Putting a New Year house move plan into action

A New Year often means a new resolution. For some it’s getting to grips with work; for others it’s getting on track with health and fitness; for others it can be more wholesale change, like deciding to move house.

Taking your next step on the housing ladder can be a daunting tastk, but there are a few perks to making that move sooner rather than later. Whether you are in the market for a rural cottage, a suburban semi, or even one of the luxury new-build apartments here at Quartermile, check out our advice on making that dream move a piece of cake.

Get the professionals in

With so much to fit in around work and your social life, time can be tight when it comes to making the leap to your next residence. So, the last thing you want on your plate is to take on a challenge like moving all your worldly goods without help.

Unless you are a bona fide minimalist, you’ll most likely have collected a wealth of stuff over the years and trying to pack and move things without outside help can be a time consuming and labour intensive task. Not only that, but hiring a van for the move can be almost as expensive as getting a removals company in.

If you do end up moving in the winter, there’s a good chance that the weather is going to be against you. Under these circumstances you can risk all of your cardboard boxes getting soggy and likely to break if you are travelling any great distance outside. Getting the professionals in can help you transfer your possessions to and from the van or lorry in double quick time – reducing the likelihood of rain damage.

Protect the floors

If it is raining, sleeting or even snowing, make sure you protect the floors in both your old and new home during the move. Walking outdoors and then back in during the winter often leads to your shoes picking up mud and dirt. Therefore, if you are moving boxes in or out you do not want to be taking your shoes on and off so you do not get the floors muddy.

Dust sheets, lengths of cardboard or even newspapers can help you to keep mess to a minimum. While it might take an extra 5 minutes to prepare for your move, you could save a significant chunk of time on cleaning after you’ve dumped your boxes in your new home on moving day.

Check that the new home is prepped

 Another top tip is to check with the estate agent that your house will be ready to move into in winter. Ask for the agent to check that the heating and electrics are all fully functional before you complete – after all, this could be 6 weeks or more after you last saw the inside of the home you are buying.

Once you know that your utilities are all set up and ready to go, then you can be confident that your first night in your new home is going to be cosy and warm.

Label everything

Labelling your boxes is something you should consider doing no matter what time of year you choose to move. A simple label on each box can halve the time it takes to unpack, as it’s much easier to ensure that your stuff makes it into the right room first time round. But you’ll also be extra grateful for having written out labels in winter because you can create your very own survival box – filled with a few items of warm clothing, a kettle, teabags and your toiletries, so that you can have a nice hot shower as soon as the moving is done.

If you are looking to move this winter, check out the range of 1–4 bedroom apartments at Quartermile.