20 Dec 9 tips for moving home at Christmas

Moving home is one of the most nerve-wracking events of a person’s life. Combine this with unpredictable weather and one of the busiest times of the year, and moving property during December can be very stressful. Yet, believe it or not, Christmas is a hugely popular time of year for moving home. 

 With endless presents to buy, a gift list that keeps on growing and various family events to attend to, it’s likely that you haven’t even had time to plan the move.  

 However, if you’re planning on moving before the big day, you’ll be pleased to know that there’s still plenty of time to prepare and make the whole experience easier on yourself and your family. So, to reduce the stress levels leading up to moving day, take a look at our top tips for moving home at Christmas.  

1. If you’ve agreed on a move in date, it’s crucial to book your removal van first. Christmas is a popular time for moving home and it’s likely that the closer you get to Christmas Day, the higher the prices will be. Why not get in touch with a few local companies to compare prices?
    
2. Plan ahead. Christmas can be a stressful time anyway without leaving everything to the last minute. Ask a loved one to look after any children or pets and why not book some additional time off work? 
   
3. Prepare for the worst. Snow, rain, sleet – it’s important to be aware that winter weather can be unpredictable and cause havoc for your moving plans.
4. Start your Christmas shopping early. Ease your workload ready for the move and begin your Christmas shopping now. Why not set yourself a target of having 70% of your Christmas presents bought before you begin packing up your home?
5. Organise your packing. A good idea can be to begin packing up items in advance. As you go through each room, why not create three piles – bin, donate and keep. A good rule of thumb is that if you haven’t used or worn something in the past year, you’re probably not going to miss it. Make sure your boxes are labelled and remember to keep your decorations at easy access so you can decorate your new home.
6. Inform your utility provider about your departure and new move in date – you don’t want a cold and dark Christmas. When you move into your new property, you’ll also need to take a meter reading and send this to your new provider.
7. Change your address details and set up a Royal Mail redirection for at least 3 months. You wouldn’t want to miss any Christmas cards…
8. It can be a nice idea to leave information for the new homeowners relating to the next bin collection, recycling days and how to get the boiler up and running. Why not write a nice message in a Christmas card?
9. Don’t offer to host Christmas! Even if you move in before the 25th, the likelihood of you wanting to cook a Christmas dinner and have a family get-together is going to be very little. Remember, there’s always next year…  

By planning ahead and being organised during the festive season, you’ll have much more time to get excited about moving this Christmas. If you have questions about your upcoming move or are looking for your dream home in Manchester, get in touch today.