What’s The Scariest Part of Moving Home?

This Halloween we look at what is the scariest part of moving home and what can turn a dream home move into a living nightmare.

And of all the things about your home move that you are probably worried about, you may not even consider the one aspect of your home move that really, really matters.

So what is it that should keep you awake at night? The part of moving home that, if you don’t get right, will come back to haunt you?

Not hiring a reputable removal company would be a grave mistake and is arguably the scariest part of moving home, get this wrong and it can cost you emotionally and financially.

Beware, however, for there are other horrors that are lurking this Halloween for home movers.

4 Scary Things About Moving Home

Moving home is a rollercoaster of hellish emotions but as with all nightmares, they end.

Armed with the right spells there is no reason why your home move should not be filled with treats rather than tricks.

So here we look at what scares people the most about moving home and how you can banish those fears.

 Moving Home? Who ya gonna call? 0800 086 9039, they ain’t scared of no home move.

You may also like to read: What is the Fear of Moving Home and How to Overcome it. In this guide, we face your home moving fears and offer practical advice to cope with the fear of change when moving home.

Facing The Uncertainty of a Move to a new Hometown?

Sure, this can be scary, there are many things that can go wrong.

Are you making the right decision? What if you don’t like your new neighbours, or home, or town? Or the kids hate their new school? Or your new job falls through? Or you miss your friends and family too much?

Researching the place you are moving to is easier than ever with so many resources available on the internet.

But there is no substitute for actually visiting a place to get a feel for the vibe of the neighbourhood.

Be sure to visit your intended new town at different times of the day and on weekends as well as weekdays.

The park next to your new home may be idyllic on a school day but may turn into Gorky Park at the weekends or when the school turns out.

Freddie Kruger: “Every town has an Elm Street”

Having good neighbours is really important as the perfect home can be ruined by inconsiderate neighbours. Here are a few things to consider:

• Are the houses well-kept?
• Does the local neighbourhood watch or residents association have any concerns or information on noisy neighbours?
• You can also contact the local Police to find out what the local crime figures are and where the trouble hot spots are in your new town.

And if a potential new neighbour mutters “I do wish we could chat longer, but I’m having an old friend for dinner” (Silence of the Lambs) maybe it would be wise to consider moving to another area!

You may also like to read: Haunted Houses: Buying, Selling, or Living in One: All You Need to Know. This guide is invaluable if you want to know anything about haunted homes, from where are the most haunted places in the UK to how to tell if your home is haunted.

If you are moving because of a new job consider:

• What if your new job falls through or you don’t like it?
• What is your plan B?
• Is there high unemployment in the area?
• Is there alternative employment within commuting distance of your new home?

Another concern may be relocation depression which can hit anybody at any time.

This is when the whole prospect of living in an unfamiliar place without your friends and family around you hits home and it all just seems too overwhelming to deal with.

Thankfully, there are a few tips that can prevent you from becoming one of its victims.

Getting to know your new area before you move will make the transition easier.

Do you have a favourite chain of coffee outlets or do you need a walk in the park every day to cleanse your mind? Seek these out in your new hometown to help the transition from your old to a new home easier.

Unpacking and having around you familiar things from your old home will soon make your new place feel like your home.

And don’t forget that your pets too can suffer from relocation depression, so be sure to have familiar things in place for them too.

If their feeding bowl is usually in the kitchen, place it there in your new home, and if they have set times for being let out, keep to that schedule, it will help them adjust to their new home.

Having a support network of friends or family is important too.

Social media makes it so much easier to keep in touch with old friends so you will not feel so isolated.

Take the time to introduce yourself to your new neighbours and get involved in the local community. The sooner you integrate yourself into your new place the sooner it will begin to feel like your home.

You may also like to read: How to Make a New Place Feel Like Home. In this guide, we look at ways to make you feel like you belong in your new neighbourhood and ways to quickly adjust to an unfamiliar area.

Are you Dreading Packing for a Home Move?

Without a doubt, this is one of the worst parts of moving home, it is arduous and time-consuming and strikes fear into most home movers.

To make the whole packing process easier, and to reduce your home moving costs, be sure to declutter your home first.

This entails getting rid of all your surplus or old things, or pieces of furniture that will not fit into your new home.

You may like to read: The Epic Guide to Decluttering for a Home Move. In this guide, we suggest the easiest ways to declutter your home room by room as well as how to let go of items that you are emotionally attached to.

To determine whether your furniture will fit in your new home, it is a good idea to create a floor plan.

Holding a garage sale will help raise some funds to finance your home move, and donating all your other surplus things to a local charity will be a good thing to do.

