Moving Made Easy!

Moving can be one of the most stressful times of your life.

It is rated, amongst divorce, job loss and death of a loved one, as being a major trigger for stress and stress related illnesses.

Of course, we know that already. We, as property managers, manage people during the moving process (as well as divorce, death and job losses too) on a daily basis.

Moving can be difficult but throughout the years we have had lots of experience handling the many issues that often arise during this time.

We have devised our own top tips for moving.

1. 1. 1. Organise Supplies Early – getting friends and family to start collecting boxes will help when the move happens. Start grabbing those extra packaging padding items like bubble wrap and foam for delicate objects. Stock up on tape and black markers as well.
      2. Make a Plan – Start setting up a to do list with a plan for action, based on date. This needs to be done by then. Break it into weeks and days before the move. Start booking movers, cleaners, carpet cleaners early as they book out quickly.
      3. Delegate -every member of the family should have a job and don’t be afraid to ask relatives and friends to pitch in.
      4. Declutter – what’s more annoying than having to move items you don’t really need or want. Start decluttering creating a giveaway pie and a sell pile. Offloading these items early means you don’t have to move them.
      5. Start early – You can also pack items that you don’t need – things like out of season items, jackets and blankets if it is Summer time  (although keep some blankets for packing) Christmas trees, decorations, books, partyware etc.
      6. Label and tag EVERYTHING! – It might be tedious but it’s so worth it. Simple labels like, kitchen, bedroom 1 etc can mean that helpful helpers can pick up boxes and drop them where they need to go. Additional labels like Bedroom 1 – Books can mean that you can put this aside until you are ready to unpack properly. Cords tagged with the right appliance or even tapped to them works well when you are setting them all back up.
      7. Plan the moving day – Make a separate plan for the move day, book babysitters/pet sitters, pack snacks and take water bottles. Keep some plastic cups and plates out if needed but Pizza is the easiest dinner on move day.
      8. If using a removalist, book them for the FIRST slot of the day. If you are booked for the afternoon, the removalists will come whenever they are finished with the previous job, which could mean quite later in the day!

Remember Failing to Plan means you plan to fail – well not really. It just means that there is more of chance things can go wrong or take longer. Moving can be difficult but can also be a fun time to start a new beginning, so try to remain on the positive side and enjoy the process.