Moving house is right up there alongside arranging a wedding day as one of the most stress-inducing endeavours we willingly put ourselves through. But having said that, with just the right amount of planning and organisation, moving day needn’t be anything other than exciting.
Aside from the obvious tasks such as getting everything you own packed, figuring out the new commute and arranging new schools, there are also whole numbers of other nitty gritty details that need your attention.
With that in mind, here are a few practical admin tasks you may want to consider to make your life that little bit easier when it comes to the big day
Let others know you’re moving
First things first, it’s important to let all the relevant people know that you’re leaving your current home, and to give details on the new address.
You could consider sending out postcards to all of your personal contacts (and professional clients if you are self-employed) with details of your change of address. You can use our quick and easy online custom label service to make some change of address labels to help speed up the process. This will ensure that all the right people know where you are.
One of the first things to do once you’re actually in your new home is to arrange having your post redirected. This ensures that any sensitive post such as bank statements won’t ever be sent to the old address.
Notify services and utility companies
It very important that as close to actually leaving the house for the last time as possible, you make sure to take note of your gas and electricity meter readings. This comes in handy when you notify the utility companies, as this is often the first thing they will ask for once you’ve given details of the new address. Also, by taking the meter readings at the very last minute you’ll also get a more accurate final bill.
If you’re renting a house, your tenancy agreement will most likely stipulate exactly how much notice the agency (or landlord) requires. The general rule is that the sooner you let them know, the better. It’s also best to inform your landlord in writing as this holds more weight as a record of correspondence. Additionally, you should arrange a date for an inspection where everybody is present at the same time; this avoids the potential for disagreements regarding damage.
Be sure to pause or change all regular subscription services you may use such as newspaper, grocery and milk deliveries. You may also need to consider (long in advance) arranging reinstallation of services such as cable or satellite television services, as well as letting your Internet providers know that you’re moving. The sooner you let these companies know, the sooner you can have them up and running at your new address.
You will also have to contact your new local council to notify them for changes with paying your council tax. If you are moving far from your local area and are unsure as to exactly who your new local council is, you can find out their details here.
For the big day itself
Giving moving day as much preparation as possible is vital to making sure that it runs smoothly. It’s a great idea to pack some essentials for moving day itself, as most of your belongings will be stored in boxes, under huge piles of other boxes!
There are certain things that you’ll definitely need such as bedclothes for the first night in the new house, as well as a change of clothes for the next day. Toiletries should be accessible, as well as things like toilet paper, basic cutlery and crockery, a first aid kit and of course, some celebratory champagne for once you’re finally finished! Now all that’s left to do is to perhaps have some food delivered and relax, because the next day it’s time to tackle all of the unpacking!
That about wraps it up, so remember that when it comes to moving home, get your preparation done and let the right people know, and with some work (and a little luck), moving day needn’t be as stressful as they say it is.
