Thinking Of Moving In 2020? Here Are 14 Top Tips
Image Credit: Pexels, Free to Use Licence
The New Year has long been symbolic of new beginnings – new versions of ourselves, new goals and for some people, even a new home. Moving house, both near and far, is a significant occasion and one to celebrate but it can also be very stressful and bring with it a lot of twists and turns. So if moving house is on the cards for you this 2020, then here are 14 top tips that may help.
- Improve your homes curb appeal
Moving home is as much about getting selling the property you currently own as it is about buying a new one and one way to improve the sellability of your home is by making small improvements to its curb appeal. Curb appeal refers to how appealing your home appears from the road and includes things such as keeping a neat and tidy front garden, clearing your driveway of clutter or rubbish, repainting your windows and doors, and generally making sure that your home looks as nice as possible from the outside. - Add value in the garden with landscaping
If your property has a garden then you could increase its sale value with a little landscape design. Landscape design can turn a boring square of grass into a work of art, incorporating natural features and more modern garden aesthetics to produce something that potential buyers will be keen to get their hands on. - Consider building a small outbuilding
Outbuildings such as sheds or garages can add significant value to your home and are relatively inexpensive to erect. A shed in the garden provides security for garden equipment as well as extra storage space, or for budding entrepreneurs, it can even be viewed as a potential home office. Just be aware of the planning restrictions in your area and build with the aim to increase value. - Decide if you want to move your plants
If you’re a keen gardener or host to many houseplants then you may want to take some of your most loved botanical beauties with you to your new property but this can present a few challenges. Many plants struggle with long-distance moves and there’s no guarantee that they’ll be as happy in their new home as you are. If you decide that your plants are worth it then here are a few things to bear in mind:- Reduce their sunlight
Some plants can struggle with sudden changes in light and so try to expose your indoor plants to less direct sunlight in the run up to your moving day to prepare them for the trip in your vehicle. - Try to keep temperatures consistent
As with sunlight, plants are also sensitive to changes in temperature so don’t crank up the air conditioning or heating too high in the car or moving van as this can shock them. - Water carefully
During summer plants can dry out quickly during a house move so water them on the morning of moving day. In the winter, however, they can retain a little more moisture so two to three days prior is sufficient. - Check and deal with parasites
In advance of moving day remember to check all the plants you wish to take with you for nasty parasites to ensure that you aren’t taking hitchhikers along for the ride. If you find parasites on your plants then deal with them in plenty of time otherwise you risk having to leave the plants behind.
- Reduce their sunlight
- Survey your new property
Property surveys can seem costly but they can also uncover a realm of hidden information about the property you are thinking of buying, some of which can be used as ammunition to knock a few digits off the sale price. Damp, roofing issues, leaks, boundary disputes and old wiring can all be costly to resolve and so you are perfectly within your rights to ask for a reduction if you find the house to have any of these flaws. - Start reducing the amount of stuff you own
Unless you live a minimalistic lifestyle the chances are that you own more stuff than you’re aware of, and when moving, all of this needs to find a new home. To make the move easier on yourself and to save you money on removal costs, start going through everything you own and decide whether it needs to come with you or if you are going to either sell it, donate it to charity or bin it. When choosing what to give away and what to keep, remember to weigh up the cost of replacing some items over the cost of moving them. Some items, such as bulky shelves or old sofas, could cost more to move than they would to replace. - Decide whether you are handling the removals yourself
It’s now easier than ever to hire a van and to attempt the removal process yourself but this may not be up everyone’s alley. Self removals can take a lot of time and effort, not to mention you still need to pay the rental cost of the van and you won’t be getting any additional help with it. Removal companies, on the other hand, maybe more expensive but are professionals in their field and understand how best to move bulky and delicate items in one load. Weigh up how much you need to move, your budget and the effort you want to put into your removals before deciding whether to go with the professionals or go it alone.
Image Credit: Pexels, Free to Use Licence
- Give removal companies plenty of notice
Last-minute removals can often be a lot more costly than those booked well in advance, not to mention that an advanced removal date also gives the removal company plenty of time to conduct a removal survey and give you a more accurate fixed price. Booking in advance is also extremely important if you plan to move around a public holiday or on a weekend as these dates are often a lot more in demand.
- Weekend or weekday?
Have you decided whether you want to move on a weekday or weekend? Weekdays are often less busy on the roads which can make it easier for removal vans and lorries to get to your new destination but weekdays also often mean taking time off work which some people can’t afford to do. Weekends, on the other hand, can enable weekday workers to keep their holiday but they can also be more costly and may require other expenses such as childcare. - Scope out some second-hand boxes
Unless boxes come included in your removal package then you will need to source your own but thankfully there are plenty of places to source them from. Supermarkets, farm shops and other retailers are charged for the removal of their box waste and so many give them away for free if asked. Alternatively, check out sites such as Facebook Market Place or eBay for people selling or giving away their packing boxes at reduced rates. - Start packing earlier
Last-minute packing is a recipe for disorganisation and stress so save yourself the hassle and pack earlier. Start packing non-essentials at least 3 weeks in advance of your moving date and label the boxes with their contents for easy unloading. For more important items, pack them in increments as moving day approaches but remember to keep labelling the boxes. Finally, for last-minute necessities, try to pack them 24-hours in advance and use alternatives for the final 24 hour period. - Find yourself childcare
If you have children then it’s often easier to find childcare for your moving day so that you can focus on the job at hand and not worry about where your children are. It’s also often a lot less stressful on the child to be apart from the moving process and they can then come back into your new home to help set their room back up when you have a sense of normality again. - Book a cleaner for your new home
There’s nothing more frustrating than arriving at your new home after a long moving day only to find that you can’t unpack until you’ve cleaned. If you can, try to get ahold of the keys a day or so in advance and then book a cleaner to give the property a good going over. This will get the property in good order for you to unpack and will also help you to feel more at home in the new environment. If you’re feeling generous then you could even book a cleaner for your old property so that its new owners can reap the same benefits.
Find out your new energy providers in advance
Find out who provides your gas, electric and water in advance of moving to ensure that it can all be switched on and working on your moving day. It can also be a good idea to get your internet box delivered and set up in advance of your moving in date so that you can have access to wifi in your new home from day one – an especially important tip for those with teenagers and children.
