Easy home moves are the result of great planning, stress-free home moves do not just happen.
We often look for packing and moving tips when we are about to move home because the whole home moving process is so fraught and alien to us.
We can use a combination of home moving tools such as a week-by-week moving checklist and a change of address checklist, which enable us to see that all those important home moving tasks have been ticked off.
But moving home is such a life-changing experience, such a stressful and expensive time that perhaps we should be looking for life hacks well in advance of any home move.
You would not run a marathon without training first, so why do we move home, one of the most exhausting and stressful events in our life, without training ourselves first?
Moving home utilizes a whole range of skills that we seldom use in our everyday life so it makes sense to start training our mind and body now, as well as putting into place some safeguards to ensure our future home move is as easy as possible.
So whilst this week’s home moving blog is somewhat lighthearted, the message is not. Moving home is hard but it does not have to be with proper planning and some forethought.
17 Life Hacks to Make Moving Home Easier and Cheaper
#1 Marry a Removal Company Owner
Forget points 2 to 17. Your home moving worries are over.
#2 Start Saving Money Now
Forget points 3 to 17 and just hire a good removal company. Nothing will make your home move easier and more relaxed than hiring a good furniture removal team.
To discover just what great value for money a good removal company can be get a free no-obligation quote for your home move today.
#3 Don’t have kids
You will have fewer things to move and may not even need to move to a bigger home – ever. Imagine that, your first home could very well be your forever home.
And of course, you won’t have to worry about arranging childcare on moving day so that they are safely out of harm’s way.
If it is too late for this piece of advice, then you may like to know How to Childproof Your Home, a comprehensive guide to making your home a safe environment for your children.
#4 Choose Hobbies Wisely
Encourage kids to play the triangle or recorder rather than the piano, a piano is extremely difficult and expensive to move to your new home.
Bikes and trampolines for example can be awkward and expensive to pack and move, so choose chess as a hobby instead.
Moving a piano to your new home is a job best left to the professionals but if you really think that you can move it yourself then How to Move a Piano: 120 Piano Moving Tips will be an invaluable guide for you.
#5 Be a Nice Person
Go out of your way to be a nice person and you will make lots of friends. This is especially useful if you intend to move home without hiring professional movers as many hands make like work.
You may like to read: How to Get Friends to Help You Move. From how to ask friends to help and how to organise those extra pairs of hands on moving day, this is a guide you are sure to find helpful.
#6 Get a Job as a Delivery Driver
Think ahead and get a job as a van driver, then you may be able to borrow the van on moving day.
Or get a job working at a van-hire company, you may get a discount on hiring a removal van.
If you are planning on moving home yourself then you will find the guide Self-Drive Removal Vans – Everything you Need to Know full of essential information. From driving licences to how to load a van safely, this is a must-read guide.
#7 Join a Gym
If you plan on moving home yourself then you need to be super fit and strong. Join a gym now and start building that stamina and those muscles.
You may also like to read this fun guide: 10 Superpowers to Make Your Move Super Easy. A light-hearted look at the superpowers you need when moving home.
#8 Give It Away
When decluttering for your home move, don’t sell – donate.
This will discourage you from spending good money on things you don’t need in the future. Giving away things that you have bought with your hard-earned money, rather than selling them will be a painful reminder about how many things you have that you don’t really need.
Not only that, but the charity that you donate all those clothes to, that you never wore even once, will make some good money from your frivolity.
Must read: The Ultimate Guide of Where to Donate Things When Moving Home. No matter what type of item you need to donate when decluttering, this guide offers suggestions of places that will be only too happy to receive them.
#9 Live Minimally
The fewer items you move, the cheaper your moving costs will be. So with that in mind, you should live as minimally as possible. This could mean joining a monastery or leasing a flat where the rent is so exorbitant that you cannot afford to buy anything other than food.
Not only will you need less storage space, but you save money, and when it comes time to relocate, your moving expenses will be minimal too.
Must read: To get you started on your new minimalist lifestyle you may need to declutter your home first. In the Ultimate Guide to Decluttering for a Home Move we go through an easy process, room by room, to get rid of all those things that you no longer need in your life.
#10 Use E-Readers Not Books
Moving boxes of books on moving day is no fun at all. So plan ahead by only using an e-reader. Your back will thank you on moving day.
You may like to read: How to Pack Books When Moving House. If you have already amassed a library of books then these tips on the best ways to pack books for moving home will be invaluable.
#11 Don’t Buy Crockery Sets
If you are single or a couple then you probably don’t need 6 of everything. Second-hand stores sell crockery, utensils, etc singly.
Fewer possessions mean fewer moving boxes. Come moving day, the fewer boxes you move, the cheaper your moving costs will be.
You might like to read: How to Move Out of a Flat with no Lift. This guide contains some useful packing tips for when you only have a few items of one type to pack and move.
#12 Keep Shoeboxes
Keep all your shoes in shoe boxes.
Not only does it help to keep your shoes in good condition but they are easier to store.
And when it comes time to move home you only need to box up the shoes and they will be perfectly protected during the move.
You may like to read: How to Choose the Right Boxes for Your Home Move. Knowing which boxes offer the best protection for your precious items on moving day is essential. This guide tells you all you need to know.
#13 Onedrive / Cloud
Every time you need to register your address with a company – on a website, at a store, at the dentists – enter the name, website, company details, etc onto a spreadsheet and save them. Then when it comes time to change address you have a ready-made template.
If this piece of advice is too late for your home move, worry not. We have created one of the most comprehensive Change of Address Lists available.
#14 Buy a Van Not A Car
A van makes a very practical vehicle to own, not only will it be extremely useful on moving day, but you can use it to transport all those materials when you are doing DIY to your new home.
You will also save a ton of money on holidays as you can use the van as a camper.
And you can make some money at weekends by hiring out your van to other people that are moving home.
You may like to know: How to Pack a Car When Moving Home. Packed full of useful packing tips as well as safe methods of lifting stuff into and out of your car. If you are only moving a few things and are using your car to do so, then this guide is really useful.
#15 Save Original Boxes
Whenever you buy anything fragile or expensive, save the packaging it comes in. Not only is this often a requirement of the guarantee, but when you come to move home, nothing will protect your things as well as the original packaging.
Must read: How to Pack Fragile Items When Moving Home. It is so important to pack your precious possessions properly so that they do not get damaged during your home move that we have dedicated a whole section of our moving blog to this very subject. From pictures to computers, there is a guide here to show you the best way to pack for a home move.
#16 Declutter Regularly
The moving mantra ‘move fewer things to save money’ will always be true. But rather than wait until you are about to move home, declutter regularly.
Not only will this keep your home tidy and give you more space, but when it comes time to move you will have done the biggest task already.
Must read: The loft has to be one of the worst places that need decluttering when you move home. How to Declutter Your Loft is full of essential tips to make this process as easy as possible.
#17 Learn to Relax
Learning to relax, to make time for yourself, is a skill that most of us have lost. But it is probably one of the most crucial life skills.
Whether it be reading a book for a half-hour, walking in the mountains, or meditating, the physical and mental health benefits of relaxing and distressing are huge.
And come moving day, the ability to remain calm and unstressed will make the day so much more enjoyable.
You may like to read: How to Make Your Home Feel More Relaxing. If you would like to make your home a sanctuary of relaxation and calm then there are some great tips in this guide.
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