There is much to learn about packing for a home move, from the correct type of boxes to use, to how to safely protect your fragile items, that we have created a whole library of tips and advice for every aspect of packing for a home move.

For larger home moves or when moving valuable things, it is certainly worth hiring the services of a professional packer.

Not only will the packing materials they use be of a better quality, but they will know how to pack any object to protect it properly and will do it in half the time that it will take you to pack.

Norman Bates said “A boy’s best friend is his mother” but a home movers’ best friend will be a professional packer.

You may also like to read: Professional Packing Services – Are They Worth the Money? In this guide, we look at exactly what professional packers do, what they cost, and why they will be the best money you spend during your home move.

Does Trying to Organise a Home Move Scare You?

Being well organised will certainly make your home move easier.

Even if you have no idea where to start with the home moving process, with the right planning tools, this part of your home move will be easier than you imagine it will be.

A home moving timeline and planner plots every task that you need to complete in order to have a stress-free home move. This planner is interactive so that you can add or delete things that do not apply to your particular home move.

It helps to have all the important information for your home move all in one place so that you can easily locate it.

A home-moving binder will make this so much easier. Each section is laid out so that you know exactly where to find the information quickly and easily.

Changing address when moving home helps prevent identity fraud and an interactive checklist of all those people you need to contact is invaluable.

If you intend to move overseas the planning of your home move is even more crucial and finding the right removal company to manage your move will be paramount.

This brings us to the question again……….

What’s the Worst Part of Moving Home?

“Be afraid. Be very afraid”. Unless you hire a reputable removal firm to help you move home.

Arguably, choosing a removal company you can trust to move all your things without damaging them or trying to scam you for extra money is one of the worst aspects of moving to a new home.

Get this bit wrong and not only could you lose huge sums of money, but the distress that this can cause is significant.

You may also like to read: How to Avoid Moving Scams. In this guide, we highlight the red flags to look out for when hiring a removal company and how to avoid any scams.

There are a thousand and one removal firms out there, so how do you know which one to hire?

Which one will prevent a moving day horror story rather than create one?

Without a doubt, hiring a reputable removal company will make your home move less stressful and certainly less exhausting. But if you have never hired a removal company before, there are many pitfalls to avoid.

First off, how do you choose a reputable removal firm?

Your process should begin by getting about 3-4 quotes, ideally through an online quote estimation service. This is because the companies will usually be pre-vetted, they will be registered businesses at Company House, ensuring that the proper insurance is in place, and will have a good reputation within the industry.

Once you have those estimates, the detective work begins.

Don’t choose your removal firm based on price, often a removal company will give you a low quote to get the business and hike the charges come moving day.

You should look for a company that has the right skills and reputation but also offers good value for money.

Reviews are a good place to start when comparing removal companies. However, you should exercise caution when reading online reviews as they are not always as trustworthy as you might hope.

Look for a review site that does not charge companies to be listed. Is a site that makes money from companies who pay to be listed really going to publish all the bad reviews and risk the removal firm stopping their account?

You may also like to read: What to Know When Hiring a Removal Company for the First Time. This guide explains everything you need to know about removal firms, what they will and will not move, what happens during the hiring process, and what happens on moving day. An invaluable guide if you have never hired movers before.

Having narrowed down your choice of removal firm, invite them to give you an in-home moving estimate.

If they do not offer this free service, walk away.

The only way they can give you an accurate estimate is if they see exactly what you have to move and how long this will take them.

The risk is that if they do not view your property to make a moving day plan, come the big day they may hike the charges as they did not know you were up 3 flights of stairs or there was more stuff to move than you estimated.

Seek as much information about the removal firm as you can.

Check out their website to ensure that there are multiple ways of contacting the business, and test those avenues of communication.

A company that only has a mobile phone listed should be avoided as should there be any problems with your home move, they can easily disappear off the face of the earth.

Once you are satisfied that you have found your ideal moving partner, book them as soon as you can, the better removal firms get booked up fast.

You may also like to read: How to Pick a Good Removal Company – A Step-by-Step Guide. Choosing the right removal company is so critical to a successful home move that we have produced an in-depth step-by-step guide for you.

Keep in regular contact with your removal firm if and when any changes occur to the number of things you want to move or the date you intend to move.

The more they are kept in the picture the less chance there is of anything going wrong on moving day.

So this Halloween, avoid a moving day nightmare by hiring a professional removal company for your home move. You will thank yourself in the end.

But remember: Get it right and all will be well. Get it wrong and it will be a grave mistake.