The excitement of moving house is quickly replaced with stress as the thought of clearing your house suddenly dawns on you. The contracts, the solicitor, the final bills, the address changes… I think we can all agree that it can get a bit too much.
When it comes to packing your belongings away, ready to either put into storage, or take directly to your new home, it needs to be simple and organised – leaving you with one less thing to think about. Here’s 8 must-know tips for moving house storage that should help you along the way…
1 – Start early
Packing always takes longer than you think, particularly when you start reminiscing over old photographs stored in the attic or the board games you haven’t played since you were 8-years-old. Not to mention the wardrobe that you NOW have to dismantle after agreeing to take it with you!
Because of these scenarios, start early, even before your contracts have been signed. You’ve already decided to move house so get ahead of the game and use your weekends wisely.
2 – Work from the top, down
If you have an attic, it’s a good idea to sort it out first. You will know from decorating that no matter what room you are working on, the rest of the house manages to look like a bomb site as well! Working from the top, down gives everyone helping you a clear structure of how the de-cluttering will work and makes sure the mess is only confined to one area of the house.
3 – Heavy items in small boxes
How many times have you gone to pick up a cardboard box, only to break your back trying to lift it?! Avoid any injuries by packing heavier items in smaller boxes. This way, your books and other heavy belongings are easy to carry and easier to transport too.
4 – One room at a time
As we mentioned in number 2, focussing your efforts on just one room or area of the house is the best way to avoid confusion and mess. When packing away belongings, ensure that all boxes are labelled with the room they belong to. For ease of transportation, put labels on at least two sides of the boxes and on the lid too.
5 – All boxes together
Once you’ve packed your belongings away and labelled your boxes, keep your boxes clearly segregated. This works better if you are storing your boxes in one room in your house, or in a self storage facility. Put this into practice and you will save lots of time unpacking.
6 – Heavy bottom, lighter top
It may sound obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people when moving house are disappointed when their glass vase, which was lodged underneath a heavy book, ends up smashed! Pack heavier items at the bottom of your box, and lighter and fragile items at the top.
7 – Invest in wrapping
The amount of newspaper and bubble wrap that you will use during moving house will surprise you. It is so useful to look after those fragile items, and pack out those boxes that are not 100% full. Remember to wrap valuable items in a sheet of tissue paper beforehand, and be sure to buy more than you think too!
8 – Important documents
Now is your time to FINALLY sort out all those important documents. Birth and marriage certificates, car insurance policies, letters from the council… put them all in a document storage unit and keep them as safe as possible. It may also be a good idea to keep your house contracts and other details in the same unit too. This gives you piece of mind that everything is safe, together.
Temporary storage required?
While most people tend to move straight into their new house without a glitch, if you’re concerned that there will be a delay in between moving out of your old house and moving into your new one, temporary storage may be suitable for you.
At Premier Self Storage, we are offering all house movers 1 week of storage for just £1 at our site in Burton-on-Trent, where you can take advantage of:
- A secure and dust free unit to store
- 24 hour access to all your belongings
- Free use of the car park, trolleys and pallet trucks
Photo Credit: Flickr
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