Tips for Doing Your Own House Move
What You Need
- Boxes, boxes and more boxes! Estimate how many boxes you are going to need, then double that number.
- Heavy duty bin liners - these are great for soft furnishings, but also for clothes on hangers. Just poke the heads of the hangers through the bottom of the bag and wrap packing tape around them to keep them in place.
- Bubble wrap, newspaper or tissue paper for fragile items.
- Packing tape, you may also find it easier to use a packing tape dispenser gun so you don't need scissors.
- Thick black and red marker pens for writing on the boxes.
Save Yourself Time
- Write the room the box is going to on it so it can be put directly in that room when you are unloading, ready for unpacking in its new home.
- Take advantage of moving to declutter and get rid of things you don't need. Make a pile for rubbish and another to donate or sell. There's no point moving things you don't want or need.
- If you have pets or small children get a friend or relative to take them for the day, they'll be safer and happier out of the way and it will be easier for you to focus on the job.
- Borrow or buy a hand truck/trolley, this will make moving heavy items such as kitchen appliances and boxes easier and quicker.
Hiring a Moving Van
- If you are moving elsewhere in Europe a one-way rental may be the best option. You will pay a bit more but it will save you the return journey.
- If you are doing your move in one day, make sure you return the van within the 24 hour rental period, otherwise it will roll into another day and double the cost.
- Choose your van carefully, consider one with a tail lift if you have a lot of big or heavy items to move. If in doubt, go bigger, you always have more stuff than you think and you don't want to have to do multiple trips if you can avoid it.
- Check the driver meets the age requirement for the van you hire. Most vans require you to be 25+ , but larger vans, such as Lutons, have a minimum driver age of 30.
