Lets face it..wether you are buying your first home or renting, moving house can be pretty stressful! And I say this from a place of experience. My husband and I have moved homes 5 times in the last 6 years (Yes a gypsy traveller life has often been discussed) and each move came with its own specific challenges.

One major thing we’ve learnt? If you plan for your move ahead of time, the potential for things to go wrong is significantly reduced.

Just to be clear, I’m not talking ‘plates getting cracked in a box during the move’ wrong, I’m talking ‘ having to move out of a property by a set date and not being able to book a moving van because you left it to the very last minute’ kind of wrong.

Yes… that really happened.

The good news is, we have since evolved. We are no longer just serial movers… we are now serial movers who are always prepared. BOOM!

Today I’m sharing 12 moving house tips we use to help us get prepared – along with free moving house printables. I live in the UK but this relates to my overseas readers too! Affiliate links used for your convenience – please see full disclosure here

12 MOVING HOUSE TIPS – A MONTH IN ADVANCE:

1. GET ORGANISED. The best way to get started with this is by getting out a pen and paper to make a ‘Things To Do List’. Actually, scrap that, this isn’t the stone ages. I’ve made you your very own moving FREE printable that you can download and print….as many times as you like. DOWNLOAD YOUR MOVING CHECKLIST HERE

You can also join my ORGANISING AND CLEANING FACEBOOK GROUP HERE or FOLLOW MY PINTEREST ORGANISING BOARD for extra advice and tips!

2. DECLUTTER!!. This is your chance to get rid of stuff you no longer use or need. You’ll be surprised at how much junk you can accumulate over the years.Think of it as a house de-tox or purge (nothing as drastic as The Purge Movie though I promise)….

If you’re a confessed hoarder like me, you’ll find this part the most challenging. I found this Decluttering Printable guide by My Love For Words (the blogging queen of de-cluttering I have to add) as well as the Kon Mari decluttering method helpful in my most recent move from my previous home.

Once you’ve figured out what needs to go, seek out your local charity shops or try selling things on Gumtree, eBay, local Facebook Sales groups or Craigslist.

Not a pretty sight, but true evidence of my hoarding problem.

3. WORK OUT YOUR FINANCES. Moving is definitely expensive, what with all the expenses you now need to pay out i.e deposits, moving fees, installation fees, decorating etc. Sometimes it’s hard to keep track of it all, and before you know it you are broke and wishing every day was Pay Day. This is why it is so important to calculate your moving budget at least a month in advance… and if you are able to put aside money every week or month in preparation, even better!

4. MEAL PLANNING. Not much fun this one if you dislike cooking as much as I do, but its a necessary evil. Put away those Take Away menus and start planning! Its difficult to bring food with you during the move (especially if you’re moving quite far and need to defrost your fridge) so put together meals that will use up a majority of the food you already have.

Invest in a slow cooker! They are life savers when it comes to meal planning and they make cooking a whole lot easier – not to mention healthier!

5. COLLECT BOXES. There is nothing worse than realising that you don’t have enough boxes a few days before a move. You might resort to drastic measures by throwing everything into anything you can get your hands on …like large black bags (cough!).

Do not make this mistake. Black bags are not a substitute for boxes.

Star collecting boxes as soon as you can or if you don’t have enough time, you can buying moving box bundle deals online. I used this company before but if your’e in the US, there are some great deals here.

6. PACK ROOM BY ROOM starting with the room not used often (for me that was my spare room, and the kitchen was last). If you start packing at least a month in advance , you’re less likely to get yourself into a panicked frenzy.

When you are packing

leave out items that you know you will still be using in the coming weeks or days i.e cutlery. This way on the day of your move you can pack all those items in one or two boxes and they will become your survival moving kit in your new home!

in your new home! Use towels, bedsheets, or cloths to protect your fragile items (this will cut down costs of having to purchase bubble wrap or packing paper)

Don’t overpack your boxes, you don’t want them falling apart during your move.

Label each box clearly with a black marker

7. TELL YOUR GAS AND ELECTRICITY PROVIDERS THAT YOU ARE MOVING. If you are renting, sometimes your Landlord or Agency might do this for you, but its always best to double check. Find out who the electric and gas providers are for your new home. Even if you do plan to switch over it may take some time in between for everything to be installed so remember you will be paying to the provider currently installed in that house during that period.

8. NOW TELL EVERYONE ELSE. This list isn’t meant to be exhaustive but just a quick reminder. – Council Tax, Tv license, Internet Providers, Subscriptions. Heck I cant list them all here so I’ve put together another printable here. DOWNLOAD YOUR CHANGE OF ADDRESS CHECKLIST HERE

9. REDIRECT/FORWARD YOUR MAIL TO YOUR NEW ADDRESS. Now I know this is a little expensive but its great! I forward for at least 2 months, this just gives me enough time to ensure everyone knows about my new address and nothing important is missed. If you are in the UK you can do this via the Royal Mail website or if you live in the US it can be done via this site

10. ARRANGE CHILDCARE FOR MOVING DAY. I find it hard to be productive with my little boy around – especially when we’re moving. Do you have a relative, friend or child minder that might be able to watch your children on the day of the move? Give them a shout in advance so things run like clock work on the day.

And if you have no means of child care? It happens, especially if you are moving to a new city or country. Try not to stress, pack a box of goodies, movies and activities for your child that will keep them entertained on the day.

11. BOOK A MOVING VAN. This should be done at least a couple of weeks in advance, try not leave this to the very last minute. If you’re worried about costs here, you can always just book the driver and get your friends to help with the move. We always find doing this works out much cheaper, but of course you need willing helping hands!

12. REMEMBER YOUR DEPOSIT IF MOVING FROM A RENTED PROPERTY. Make sure you are leaving it in a good state. i.e holes are filled in, carpets are cleaned, walls are painted back to a neutral color and any damages are fixed. You need that deposit back now more than ever! I wrote a post previously about painting and renting which you can read here

Have you moved or are moving soon? I’d love to hear your stories, drop me a comment below

SO HERE’S A QUICK RECAP!

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: 8 TIPS FOR PAINTING A RENTAL – SOMETHING YOU NEED TO CONSIDER WHEN MOVING HOUSE!

OR HOW TO DECORATE YOUR RENTAL WITH CONTACT PAPER (NO DAMAGE WHENEVER YOU NEED TO MOVE )

SPEAKING OF MOVING BOXES, DID YOU KNOW WE HAVE A FUN DIY CHALLENGE GOING ON RIGHT NOW WHICH INVOLVES UPCYCLING A CARDBOARD BOX? CLICK HERE IF YOU WANT TO TAKE PART!