Popular Moving House Questions
November 19, 2018
Moving house might seem complicated, but most people do it at least once in their lives. As such, you can usually find plenty of advice floating around, with most questions for moving house having more than one answer depending on who you ask.
However, there are also a few key truths to keep in mind. For example, whatever your situation might be, or whoever you might ask for advice, the more time you put into actually planning your move, the easier everything will be. This should include giving yourself enough time to organise packing, as well as changing over your broadband and utility providers, booking time off work, decluttering your house, selling furniture and so on.
Questions are also important when choosing a new property to move to. You will want to make sure that your home ticks all of the necessary boxes in terms of location, storage and space. The more you ask early on, the easier it will be to make necessary arrangements to make up for any shortfalls.
It is also important to listen to the right kind of advice. There are plenty of so-called ‘hacks’ designed to get around paperwork or laws regarding house moves. However, more often than not these will only cause you more trouble.
With that in mind, here are some of the most popular questions people ask when moving house - and the answers that everyone needs to know!
What should I ask when moving house?
Should I hire professional removers?
This is a fairly common question for people moving house. Some see it as a waste of money, especially when they are still recovering from having to pay a deposit on their new home!
However, trying to save money by not hiring removers is largely a false economy. For starters, the cost of hiring and insuring your own moving vehicle can cost more than hiring removers in the first place! More importantly, the friends or family members who have volunteered to help with your move will not be insured, and so you could end up having to pay for any broken belongings out of your own pocket.
It is also worth considering how much your own time is worth. Removers can arrange packing and transportation with far greater speed and efficiency than you can. This is particularly important to consider when deciding how much time you will need to take off work for the sake of your moving day. Having to spend a few extra days organising everything may seem like a less convenient choice than simply hiring professionals.
At the same time, it will still be important to hire the right removal company. This will not just be a matter of finding the lowest price; ideally, you will want to collect quotes from at least five local firms, letting them know exactly how much you want to take with you, as well as your destination and moving date. Collecting these prices will give you a good idea of the average moving cost for your area, which will help you to steer clear any firms which charge extortionate quotes.
How can I declutter my house?
As a general rule of thumb, the less that you have to pack and transport, the easier your move will be. Looking around your current home you may find a lot of belongings which you don’t need anymore, such as old furniture, clothes, accessories and so on. All of this will take up space in the moving vehicle, as well as your new property. More importantly, most of it will be fairly easy to replace once you arrive.
Luckily, decluttering your home should be fairly easy. Charity shops will usually be happy to take things off your hands, and some may even be able to arrange home pickups. Failing this, there is always the option of using a freecycling website like Freegle to find new owners for anything that you don’t need.
If you have certain belongings which are in good condition, you may even be able to sell them second hand. This is particularly common for furniture and white goods, such as fridges and ovens. Just be sure to find a local buyer, as you will want to avoid having to pay extra for long-distance shipping.
Should I clean before moving?
Remember, the next person who lives in your current property will want it to be in good condition when they move in - that’s just common courtesy!
However, cleaning is more than a matter of manners if you are a tenant rather than a buyer. Cleaning your house and returning it to the same state it was in when you arrived will be important when claiming back your deposit. If you leave any mess lying around, your landlord will be all too happy to make deductions, particularly as poor hygiene can attract dangerous pests like mice or rats.
If you have enough time, you should be able to clean your property yourself, though it will be important to be thorough. Your inventory report can be used as a checklist, as it should list everything that your landlord will be checking!
Otherwise, your best option will be to book an end of tenancy cleaning service with a local cleaner. An experienced firm should know exactly which areas to cover to ensure that you get all of your deposit back.
How can I help my children adjust after a move?
Moving house with children can be a difficult experience. You might have to bear the brunt of the organisational difficulties, but for a young child having to face a new home, school and group of friends can even prove traumatic.
It will important for you to talk to your child about the move well in advance of the moving day. You can let them know what to expect and help them to get used to the idea of leaving what they know behind. You may even want to take the time to visit your new locale to help them adjust in advance.
You will also want to make sure that your new locale offers everything that your child will need. This should include a paediatrician, school, dentist office and local activities. Remember, signing your children up for new clubs can be an excellent way to help them make new friends.
How can I save money when moving house?
There are a number of ways to save money when moving house. However, there are also a lot of ways to do it incorrectly. For example, you may be convinced that you can move cheaply by not hiring a remover, or by simply going with an uninsured white van man. More often than not, however, these false economies will simply put you and your belongings in danger.
Instead, opt for safer methods for saving money. You may want to spend time looking for free cardboard boxes, or even selling some of your possessions in order to offset the costs. Most importantly, take your time in choosing a good quality removal company. Remember, you get what you pay for!