No matter where you are in life, a house move can feel overwhelming. From making sure everything is transported safely to settling into a new environment, the whole process can be a lot to handle. It’s completely normal to feel a little unsettled during such a big change, which is why planning and preparation are so important.
To help make things easier, we’ve put together a simple guide that covers everything from decluttering and packing to storage solutions and moving day tips. With the right organisation and a bit of forward planning, you’ll feel more in control and ready to take on what can otherwise feel like an unpredictable transition.
Create a Moving House Checklist
Having a moving checklist is crucial for a smooth house move, helping you stay organised, reduce stress and ensure nothing is forgotten.
We’ve put together a handy moving house checklist that you can download or use as inspiration to create your own.
Decluttering Before a House Move
Decluttering before moving house is a great way to lower your moving costs, give you a fresh start, whilst making packing, storing and moving easier.
Using the room-by-room declutter method is a great way to make the process more manageable through a structured approach.
Room-by-Room Decluttering Method
1. Start with low-use areas
Begin with rooms you use the least, such as your garage or spare bedroom. Helping you clear out excess items without disrupting your daily life.
2. Use the four-box method
For each room you declutter, sort items into four categories:
- Keep – Items you need in your new house.
- Store – Seasonal items.
- Donate/Sell – Items in good condition that you no longer use or need.
- Discard – Broken or unusable items.
3. Declutter key rooms one at a time
- Bedroom: Sort through clothes, shoes, and accessories. Donate or sell anything you haven’t worn in a year.
- Kitchen: Get rid of expired food, duplicate utensils, and appliances you never use.
- Living Room: Minimise decorations, magazines, and electronics you no longer need.
- Bathroom: Toss expired toiletries, old medications, and unused beauty products.
- Garage/Storage Areas: Clear out old tools, sports equipment, and items collecting dust.
4. Finish with everyday spaces
It’s easier to tackle high use areas like the kitchen and bedroom last, ensuring you keep all your essentials before your house move.
Decluttering Tip!
Using storage for seasonal items and extra furniture can help make the house move process easier. So you have less that needs to be packed, moved and unpacked!
Packing Tips for Moving
Ensuring you have good, reliable packing supplies is crucial when moving house, because they protect your belongings, and make transportation easier as well as unpacking.
List of Essential Packing Supplies
- Boxes
- Tape
- Bubble wrap
- Labels
We also recommend packing and labelling boxes by room, making unpacking easier. Additionally, packing a first-night essentials box can also help you on moving days, ensuring you don’t accidentally pack something you need urgently in a random box.
Choosing the Right Storage Solution for Moving
Storage is incredibly useful during a house move, whether you’re downsizing, have extra furniture that doesn’t fit your new home, or need a solution for a gap between your move-out and move-in dates. It keeps your belongings safe, secure, and easily accessible.
There’s two types of storage worth considering when moving home, such as regular self storage vs. container storage.
Difference Between Self-Storage and Container Storage
Feature | Self-Storage | Container Storage |
Access | You can visit your unit anytime during opening hours. | Containers are often stored in a facility and require prior notice for access. Though they can be delivered right to your doorstep. |
Storage Location | Stored in a dedicated self-storage facility with indoor or outdoor units. | Stored in a secure warehouse or yard. |
Best For | People who need 24/7 access to their belongings (e.g., business owners, frequent movers). | Those needing long-term storage without regular access. |
Cost | Can be more expensive due to accessibility and facility maintenance. | Often more affordable for long-term storage. |
Security | 24/7 CCTV, gated access, and individual locks on units. | High security, but access restrictions reduce risk further. |
Ideal Use | Short-term storage, frequent retrieval, business stock, home renovations. | Long-term storage, moving house, furniture storage during relocation. |
Ultimately, the benefit of container storage is that you can have a container delivered right to your doorstep, bringing the storage to you wherever you are. Whereas with a storage unit you’ll always have to access it and carry everything yourself.
How We Can Help
At Kelly’s our mobile storage containers are ideal to help make your move easy and hassle-free. By bringing storage directly to your doorstep and delivering it to your new location whenever you’re ready.
How it all works:
- We provide the packing materials.
- Deliver the container right to your door.
- Load your boxes for you.
- Carefully wrap furniture.
- Store it in our secure warehouse.
- Deliver it to your new address whenever you’re ready.
Because life is already hard as it is, so we are here to help lighten the load.
Need Extra Space During Your House Move?
Let us save you some space and time with our hassle-free mobile storage. Get a free quote today and discover how Kelly’s can simplify your move from start to finish.
Moving Day Tips
Make sure you’ve got your trusty checklist at hand and don’t forget to confirm with movers, do any final walkthroughs, and last minute cleaning if needed.
When transporting valuable and fragile items we recommend taking extra care, whether by using a reliable removal service or carrying the most important items yourself. So you can minimize the risk of damage.
Quick Tips for Efficiently Unpacking and Setting Up Your New Home
- Start with the essentials (first night box, toiletries, change of clothes)
- Set up the bed and other furniture
- Unpack the Kitchen
- Focus on one room at the time
- Stay focused and take regular breaks
- Comfort over perfectionism (it’s okay for everything to not be perfect just yet, let things settle into place)
Conclusion
Ultimately, the best way to ensure your house move runs smoothly is by staying organised, planning ahead, and utilising the services at hand. Such as mobile self storage, by doing this you can make your move stress-free and less time consuming.
Start by decluttering, divide packing by room, use reliable packing materials, utilise storage and don’t forget to take it easy. Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither will your future home.
And just in case you need extra space during your move let us take some of the pressure off for you and store it while you settle into our new home. Wishing you good luck in your house move!
Moving House Soon?
Check out our secure and affordable storage options today! Because moving is already tough as it is, so let us lighten that load for you.
