Last Updated on: 21st November 2023, 09:11 pm
Moving house is an exciting milestone, but it can also be incredibly stressful and overwhelming, too.
The chances are you’ve already started to pack up your belongings and acquire the items that you need for your new place, but there are several other things you need to do in preparation for the move.
Below we’ve put together a checklist to help take the stress out of moving house.
Months before the move
If you’ve signed and exchanged contracts and had your moving date confirmed, the finish line is in sight. However, there are numerous things you need to do in preparation for the move to ensure the process is a smooth one.
- Let your landlord know that you’re moving – if you’re currently renting a property, you’ll need to check your contract and give your landlord notice that you’ll be moving out of their rental. This should be done in writing – either via a letter or email – to help eliminate disputes later down the line.
- Declutter your belongings – decluttering is often a job that can snowball into something much bigger than you expected, especially when you get carried away and find items that you’d forgotten about. So it’s worth getting organised early and putting your belongings into separate piles, bags or boxes (i.e. one to keep, one to donate and one to throw out).
- Inform your utility providers – instead of leaving it to the last minute, get in touch with your water, gas, electric and broadband suppliers as soon as you find out your move-in date. They’ll need to know your new address and may ask you to provide your latest meter readings for their records.
- Collect cardboard boxes – if you haven’t already, now would be a good time to start collecting the boxes you get from your online orders instead of recycling them. You could also ask friends and family to save theirs for you. Or you might consider buying a few curver or under-the-bed storage boxes from places like B&M, Amazon or IKEA.
- Contact a local van hire company – got a lot of stuff to move to your new abode but not enough room in your car to take it all in one go? Though you could make countless trips back and forth, van hire in Warrington will allow you to transport more of your possessions at the same time. Just make sure you book in plenty of time to avoid being turned down due to a shortage of vehicles or busy periods.
- Notify the relevant personnel of your new address – you need to register your new address with the council and sign up for the electoral process from your new home. You’ll have to contact the DVLA to change the address on your driving license and inform Royal Mail that you’d like your post to be redirected to your new house from your moving date onwards, too. Depending on the distance you’re moving, you may also need to register with a new GP and dentist.
The week before the move
At this point, you’re probably dying to get into your new home but there are a handful of steps and tasks you need to finalise before the “big move”.
- Double-check your move-in date – you more than likely made a note of the moving date when your estate agent told you several months ago, but it’s worth double-checking and finding out what time you’ll get the keys. It’s also a good idea to speak with the van rental company to let them know what time they can expect you to pick up the hired van.
- Find a local locksmith – this is by no means compulsory, but many homeowners hire a locksmith to change the locks at their new home as soon as they move in. This is to prevent the risk of previous occupants from being able to access your home with a spare key they kept.
- Sort out your television license – this is something that most people forget about when moving house. Unfortunately, though, your TV license won’t update to your new address automatically – you’ll need to redirect it manually before you move.
- Make sure you’re packed and ready to move – you might have made a start on packing the non-essentials a while ago, including everything from bed linen, towels and seasonal clothes. But now’s the time to pack the remaining items into your labelled boxes.
On the day of the move
With a busy day ahead, you might not have time to stop for lunch – but you’re going to need your energy to lift heavy boxes and shuffle furniture around, so make sure you have something to eat for breakfast.
- Load the van carefully – though it depends on your chosen rental company, you might be able to pick up your van hire in Warrington or have it delivered to your preferred address free of charge. Either way, loading everything into the van in a strategic way will minimise the number of trips required and help to keep your possessions safe in transit.
- Secure your old home – after you’ve packed the van, take one last look around the property. Make sure you haven’t left anything behind in any of the rooms and remember to close and lock the windows and doors to keep the house secure and ready for the new tenants.
- Return the keys – once you’ve double-checked that you’ve got everything from the old house and you’ve given it a quick clean, it’s time to lock the front door for the final time. Then you’ll need to hand the keys over to the landlord, estate agent or the new residents before enjoying a fresh start.
If you’d like to know more about how to make the process of moving house as stress-free as possible, be sure to get in touch with the team at PSD Vehicle Rental. They provide various van sizes and models to clients throughout Warrington and St Helens and offer a flexible solution to suit every need.
