Moving homes can be a highly stressful period, which is why we’ve compiled some helpful information to simplify the process. Whether you need guidance on packing, strategies to alleviate stress, or assistance with managing interruptions in the moving process, we’re here to lend a hand!
How can I keep calm during the moving process?
Even the most seamless relocations can bring stress, so having strategies to tackle issues and minimise it can significantly ease the process for you.
Be Prepared
Ensuring you’re well prepared is key to staying in control during your move. Remember, besides allocating time for packing, clearing out, and cleaning, you’ll also need to address any emotional attachments to your current home.
It’s common for homeowners to overlook their emotions during a move, which can add significant pressure and complicate matters. If you’ve lived in your current home for a while, leaving might stir up feelings of sadness. However, focusing on the future while acknowledging these emotions can help you navigate the transition more smoothly without ignoring your feelings and causing difficulties later on.
Additionally, consider taking time off before and after the move to alleviate the feeling of being rushed. This will provide you with more flexibility both before leaving your current home and after arriving at the new one, making unpacking and settling in less stressful.
Avoid Procrastination
Procrastination only adds to the stress of moving. Creating a plan and sticking to it is the best way to prevent last-minute rushes and subsequent feelings of overwhelm. Establish a timeline and begin packing several weeks ahead to give yourself ample time.
Some homeowners find it helpful to pack a couple of boxes each evening leading up to the move, especially if they know they might become overwhelmed by doing large amounts of packing in one go. Spreading the tasks out over time can alleviate pressure and ensure steady progress.
Seek Assistance
Moving is always easier with extra hands. Whether you have a small or large amount of belongings, having someone else help you prepare can make a significant difference.
On moving day, having additional help is invaluable, as moving heavy furniture alone can be difficult and even risky. Whether it’s friends, family, or professional movers, decide in advance who will assist you. If you plan to hire movers, make arrangements as soon as your moving date is confirmed to avoid last-minute availability issues.
Measure Your Furniture
Part of the excitement of moving into a new home is planning the layout and personalising the space. However, many homeowners encounter issues on moving day when they realise their furniture is too large for the room or difficult to manoeuvre through doorways.
To prevent this, measure your large furniture items before the move to ensure they’ll fit comfortably in your new home. While it may seem like overkill, this proactive step will save you the hassle of rearranging furniture or struggling to fit it through doorways on moving day.
What’s the optimal packing method?
While packing might initially seem straightforward, doing it incorrectly can result in numerous broken items and wasted time relocating boxes to different rooms without knowing their contents. It’s crucial to pack intelligently rather than hastily and to allocate ample time to avoid rushing, which often leads to mistakes and necessitates redoing tasks, further consuming time.
To ensure box integrity, reinforce the base of each box with double tape, therefore guaranteeing they remain fully secure during the move. The last thing you want is for a box to split open while in transit. For fragile items, particularly those in the kitchen, consider collecting newspapers over a few weeks to use as padding. While bubble wrap is an option, newspaper offers a decent level of protection and is often available for free if you receive local newspapers.
Another valuable packing tip is to clearly label each box. Even if you only indicate the room to which the box belongs, it significantly streamlines the unpacking process. This way, you can unload boxes directly into their respective rooms, eliminating the need to sift through them to find specific items.
Essential cleaning tips for when you’re moving out
Whether you’re vacating rented premises as a first-time homeowner or selling your own house to purchase elsewhere, ensuring the property is left clean upon departure is crucial. For tenants, it determines whether you receive your full deposit back, while for sellers, it means leaving the place in a suitable condition for the new occupants to move in seamlessly.
Thorough Cleaning
While most of us maintain a weekly cleaning routine, it often overlooks hard-to-reach areas that accumulate dust over time. Once your furniture is removed, take advantage of the opportunity to conduct a deep clean. Focus on areas typically missed, such as behind furniture like bookshelves and chests of drawers, where dust and debris tend to accumulate. Pay special attention to skirting boards and spend extra time in the bathroom, ensuring no spots are left uncleaned.
Organise your cleaning efforts room by room, starting with those you won’t need to use again, to avoid the need for last-minute touch-ups.
