Feature image credit: Fine Art America

Wouldn’t it be great if moving house involved six months of planning, a colour-coded spread sheet and a label-printing machine? Well, yes. But, like it or not, we live in the real world, which is full of last-minute changes, broken computers and stupidly packed schedules. You might be faced with an unexpected move from rented accommodation or perhaps you’ve been waiting for an age to complete a house purchase that’s suddenly going through – either way, we’ve all been faced with an eleventh-hour house move. And it’s no fun.

To help you with your priorities over the next few days/hours/minutes, we’ve put together a handy checklist for moving house. We hope it helps – and good luck!

Pack the essentials

Source: Hypebeast

We’ll be honest: the immediate future is going to be a little chaotic. So it’s important that you have what you need to hand and don’t accidentally wedge your wallet in between a stack of plates. Here’s what we recommend you put in an easily identifiable bag:

• A change of clothes
• Bedding and towels
• Kettle
• Coffee, tea and sugar
• Snacks that will keep
• Loo roll
• Wallet, keys, phone and phone charger
• Contact details for utility companies and estate agent
• Labels and a board marker
  

Be ruthless

Source: Martin Rumack

If you’ve got to go through everything, you might as well get rid of some of it at the same time. If you’ve got furniture, collectibles, clothing or paperwork that you don’t need anymore, there are loads of things you can do with your stuff:

• Flog it on eBay, Gumtree or to a local antiques shop
• Give it away on Freecycle
• Take it to the charity shop
• Take it to the tip
• Put it in storage for a later date
  

Get your stuff from A to B

There are three main options when it comes to the daunting task of moving all of your belongings: a removal company, a man with a van or relying on friends. Removal companies often require notice and charge a lot for their services (particularly in London) – so if you’re a last-minute mover, this probably isn’t the option for you. Similarly, a man with a van will need to be booked in advance and, unless you’re there to oversee proceedings, you can’t be sure of how your belongings will be treated in transit. Friends are great if you’ve got some generous ones with large cars, but not everyone does.

Sure, we might be biased, but on-demand storage is a great option for house movers. You can order the boxes to your door, sort out your stuff, pack it up, have it collected and taken to a secure unit while you get on your way. It means you:

• can be super flexible about timing
• can pack up your boxes in your own time and have them collected whenever you want
• can keep easy tabs on what you’ve put into storage and what you haven’t
• don’t have to deal with a huge mess of boxes when you move into your new home
• can call back boxes as and when you need them – in your own time.

Book your Boxman box delivery slot now.

Sort out your utilities admin

Source: Andrea Dekker blog

It often gets forgotten, but make sure you’ve got your utilities and other life admin sorted.

• Notify your utility providers that you’re moving house.
• Take final gas, electricity and water meter readings.
• Notify your bank, building society, credit card and store companies.
• Let the Inland Revenue, DVLA and local council know.
• Inform your employer and your kids’ schools.
• Amend your address on any subscriptions you have.
  

Wait a minute Mr Postman

Source: Telegraph

Arrange to have your post forwarded on to your new address. When you inevitably receive mail for the previous tenants in your new home, the best thing is to write ‘No longer at this address – return to sender’ on the envelope, and pop it back in the postbox.

Clean up

Source: Meteo Beauty

It really is worth getting in to your new property – or, even better, getting professionals in – to give it a thorough clean before you move in. You’re going to be tired enough as it is without having to clean the entire kitchen of breadcrumbs and grease before you feel comfortable making a cup of tea.

Get ahead of the game

Source: Canopy & Stars

There are two things that’ll make the first couple of days in your new home easier:

• Make the beds as soon as you can on moving day. After a long day of packing, travelling and general stress, the last thing you’ll want to do is make the beds at midnight.
• Order in a food shop for your first morning in your new home. It’ll arrive at the time you want it to and means you won’t have to think about braving the shops. Get ready to feel seriously smug.