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The 16 Best Moving House Tips

Ranked by Experts

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Moving house can be stressful so you need all the help you can get! We asked the experts for advice and tips for house removals so that you can have a successful and easy move. Read on to discover 16 of the best moving house tips ranked by experts. We cover packing advice, how to lower the cost of your move and much more. Sirelo is here to help you move with a smile 🙂

1. Start Early

Starting early is key to having a smooth and easy house removal. As soon as you know that you’re moving house, you should start planning out the timeline of your move. If you start early and begin organising things, the whole moving process will go a lot smoother and you won’t feel as stressed!

If you want some advice planning your move, read our moving abroad checklist for a step-by-step guide on what you should be doing and when.

2. Declutter Your Belongings

Decluttering your belongings will not only make your move easy, but it can reduce your home removal costs! If you have a lot of unwanted items, then donating them is a great way to get rid of them. If you have a lot of clothes that you want to leave behind, contact a charity and organise a pickup about two weeks before you move. You can also choose to sell your belongings, which you can do on various websites online such as olx.

If you can’t part with some belongings, consider your storage options! This way you can keep your beloved household belongings safe and keep your removal costs low.

3. Request Moving Quotes

This is a very important step as it will allow you to compare moving quotes and get the best price and moving company for you. You can do this easily by filling out our online form and receive up to five free removal quotes.

If you’re moving abroad, check out our list of the top 10 international movers in South Africa to ensure you get a trusted and reliable partner when moving house.

Need some help with your move?
Request up to five free moving quotes through Sirelo!

4. Calculate the Volume of Your Move

Once you’ve got rid of everything that you no longer want, then you can calculate the volume of all your other belongings using our easy furniture volume calculator. This will help you figure out what size van you may need and will save you time and money when requesting moving quotes.

It is also advised you create an inventory to help you keep track of your belongings throughout the whole moving process. Your moving company may do this for you if you have requested they pack your belongings. This can make your moving process much smoother and easier so, consider it!

5. Pick the Right Moving Day

Picking a certain moving day can determine how much your overall move will cost and if you’re smart about it, you can even save some money. Want some advice? Avoid moving on weekends and holidays to lower the cost of your move! Ask your mover for quotes on different days to see how much you can save – you’ll thank us later.

6. Pack an Emergency Essentials Bag

Once you’ve moved into your new home, you’ll probably be too tired to unpack all your personal belongings straight away. Moving house is tiring, it’s to be expected! This is why a bag with essential items such as a change of clothes, toiletries and bed linen will come in handy once you move to your new house. You can make up your beds the minute you arrive and hop in to have a well-deserved rest 😊

7. Keep Screws Together

If you’re planning on disassembling furniture by yourself, then losing the screws to furniture can be done quite easily. To prevent this from happening, keep the screws in a zip-lock bag and then tape the bag to the piece of furniture that they belong to.

8. Use Clear Boxes

For organisation purposes, having see-through boxes can help a lot when you arrive in your new home as you’ll be able to see what’s in the box and where it belongs. Make sure the packing materials you use are high quality as it will help you move easier.

If you want information about packing supplies, check out our page on moving boxes for more helpful moving house tips and advice!

moving house tips include packing advice

9. Label Your Boxes

This moving house tip is important! There are a few ways you can label your boxes. You can choose to number the boxes or write down the room to which they belong to.

Another way to organise your boxes is by picking a colour code for each room and then label the room’s boxes and the door of each room. By making sure that the boxes are colour-coded and/or labelled somehow will help you and your movers know which box belongs to which room.

Check out our other packing tips for moving house for even more help with your move.

10. Take Photos of How Your Electronics are Connected

If you’re unsure how you’ll reconfigure your TV set, then take a photo of where all the wires are placed. You will be able to set up your TV in no time when you move house, without the stress of figuring out which wire goes where! Do this with all your electrical appliances and make the transition to your new home a lot easier.

11. Arrange Utilities Early

Make sure you disconnect your gas and electricity providers at the right time. It can take a while for administration things to go through, so make sure to organise the transfer of home insurance and others utilities. This will help you save time and avoid unnecessary costs. Also, don’t forget to take photos of the gas and electricity metre once you’ve moved so that you don’t get over charged.

12. What About the Kids?

If you have young children, it might be a good idea to make sure they are taken care of by a relative or a sitter on moving day. This will save you from being worried about what they’re doing and allow you to focus on your moving process going smoothly. The same goes for pets that you need looking after during the move.

13. Don’t Forget About Changing Your Address

It seems obvious, however, if this isn’t done in time, you might end up missing your mail! Make sure to change your address with your dentist, doctor and bank as well as divert any mail going to your old address with the post office – we wouldn’t want your pen-pal to think you’re ghosting them!

moving house tips will make your move so much less stressful

14. Take Photos of Your New Home

If you’re moving into a rental home, then take a few photos of your new home. This way you can prove damages were there when you arrived and were not your fault. This can help you get your deposit back and save you a lot of hassle with difficult landlords.

15. No Need to Unpack Immediately – Relax!

When you arrive in your new home, don’t worry about placing your things in an organised way. Your things will eventually find their place, so focus on settling in to your house and think about the specifics later. You will have plenty of time to unpack fully, so relax and put your feet up – celebrate completing a successful house move!

If you want to get your packing underway, our moving house tip is to unpack a little bit at a time and start with your kitchen – moving house can work up a good appetite!

16. Write a Review

Whether you had a good or bad experience with your mover, it’s a good idea to write a review for them. This will help others who want to find a mover as well as provide good feedback for the movers themselves.

Ready to Move House?

We think you are! By following our moving house tips you are guaranteed to have a stress-free and successful move. If you’re ready to get started moving house, request quotes through us today and we can connect you with up to five trusted movers in South Africa.

For any more moving related queries, check out the rest of the Sirelo website or read the articles linked below. Best of luck with your move!