Moving house is something we all have to do at some point in our lives, some more often than others and it is widely acknowledged as being one of the most stressful things to undertake in life. Budget Van Rental recently commissioned some research (in an independent survey of 2,000 UK renters and owners), looking at the attitudes to getting on the property ladder and habits when moving home. The results are really interesting and in some cases quite remarkable, with 1 in 6 people admitting to accidentally leaving belongings and even family members or pets behind! Other findings include:
- movers start packing an average of 13 days before their move date and then it takes a further 45 days to fully unpack – that’s two months of living out of boxes!
- one in 10 will argue with or even break up with a partner
- the first thing one-third do when they get into their new home is make a cup of tea
Just take a look at the fascinating infographic produced in response to this research:
https://www.tidyawaytoday.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Budget-Van-Rentals-joys-and-pitfalls-of-moving-homes-1.pdf
Luckily for any anxious house movers out there, Budget Van Rental has teamed up with Vicky Silverthorn, a professional declutterer to the stars and founder of the life organisation company, ‘You Need A Vicky’ to share some of her practical tips and advice to ensure a smooth house move for anyone in this helpful little video:
If you are embarking on a house move soon, you would be wise to keep a print out of Vicky’s handy top 10 tips for moving:
1. Make a list – start it early, include deadlines and keep one list in one place so it doesn’t get mislaid during the upheaval.
2. Get a folder – it sounds obvious but it’ll be your ‘go to’ place during the whole process of moving home.
3. Book a van – don’t try and squeeze everything into a car as you’ll often end up making several wasteful journeys. Think about what size van you need and book early, as do one third (29%) of relocating Brits.
4. Recruit friends and family – get dates in the diary so you aren’t left shifting everything by yourself. Over a quarter (28%) of people moving home call in favours from their nearest and dearest.
5. Declutter your belongings – recycle, rubbish and charity bags at the ready, particularly if you’re one of the 10% of Brits who transport items to their new property by foot or public transport. Work day-by-day, doing little and often.
6. Declutter your furniture – be ruthless and think about what will work in your new home. Arrange collection, disposal, or resale using sites such as eBay, Gumtree and Freecycle.
7. Pack smartly – see my video online for full details.
8. Don’t forget your post – add all companies you’ll need to notify of your new address to your list, or set up mail redirection through Royal Mail for 3, 6 or 12 months.
9. Make sure your essentials are easily accessible on moving day – tea-making equipment is a must if you’re like one third (31%) of home movers who stick the kettle on as soon as they get into their new pad.
10. Make sure you factor in enough time to unpack – don’t underestimate this. If you think you need two days off work for moving, then take off four. Bear in mind it takes an average of 45 days to completely unpack.
Hopefully this will go some way to helping all those house movers out there who are feeling a little daunted. Best of luck with your move and we hope you will be very happy in your new place!
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