Plan and Prepare: Your Moving Home Checklist Courtesy of Foxes

Moving home. The very thought of it is probably enough to send shivers down your spine!

The fact is though, any kind of ‘change’ creates stress and whether you are moving home within the Bournemouth and Poole areas or relocating from further afield, plenty of planning and preparation will be required.

Moving house represents one of the biggest changes you may make in your life and so naturally brings a great deal of stress along with it. That's why you need to plan ahead and prepare for your home - so here are a few tips from us.

Stay focused

Moving home calls not only for exceptional organisational skills, but also proactivity. Grabbing the bull by the horns and completing certain chores well in advance of their deadlines will go a long way to helping you stay ahead of schedule, so the aim of this home moving checklist is to help you accomplish that by concentrating on the basics of planning and preparation.

Get rid of everything you don’t need
Moving unwanted items is a great waste of time and effort, so don’t do it! It’s surprising how much more in control you will feel once you start narrowing down your inventory. Getting rid of unwanted items can be done through a car boot sale, selling on eBay or donating to charity.

File important papers and documents together
Be aware of the exact location of all your important items. These are the things that you absolutely must not misplace and should be easily accessed or hand-carried on moving day, not placed in a box for the removal company to transport.

These are a few things to keep handy:

• Birth Certificates
• Passports
• Insurance Policies
• Marriage Certificates
• Irreplaceable Memorabilia
• Photos and Photo Albums
• Vehicle Documents
• Pet and Vet Documentation
• Wills and any other important or legal documents

Get to know your new location
There are many things you can organise before you reach your new home that will help smooth out the bumps of the moving process. In particular, make sure you contact utility companies and arrange for your new services to be connected. These can include:

• Cable TV
• Gas
• Electricity
• Water
• Oil
• Telephone
• Internet access

Contact your insurance companies too as you will need to have your policies amended ready for moving day:

• Car insurance
• Home & Building Insurance

Prepare change of address forms for all of your correspondents:

• Credit card companies
• Banks
• Vets
• Kennels/Cattery
• Insurance companies
• DVLA
• Magazines and other subscriptions
• Family and friends

Register for new medical providers such as a new doctor and dentist if necessary.

Keep a ‘little black book’
Keep all your important phone numbers written clearly and legibly in a diary or notebook, for both your old and new contacts. This should include banks, doctors, emergency contacts, family members, friends, estate agents, removal companies, pharmacies, schools, storage facilities and utilities.

With proper planning and preparation, the whole moving process will be smooth, and you won’t frantically be searching for any important information at the eleventh hour - it will be all at your fingertips when you need it, so you can endure minimum chaos and clutter.

Keep this handy moving checklist safe and get organised or for more home moving planning and preparation advice, drop in and talk to the expert team at Foxes or telephone us on 01202 299600 and we will be happy to ensure your home move runs smoothly.