.

Having decluttered your rooms, and having designated piles of items, it is easy to assign them to the task of bagging items for disposal or to clean emptied rooms for example.

You may also like to read: 22 Really Useful Ways to Help a Friend Move Home. There are many ways that your friends and family can help during the home move that will save you time and stress. In this guide, we suggest 22 ways that friends and family can make your home move easier.

#6 Redirect Your Mail

This can sometimes take a few days to activate your request to redirect mail, so it is a good idea to organize this as soon as you can.

That said, if you only ever receive junk mail, leave the redirection until after the move.

You can always ask the people moving into your old home to send on the mail or collect it yourself if moving locally.

We are only talking about a few days, most bills and communication is electronic these days, and as long as you are organized via your moving planner, nothing should be forgotten, even after moving day.

Here is the Royal Mail Redirection webpage so that you can set up your mail redirection.

#7 Notify Utility Companies

Arrange the disconnection and reconnection of your utilities.

This is essential to ensure that you do not continue to pay for the services at your old home, and that everything is connected and ready at your new property.

Companies such as banks, credit cards, subscriptions etc can be notified at a later date when you have more time.

Just ensure that those who need notifying are on your home moving planner.

#8 Open First Box

Even though this is a rapid home move, time spent putting together a moving day essentials box is time well spent.

This box will contain all your essentials to get you through moving day and your first night in your new home.

You should include items like medication, clothing, bedding and wash kit for example.

You may also like to read: How to Prepare Your Open First Box. In this guide, we offer some suggestions of the things you may like to include in your moving day essentials box.

Now read on to discover the quickest method for packing for a fast home move.

Top 10 Fast Packing Tips for Moving Home

The best piece of advice when packing for a home move in a hurry is not to become distracted. Your mission is to get the packing finished as quickly but safely as possible.

It is worth spending a few extra minutes to ensure that fragile, sentimental, or particularly precious items are well-packed.

You may like to read: How to Pack Fragile Items for a Home Move. In this guide, we share with you the best ways to protect your fragile and valuable items during your relocation.

To save time and money try to use things that are within your home to pack your things in, often referred to as the Russian Doll Packing Method: Pack things within things to save space and packing materials.

• Use suitcases, holdalls, and strong rubbish sacks for linen, bedding, clothes, and towels

There is no need to pack hanging garments in boxes, just cover them with a clean rubbish sack, as you would with a suit cover.

Leave items in their drawers. This will save packing materials and space in the removal van.

Use clothing to wrap fragile items and as packing to ensure the contents in boxes do not move about.

The inside of washing machines and tumble driers can be used to transport clothing, bedlinen or towels that have not been used as packing materials.

Use coloured stickers or tape to identify each room that the boxes are going into at your new home. Also, be sure to identify boxes clearly that contain breakable items. Labelling your boxes clearly is vital and should not be skipped just to save a few seconds. The unpack process will become a nightmare without properly labelled boxes.

You may also like to read: How to Label Moving Boxes: A Quick and Foolproof Method. In this guide, we suggest a really quick and easy way to label your moving boxes. Don’t skip this vitally important task as it will make locating items and unpacking a nightmare.

Spending a few seconds to photograph valuable items before and after packing them, in case you need to make an insurance claim, is time well spent.

Use smaller boxes for heavier items and larger boxes for lighter items. The boxes will be easier and faster to handle packed this way, and will put less strain on the boxes themselves.

Move all your finished packed boxes to a designated room near the front door. That way you can clean each room when it is empty, and the loading process on moving day will be quicker, as all the boxes will be in one place.

Don’t waste time packing nearly empty cleaning products or almost out of date food. It is probably cheaper to buy new than pay to have them moved.

Bonus Tip for Moving Home in a hurry: Defrost your freezer as soon as you know you have to move out, it will take a couple of days for a freezer to defrost properly. You can give away any food that you will not use to family and friends.

Bonus Tip for Moving Home quickly: Ask a relative or friend to look after pets and the children whilst you pack your home, and again on moving day. This will eliminate any danger to them and will free up a considerable amount of your time.

You may also like to read: How to Move Home With No Furniture. The fastest and cheapest home moves are those that do not include furniture being moved. In this guide, we look at the pros and cons of getting rid of your furniture before moving home and then the cheapest methods of moving just your boxes.

What is the Quickest Way to Move House?

Of course, the fastest and most stress-free option for a last minute home move is to employ a reputable removal company to pack and transport your goods for you.

A professional packer will usually pack a home in half the time that the average person would. The packing company would also supply all the packing materials, saving you even more time.

To receive up to four estimates from reputable removal companies for moving your home, just follow this link.

It only takes a few moments to request an estimate and could save you hours of work and stress come moving day.

But even if you are moving home in a hurry, do not hire the first removal company you come across.

The key to a successful home move as we said earlier is planning, so take the time to plan how you will hire a good removal company.

A few hours researching any company you are thinking of hiring to help you move home is an investment. Whilst the vast majority of removal companies will do an outstanding job of moving day, there are always the rogues who will try to rip you off because you need to move quickly.

You may also like to read: How to Pick a Good Removal Company: The Ultimate Step-byStep Guide. Choosing a good removal company is so vital that we have created a step-by-step guide on how to do just that so that you avoid any moving day scams.

Good luck with your home move.