20 tips for moving house

This year I'll be moving home! It's partly exciting and partly scary. I haven't moved in a while but I'm looking forward to the experience. It ties in with my word for the year which is action and I thought this is the year to move. I've started decluttering and several repair jobs have been carried out recently so the house is ready! However, I'm sure I could do a lot more to prepare for the actual move. I asked fellow bloggers for essential advice. Here are 20 tips for moving house!

WEEKS/MONTHS BEFORE THE MOVE

Declutter
Start early with de-cluttering and sell on the local selling sites, plus eBay. You will make some money for buying new things for the new house Sarah, Champagne & Petals

Tackle big storage areas first
Get the big things like garage and loft done first! They were definitely the biggest jobs and I dread to think what would have happened if we had left them till the last minute! Amy, Living the Harmon life

Collect cardboard boxes
Start collecting cardboard boxes as soon as you know you're going to move. Ask friends and family to save theirs too. Also ask local businesses and supermarkets if they have any spare cardboard boxes you can have. This will save a small fortune compared to buying new boxes. Victoria, Lylia Rose

Start packing as early as possible
Always remember - you have more stuff than you realise! Never think it won't take that long to pack, it will and it does and houses become the wardrobe to Narnia, start early and do a little bit often in the weeks leading up to the move! Heidi, Southern Mummy

DAYS BEFORE THE MOVE

Give children a packing option

Give your child/children each a small bag that they pack with their favourite toys and keep with them or in the family car on moving day so come the evening they can settle with a few familiar things around them. Don't forget pets either! Keep night lights and pet bedding to one side so it is easily accessible. Pack a 'first night' box with pyjamas, bed linen, toiletries, and any essentials like a torch or window catches for upstairs. Don't forget where you put the kettle! Finally, keep a list of all the things that you're keeping separate on moving day so you don't leave any of them in your old home. Jo, Cup of Toast

Label all boxes by room

Label all boxes by room so that whoever is helping can make sure everything goes in the room it is suppose to be in. Unpacking room by room is so much easier than trying to tackle the whole hour. Kate, Modern Mum

Children's Boxes
Clearly mark the children’s boxes so you can find them quickly once they’ve been moved and unpack their rooms first. This gives them somewhere to settle and play, out of the way, while you unpack boxes for the rest of the house. Check out Jenni's post on moving with children at Chilling with Lucas

Hire a removal company for moving day!

After moving ourselves I’d never do it again, hiring a removal company is definitely the way to go when you have kids. Lynne has several tips for moving house with a 9 month old at New Mummy Blog

Arrange childcare for moving day
Book your kids in to childcare or arrange play dates at a friends house on living day so they are out of the way, safe and having fun. It gives you one last thing to think about. Terri, The Strawberry Fountain

Redirect your post in advance
Redirect your post with the postal service. And/or leave the new tenants your forwarding address and some large stamped addressed envelopes. Jo, A Rose Tinted World

Order food in advance

Put in a food shop order before the move so it's one less thing to think about. Lyndsey, Me, him, the dog and a baby.

Make an essentials/emergency box
Make an ‘emergency box’ for each person, put in pjs, underwear, 1 spoon, 1 cup, 1 bowl. Then add tea bags, kettle, coffee, toilet roll and wash stuff. That way if things don’t go to plan and you don’t get unpacked in tome, you have enjoy stuff for 24hours without having to go through boxes! Jade, Mummies Waiting. Rachel from Marvellous Mrs P adds the tip of creating a instant home box. In it you put your kettle, tea, coffee, mugs etc. Some biscuits, your child's favourite toy, a radio, loo roll and some cutlery. With this box, you can instantly feel at home even when you're carrying boxes back and forth. So make sure it arrives first! Ps. Put some paracetamol in there too! Rachel,

Pack a holdall

Pack a holdall with around 3-4 changes of clothes and underwear for you all , this way you have a few days worth it one place and don't have to be rooting around bags etc. Lianne, Anklebiters Adventures

ON MOVING DAY

Last in, first out!
Think about what you will need when you get there and make sure it’s to hand and not buried deep in boxes or at the back of a truck that you have to empty everything else to get it what you NEED Kirsty, The Money Saving Mum

Make beds as soon as you move in
Build and make the beds first when you move in. That way, when you're exhausted at the end of the day, you can just fall into a comfortable bed, without having to build it first! Julie, Pondering Parenthood

Let the little ones play
When packing with little ones, let them stick stickers or draw on the boxes for their room. It will not only occupy them while you pack other things but they will love locating the boxes when you get to the new house. Jennie, Rice cakes & Raisins

Know where the kettle is

Make sure you know where the kettle is! You're bound to want to sit and have a cuppa at some point. Erica, The Incidental Parent

Ask for help

My last two tips are to ask friends/family for help if needed. The more help the better! I'd also second the advice of hiring a removal van opting for people packing everything for you. I've done this in the past and it's worth every penny. It can be costly especially if relocating to a city far away so if you don't have the money you could look at taking out a loan. It will save so much stress from moving house and make the whole process so much easier!

* This is a sponsored post. Thanks to all who have contributed!

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