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First Time Movers Guide

When you move home for the first time there are pros and cons in not knowing what you’re letting yourself in for. Don’t underestimate the time it will take to pack and move all your possessions, even if you don’t have much furniture to move.

Plan ahead

Start with a plan and assess what you need to take. Set a budget for the move and consider booking a removal company for the dates you need. The budget should cover everything for the whole move process, including packing materials, transport or a removals firm.

Work backwards from your move date, and for the week prior allocate tasks to each day. Sooner than that and you can allocate by week. Write down your plans and share them with everyone involved.

Your budget might determine how you move. Anything between doing everything yourself and instructing a professional moving company to do it all for you. And even if you have a removals business to transport your belongings, if there are more than two of you in the household you’ll need to make arrangements for personal transportation as the lorry will not have space.

Buying in bulk (e.g. bubble wrap) or not buying at all and reusing (cardboard boxes) will help cut costs if you are intending to do it yourself.

Get organised

Think about what you will actually need. Go through your current belongings and donate or discard things you won’t need at your new place. Also make a list of things you will need that you don’t have. That might be as obvious as a bed or things that will make the house a home, such as cushions, which can come later. Once you have a moving date you can start to order furniture to be delivered after that date.

Take a moving day box or suitcase with clothes and essentials for moving day and the first night, which should include things like mugs and teabags, and the kettle of course!