Planning
Creating a cleaning plan is essential to avoid last-minute panic. Once you’ve confirmed your moving date, allocate specific tasks to specific times to ensure everything gets done on schedule. If possible, divide the tasks among household members to lighten the workload. Cleaning as you pack will help maximise your time and efficiency.
In rental properties, if you’ve caused any damage, attempt to repair it yourself if within your capabilities. Informing your landlord beforehand can prevent potential issues with your deposit. For sellers, ensure any agreed-upon repairs are completed before vacating the premises.
Consider Hiring Help
If you’re overwhelmed by the amount of work or simply not inclined towards cleaning, hiring a professional cleaner might be a better option. Many cleaning companies offer specialised moving-out packages, providing you with a convenient solution and leaving your home spotless.
Documentation
Taking before and after photos is essential, particularly when vacating a rental property with pre-existing damage. Document each room, highlighting any existing issues to avoid disputes with your landlord over responsibility for repairs and potential deductions from your deposit.
Leaving the property in top condition, whether rented or sold, is crucial. Just as you wouldn’t want to move into a dirty home, strive to leave your former residence clean for the next occupants. If you’ve made agreements with the buyer regarding the property’s condition, ensure you fulfil them to maintain a positive relationship.
How can I maintain the momentum of the property chain?
When buying or selling a house within a chain, any disruption can have severe consequences for all parties involved, leading to significant losses. To minimise the risk of encountering issues within your chain, consider the following strategies to facilitate a smoother transition for everyone involved.
Ensure Financial Preparedness
Financial issues often contribute to chain breaks, particularly when a party is unable to secure a mortgage to cover the property’s cost. To mitigate this risk, ensure your finances are in order before proceeding. Obtain a mortgage agreement in principle from your lender for the full amount of the property you intend to purchase. This reduces the likelihood of financial complications and helps sustain the continuity of your chain.
Familiarise Yourself with Your Buyers
If you’re both selling and buying, the completion of your sale is essential for proceeding with your purchase. Establishing the reliability and seriousness of your buyers is crucial to prevent disappointments. Request documentation, such as a mortgage agreement in principle, from your buyers to confirm their financial stability and commitment. Additionally, inquire about their legal representation, as having a solicitor or conveyancer in place demonstrates their readiness to proceed with the transaction.
Stay Informed
Navigating the complexities of buying or selling a property involves numerous challenges, and delays can lead to chain breaks. Stay vigilant and keep abreast of the progress of your sale or purchase. Maintain regular communication with your estate agent and conveyancer to stay informed about the status of your transaction and address any potential obstacles promptly. Timely identification of issues, such as incorrect paperwork, allows for swift resolution and prevents disruptions that could derail the chain. Given the possibility of missed emails, ensure you actively seek updates to prevent delays that could result in chain breaks.
Avoid a chain
The perfect scenario for any buyer or seller is to be able to move forward without being in a chain. This makes things much simpler and more stable as you’re not relying on other people, and is a desirable position to be in. It is less common, but if you’re able to proceed chain-free, you’re much more likely to be able to go through with minimal issues and have less chance of losing your sale or your purchase.
There is only so much that you can control when it comes to chain breaks but knowing what to do can let you fix the chain and avoid any more stress! If you’re going to hire help, book it with a reputable removals company like Pickfords Removals. Book it as soon as you’ve got your moving date confirmed – leaving it last minute could result in them having no staff and leaving you struggling!
How can I sell my house fast?
A cash buyer is usually faster and more reliable, but will often mean you have to slightly lower your asking price. If you’re looking to sell your house quickly and are considering a cash buyer, contact us. As a cash buyer you are in a much stronger position when it comes to securing your new home. At Olivia Rose Estates we are here to help you sell your house fast. We can offer a guaranteed cash purchase for your property in a timescale that suits you. It could be a couple of weeks, or even just a few days. You no longer have to pay estate agents fees and deal with the potential long delays of a traditional sale process. It is not uncommon for house sales and purchases to fall through due to broken chains or mortgages not being approved at the last minute.
We will help guide you through the process of selling your home, whatever your reason for selling. From the initial valuation to the final completion date, rest assured you are being guided by trusted property professionals who are here to help you get the most out of your house sale and ensure you have a hassle-free experience.
