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[H1440]How To Move House

by T. O Donnell, T.

1. Pack well in advance.

It used to drive me wild how some people in our house left it until the last minute. The result was they'd still be going back and forth from the old place, to the new, days later, for the last pot plant or bit of cutlery.

Make up your mind that you are quitting this house for good, then don't stay a minute longer than you have to. Otherwise you'll be wasting time that could be more profitably spent doing something else.

2. Put small things into a large container.

This saves multiple trips. Sturdy medium-size boxes are a life saver, as they can be stacked easily.

3. Containers should be light enough for one person to lift.

Some people try to fill up a big box with books, for example. The result: no one can lift it, or worse, it's just light enough for someone to try lifting it, and put their back out.

4. First to go in, last out.

You'll be putting the carpets down first, presumably, so they should be last into the van. If you're super organised you can decorate the new house 'on the fly'. Otherwise, put all your stuff in the smallest room in the new place, and then move it about from there, when it's all moved in. This stops the need to move stuff between rooms later.

5. Leave behind what you don't need.

If you've always hated the sofa, leave it behind. Some people have a curious pack-rat mentality; they love to hoard. If what you're hoarding is not gold or jewels, but jam-jars and newspapers, leave them behind.

6. Hire a big van with a big man.

This should really be the number one tip. The idea of a big van is that you'll make fewer trips, ideally only one. Some people try to save money by using their cars, or a friend with a mini van. The result: umpteen trips stretching over days. You get cheesed-off, and so does your friend. Instead of decorating your new place, you're still half-in the old one.

Moving house is very stressful. Get it done as quick as you can. Hire the biggest van you can find.

7. Many hands make light work.

After you've hired the big van, get as many friends as you can involved in the move. If you're really organised, you can move house in half a day. I did this once, to the great surprise and gratitude of the van driver we used. He'd been expecting a day-long slog.

8. Mark parking space for your van.

Cordon off enough parking space for your van driver, so he can park next to the house.

9. Cancel the utilities.

Bit of an obvious one, really. You don't want strangers running up bills in your name. Let the utilities know the date you're due to move out.

Get a head start and give plenty of allowance time. Moving house is probably the third most stressful event (after death and divorce) that an average adult can experience. Putting off your packing and arrangements on the final hour can often lead to a disaster.

A month prior your scheduled move day:

This is the best time to start getting prepared. One thing you can start to do is let your hands do the walking with the aid of the yellow pages.

• Get the commitment of a good moving company in your neighborhood. Get at least three quotations. Check their credentials. Make sure to check the moving companies with your local Better Business Bureau.

• Inform magazine subscriptions and utilities (utilities, telephone, cable TV, water, DSL connection, etc) of your impending change of address.

• Make the arrangements with your insurance company about moving your coverage.

• Ask the post office to forward all your mail beginning on the day of your move.

• Stop subscriptions and deliveries or forward to new address.

Begin to box up the things you do not use right now. For instance, if it is summer time then it would be wise to pack you winter clothes and equipment first. You can also include your Christmas decors and out of season clothes. Start packing early and you will find yourself less stressed and more prepared as the moving date gets closer.

Start disposing of things that you do not need. Contact local charities and have them gather your old clothes and other belongings that might be useful to them. You might want to include other stuff that you don't want to bring to your new house.

Try organizing a garage sale (TIP: keep in mind that the garage sale is to dispose of unnecessary things and not to make wads of money. Itemize and put a price on your things that are for sale. In this way it would be easier to organize.

Three weeks before the movement:

• Use up whatever is in your refrigerator and freezer so that you do not have any food going to waste.

• Buy smaller portions of food so that there will be less to throw away.

• Start general cleaning on storage spaces that you have emptied. By starting early, all you have to do is just a few minutes of work a day. This will lessen the time and task that you have to do on your final cleaning before vacating the premises. In this way you can also avoid any unexpected nervous breakdowns that are associated with last minute cleaning.

If it would be more convenient, it is wise to get the services of quality house cleaning help. This can lessen your stress and it would help you keep your sanity.

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About Author

Both T. O Donnell & Andrew Szalontai are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

T. O Donnell has sinced written about articles on various topics from Personal Finance, Fitness and Personal Finance. T. O' Donnell runs , , and. T. O Donnell's top article generates over 9900 views. to your Favourites.

Andrew Szalontai has sinced written about articles on various topics from Real Estate, Home Improvement and Real Estate. Andrew Szalontai is a and expert who has spent years buying and selling houses and real estate in Langley and Surrey. Please visit Andrew's web. Andrew Szalontai's top article generates over 9900 views. to your Favourites.