From The Man Who've Recently Moved

Hey there! It's been almost 2 weeks since I published my last article. Been quite busy with home projects, DIY stuff, and all. For today, I've got a couple of hours free for this post I'm sharing. So in the past few days, you might have noticed me sharing different articles about home, home building, and improvement. Well, that's what this blog is all about, but for today my post will be about moving house.

I wasn't sure if I already mentioned that we’ve just moved to our new home. Not really recently moved, but we are barely a year in our new house. My wife and I decided to look for a new home. So we found this cozy house that has been up for sale for a while now, and she said "I love this house!" It may seem cliché, but I, too, have fallen in love with the house (don't tell that to my wife, please :D). Kidding aside, the house looks cozy, yes, and I also saw a big potential in it. It has a spacious garden (not exactly a garden, 'coz it's just barren grass these days). But you know, being a passionate gardener myself, I can just see myself working off the yard and doing my stuff there. I was already thinking of a possible workshop shed to build, as well as a few flowers to adorn the place. It didn't take us long to decide to invest in the house, which was a good move, I must say, even with the cost. So here we are, still trying to adjust to our new home, moving things here and there, and so on. But overall, it's a good experience, and we don’t regret our decision a bit.

So anyway, apologies for the long intro. I sometimes get a bit carried away whenever I write about something I'm really interested in. What I wanted to tell you about actually was our experience when we moved house. In one word, it is stressful. Yes, it's fun – building a life in a new home and neighborhood and all, but we failed to anticipate what we needed to do, and so we ended up rushing things and moving stuff here and there. If you're someone who might be thinking of moving, here are several things I compiled – might not hurt to read to spare yourself from some of the stress and trouble when you move.

List, list, list. 

Photo credit: dmachiavello (flickr.com)

Everything will seem much more organized with lists. This is my wife's mantra, but somehow we fail to make one before our move, being caught up with our daily chores and all that. Biggest mistake ever. Well, I could say it was our biggest mistake because if only we started off with a list, we could have made a simple yet efficient record-keeping system. List down the things you need to do and set a timeline for things so you can check things off your to-do's once you've managed to accomplish them. Making lists is also very helpful when you pack. Keep your lists handy so you'll have a record on where things should be when you move.

Strategize.

Moving house seems easy, but the process of getting things from one point to another can be a little bit tricky. Before your move, plan ahead how you will transport your stuff from your home to your new neighborhood. Can you manage packing your things in your car, or do you need your friend's help by borrowing his reliable truck? You can also hire a removalist or a moving service so you can transport your things with ease, especially if you have quite a lot of stuff and you're travelling far.

Photo credit: Dahai Z (flickr.com)

Some tips when packing your stuff:

You don't need to transport all your stuff to your new home. In truth, moving house can actually be a good way of weeding out items that are better left out, or letting go of stuff that you no longer use. In short, decluttering your stuff. Here are tips you might find handy when you pack items:

Pack early.

Unless you're planning to move out on a haste, make sure to pack weeks in advance. Start with things you don't use daily, such as bed linens and covers, books, some kitchen utensils, family memorabilia, and so on.

Pack by room and label accordingly.

Pack things based on where you intend to keep them in your new home. This will help you and the house movers know easily where to put things, considerably making it easy and saving your time when you unpack. You can make the labels color-coded or detailed as you may – anything that will help you know where things are or should be. Also label boxes accordingly, especially if the contents are breakable or fragile so they will be handled with more care.

Enlist everyone's help.

Let your kids help with the packing, especially if they're old enough to do so. They can help sort out their books and toys, and this is also a good way to divert their mind from the worries they might be feeling about moving home. When packing sharp objects like kitchen knives, make sure to wrap them with tape for safety purposes. If you are hiring a moving service, it's best to let them do the packing for fragile items so you'll be sure that your stuff will be handled with professional care.

Inform the right people.

You'll have your hands full with a lot of stuff when you move, but make sure you inform the right people before the important date. This includes your utility providers, such as your gas and electricity suppliers, water company, and home and internet service providers. You can always transfer your old utility connections with you, just be sure to inform them beforehand. If you are no longer satisfied with the service, you can always look for utility providers online and compare their costs and services before you sign up for anything. It may also take you quite a while to inform a bunch of family and friends, but it's certainly more recommended, rather than have them knocking to your old home's door without the faintest idea that you already moved.

Well, I think these would be all for now. Don't worry. I'll be sharing a few more tips in my next posts. For the meantime, you might want to check out some related articles:

Moving house (bbc.co.uk)

Ready to Move?—Tips for a Successful Interstate Move (protectyourmove.gov)

33 Moving Tips ThatWill Make Your Life So Much Easier (buzzfeed.com)