Christmas is always a busy time of year. Shopping, cooking, visiting friends and family, holiday parties – it can all get a bit much. Throw moving house into the mix as well and you’ve set yourself a truly daunting task that would intimidate even the most organised of people.
With that in mind, if you’re desperate to get settled in your new place in time for New Year, here are a few tips that will help you on your way to a stress-free move and a merry season for all.
Moving house in 2019? Book your removals company now. Call ABC Removals & Storage on 01494 853112.
Plan Ahead
Plan ahead as much as possible. Remember that over the Christmas season, people will be on annual leave and therefore it is important to check the availability of everyone involved far enough in advance.
Let People Know
Get ahead of the game and notify anyone who needs to be informed of your new address as soon as possible. List all the organisations such as your bank, HMRC, DVLA, insurance providers, etc who should be informed and contact them. Which provides a comprehensive list of organisations you might need to inform when you change address.
Don’t forget to let family and friends know your new address so that cards and gifts can be sent to the correct place.
Organise Your Utilities
Take care of your household utilities services in advance. Christmas will not be quite so merry without heating or electricity. Make sure utility suppliers and informed well in advance of your move. If you are switching providers, give them at least 48 hours’ notice and provide your old provider with your new address so that bills can be sent to the right place.
By letting utility provider know far enough in advance about your move, keeping in mind that over the Christmas season these things can take longer than they usually do during the rest of the year, you can arrange set up times that will allow you to enjoy full use of all your utilities by Christmas.
Take Advantage of the Light
When booking your removals company, consider the time of day you want to move. During the winter, it gets darker much earlier and we think you’ll agree that arriving at your new home while it’s still light is preferable over pitch darkness. Take advantage of the lighter hours by scheduling your move for early in the day.
Check the Weather
As moving day approaches, keep an eye on the weather reports. If it looks like there might be ice on the roads, take this into account when calculating how long it will take to arrive at your new home. Additionally, loading and unloading the removal van when it is icy will take much longer. A great tip for moving in icy weather is to use flattened cardboard boxes to make a pathway from your door to the van, helping to avoid any nasty slips or falls on the ice as well as preventing shoes trailing wet through the house.
Pack Smart
If you’re moving house at what is one of the busiest times of year, we’d wager that you’re probably going to struggle to get unpacked by Christmas. That’s okay. You aren’t superhuman. According to a recent survey in the US, it can take on average 182 days to unpack the last moving box. And because we don’t think you should spend your Christmas frantically sorting through boxes, we recommend approaching packing strategically, with this in mind:
When packing, (we suggest going room by room, with the least used room first) consider with each item whether you are likely to need it before, during or immediately after Christmas. Pack those items separately from those you aren’t planning on using over the Christmas period.
If you aren’t sure about space, consider renting a storage unit for items you won’t need straight away, that you can sort through after Christmas is over, rather than leaving them piled up in your garage or living space.
You could also pack a ‘Christmas box’ filled with things that will make your home feel festive that you can unpack early on to help you settle into that Christmassy spirit such as decorations, stockings, presents, etc. This is a great way to spend time together as a family, getting used to your new house, decorating it for Christmas to make it feel more like home.
Start Shopping Now
We promise ourselves every year that we won’t leave the Christmas shopping until the last minute. That we will start early and be more organised next year. Only to find ourselves fighting strangers for the last bath bomb on the shelf at Boots, five minutes before closing on Christmas Eve. It happens. But. if you are moving house, while Christmas shopping might not seem top of the priority list, getting it out of the way as early as possible will give you one less thing to worry about during your move, allowing you more time to deal with any issues that might crop up. Pack presents in a separate box (we’d recommend labelling it ‘crockery’ or something equally dull to keep prying eyes away) to be transported safely during the move and opened on Christmas Day, rather than tearing through boxes on Christmas Eve to find them.
Survive Moving Day
We always suggest packing a moving day survival kit, containing items you will need for the journey and on arrival at your new home, such as chargers, drinks and snacks and any relevant paperwork. When moving at Christmas, make sure to add items to the kit that will keep you warm on the journey and will allow you to stay warm while you wait for the heating to kick in at the new place, such as coats and blankets. Keep the festive spirits high on moving day with a journey playlist of Christmas tunes to sing along to and Christmas themed snacks such as gingerbread and mince pies.
With these helpful tips in mind, you’ll find yourself settled into your new home well before Santa Claus comes to town.
Happy Moving and Happy Holidays from ABC Removals & Storage!
For more moving advice or to request our removals service, browse our website or call ABC Removals & Storage on 01494 853112 today.
