Once you’ve sold your flat, moving into a new home can unearth feelings that you seldom experience, from the excitement of starting afresh to the common stresses and complicated emotions that moving brings.
The conflicting emotions involved in moving home – especially on your moving day – isn’t a well-kept secret. In this blog, we delve a little deeper into some of the most common problems you and others may experience when relocating. By preparing for these common troubles, settling into your new flat should be much easier.
Damaged Belongings
Arriving at your new flat with damaged possessions wouldn’t be the best start in your new chapter. Fortunately, if you take the appropriate precautions, your possessions will arrive at your new home in pristine condition.
There might be a lot to think about. Still, with fantastic organisation and good protective supplies, you can avoid the disappointment of damaging your items. Bubble wrap and tape are great options to wrap your belongings in and keep them from breaking. Packing paper is also ideal for protecting your valuables and reducing the likelihood of scuffs. It is also a perfect space filler.
Of course, you will need something to put your items in. Ensuring you have sturdy boxes is vital to keeping your things safe, especially in transit and when it comes to loading and unloading the vehicle.
To maintain your safety, as well as your possessions, leaving minimal space for movement inside your packing boxes and the transit vehicle, respectively, is essential. By limiting excess space, your possessions have less chance of moving around, which reduces the chance of them being damaged upon your arrival at your new flat.
Fitting Everything into Your New Flat
Whether you’re moving from a smaller home to your new, bigger flat or vice versa, you might be concerned about how you’re going to fit all of your things into your new place. Before you move your furniture into your flat, it’s best to sort out a plan.
Ensure you have the dimensions of the new rooms and your existing possessions. Prioritise the most essential items for the rooms you’ll use most. You can always find room for the less important items later down the line.
It might not be exactly what you want to read, but letting go of the furniture you haven’t used for a while might be a good option. Donating or selling your old items could make space for something brand new that would be perfect for your new home.
Not Labelling Boxes
Organisation is paramount for moving day to go as smoothly as possible. Labelling your boxes is simple but effective.
Imagine arriving at your new flat and having 15 identical boxes. You see a box with “kitchen. Fragile” written on the side. Already, you know where that box should be heading and that you should handle that cargo with care. Not only will you know where your box should belong, but it will also help you locate your essential items in the disarray that is moving boxes and furniture.
You can go one step further than just labelling your boxes; colour coding your boxes may help you, too. You might have a distinct colour for kitchen utensils versus pans, making your unpacking very efficient.
Getting up the stairs into your flat
On the day you move in, facing the stairs heading up towards your new flat can be daunting. However, with some planning and help from family or friends, it could be a lot easier.
First, measure the doorways into your building and flat, as well as your boxes and furniture. This will ensure you can fit through each door frame. If your belongings won’t fit or are a tight squeeze, you might have to get some help rotating the item at a different angle.
For your safety and to prevent potential damage to your possessions, you should wrap drawers, cupboard doors or anything else that isn’t securely fastened. Alternatively, you could remove the drawers or disassemble other parts, which will help stability and make the item lighter and easier to carry up the stairs. For larger items, it is important to carry furniture properly. One should walk backwards up the stairs with two people, carrying the item at the highest point. The second person faces forward, holding the furniture at the lowest point. This will help distribute the weight evenly and safely.
Hiring the right moving company
Getting the right help to aid your move will reduce your stress levels. Like with any service, trusted companies tend to be the best, and this is the same with moving companies.
It’s important to use an experienced company. One feature to look for is insurance and a license that will protect your items and cover potential damages. Following reputable customer reviews online and asking for recommendations from friends and family members is a good starting point. Focusing on attributes such as customer service, care, and attention is a good indicator of the right moving company.
Some companies’ pricing can be ambiguous, but with good movers, quotes are in writing, and there are very few or no extra charges; generally, if it’s too good to be true, it probably is. A company that offers on-site pricing estimations will be able to provide you with a more accurate quotation, seeing the exact extent of the move as opposed to listening to it on the phone.
Getting access to the building
On a moving day, many factors must be considered to ensure you have access to the building. Before the day of the move, it is important to arrange a time and date when you can pick up the keys for your new flat, typically with the estate agent. It is important to remember that on the day you move as if it falls on the weekend, your estate agent may be closed and open at reduced hours.
In addition, it is generally recommended that you have a written agreement from the estate agent (or landlord) with a time in which you will be able to access the property. Your new flat should be ready for your arrival, and it may be that a little longer is required than the usual time allocation.
Consider where the moving vehicle you use will be parked. If the location of your new flat is on a busy road, or the parking isn’t big enough for your moving vehicle, you will want to pre-arrange a location for this. It is a good idea to remember how far you will have to carry your belongings to the building.
Avoiding overpacking/underpacking
Moving home is a chance to start fresh; the best way to do that is to limit overpacking. It is easy to take everything from your existing home to your new one. Equally, you don’t want to be sat in your new flat, deserted of furniture and decorations.
As you pack up your existing home, it is a great chance to declutter. Pack your most important and used items, but don’t worry about your older furniture or things that won’t suit your new place. Selling these things online or donating them to charities is a good opportunity to offload your unwanted belongings.
Whilst it is important not to overpack, ensuring that you don’t leave yourself short-changed is just as key. Once you get to your new flat or once you have time/money to buy newer items, you can always sell, donate, or throw away things you don’t use. On average, it takes over three months to settle into your new home, so it may take time to figure out what items you need.
Looking after your pets
Our pets are our best friends, so looking after them properly on our moving day is paramount. It’s a stressful day for humans, let alone our furry friends. If you can organise temporary care for the duration of the move, that would probably be best. You might want to arrange this in advance so you can sort out a contingency plan.
When your pet arrives at your new flat, it is likely to be unnerved. Gathering your pet’s favourite belongings will make them feel more at home, and the transition will be easier. This goes for food, treats, and litter, as well.
Once the bulk of the move has been completed and you’re happy for your beloved pets to see their new home, preparing appropriate transport for them is essential. For most pets, a travel carrier is the preferred safe and secure transport method that ensures their comfort.
Tips to avoid these problems when moving into a flat
Considering all of this will stand you in good stead when you move into your new place. The best tip is to plan. Plan for each step of the moving process, and ensure you have contingencies in place; the chances are, it won’t go exactly as planned. Being systematic in your approach to the moving day will help you to cover each eventuality, and the topics covered in this blog are a good starting point.
