Moving day can be something to get excited about but also something to dread!
It’s exciting to move into a brand new home. You have a new project to make into a beautiful home. And you may be in a new area that you can explore; discovering a whole new set of trendy cafés, local restaurants and lively pubs.
But getting there can be a real slog. It’s a real physical and mental effort to box up your life and move it to another area of town.
For some of the younger ones among us, it’s just a case of packing a suitcase. But for those who have acquired many more possessions (and perhaps a whole apartment full of furniture), here’s some moving day advice for you.
Before the move
Check your move in time
Before you plan anything, double check your move-in time with your landlord. Make sure they’re expecting you so there are no bad surprises. If you turn up and the old tenant is still moving out, or they haven’t had time to deep clean the apartment, it’s going to make things tricky.
Also, in high rise apartment blocks like Vantage Point, use of the elevator is a factor you might not have considered. In these cases, by letting your landlord know exactly when you’ll arrive, they can reserve an elevator for you so you can get moved in at speed.
Acquire some boxes
All your stuff needs to go into boxes to get from A to B. You could buy a load of boxes, but really that’s an unnecessary cost. Especially for something that’s going to go straight into the recycling bin after you’re moved.
Instead, go to your local supermarket and ask for their used boxes. They’ll always have a pile going to waste, so it makes things easier for them if you take some off their hands. If they don’t have any there and then, ask them to set them aside over the next couple of days.
Start packing early
One of the most important pieces of moving day advice is this: start packing early – it takes a lot longer than you think! Once you start unloading cupboards and drawers, you’ll soon realise how much stuff you have.
Getting ahead of the game will allow you to not only tackle a mammoth job in smaller chucks (do a little every evening), but it will also give you the time to pack in a more organised fashion.
Label every box
Grab a marker pen and label every box. Our recommendation would be the room it’s for and the general gist of what it contains.
This will make a big difference when it comes to moving day. You can move it into the right room and then prioritise which box gets unpacked first.
Recruit helpers
If you’re aiming to do this alone or with just your partner, think again. If you have a serious amount of stuff and heavy furniture alongside it all, it’s going to be a long and tiring moving day for two people.
Instead, call in some favours and recruit friends and family to help out. Just two extra pairs of hands will halve the workload and allow you to load and unload the moving van twice as fast.
If no one’s around, strongly consider hiring a removal company to get this job done. They do cost a lot, but it may be money well spent.
During the move
Start early
Just as with before the move, start early, because this too takes longer than you think. Go collect the moving van as early as you can to maximise the time you have with it. As soon as it’s at your old place, get loading!
Have a bag of essentials
All your possessions will be boxed up and inaccessible throughout the day, so a good piece of moving day advice is to keep a backpack of essentials handy. This could include water, energy-boosting snacks, important documents, ID, deodorant, wet wipes, a change of clothes and anything else you might need to get you through the day.
Look after the pets
If you’re a pet owner moving into a pet friendly flat to rent, make sure your pets are comfortable and safe during moving day. Make sure they have plenty of water and food and get them settled as a priority when you get to your new home.
If in doubt, get a friend to pet sit for the day and collect them when you’re all settled.
Keep cleaning products handy
You don’t know what condition the apartment will be in when you get there, so keep some essential cleaning products handy in case you need to give it a quick once over. Our list would include:
- Surface cleaner
- Cloths
- Wipes
- Toilet roll
- Handwash
Do your own inventory
Before moving anything in, take a look at the apartment first. An inventory check should have been done prior to you moving in. But it always helps to double check things for yourself too.
If you spot anything that looks off – whether damage, missing items or dirty areas – take pictures as evidence and log it with your landlord. It’s important to do this before you move in as it will be harder to claim that something was damaged after you’ve lugged a lot of heavy, awkward shaped items into the apartment that could have easily caused the damage.
Everything in one room
It makes the unpack easier if you pile everything into one room. The living room or a spare bedroom are always good choices, as they’re less essential than a bedroom, kitchen or bathroom.
By doing this, you’re making it easier to unpack and get set in the other rooms one-by-one, as you have the free space to get things as you want them.
After the move
Reward your helpers
If you managed to recruit helpers for moving day, now’s the time to bring out the rewards. They've done their bit and probably had a tiring day as a result, so it’s only fair to give them a token of your appreciation. A good bottle of wine or Champagne, or a case of beer are great (and easy) options.
Moving day advice
So there's our moving day advice. All that’s left now is to start the big unpack. Make sure you prioritise the important stuff first. Get the essentials into the kitchen, bedroom and bathroom so you can eat, sleep and wash.
After that, you’re free to make the space your own. It’s a brand new place so get creative! If you need any tips, we have a great guide on how to style a rental apartment.
