Moving home is stressful, but it is a fun and exciting time. With a new home, comes a new chapter of your life in a new place, so it’s understandable that you might be excited and maybe even nervous too. To help you with your impending move, here is a list of moving house tips and move guides of what to do when moving house. These should help keep you safe and sound throughout the entire moving process and hopefully be the best way to move house.
The first thing on our moving house tips list to do is to plan ahead for your move. You’ll need to work out exactly what needs packing, what you can get rid of before the big move, and just what you’ll actually need to pack everything into - and essentially make a moving checklist. Are you the type to carefully pack up your clothes into boxes a week before you move, or are you more likely to throw them into a bin bag right before putting them in the van?
Moving house tips - What to do when moving house
The first thing on our moving house tips list to do is to plan ahead for your move. You’ll need to work out exactly what needs packing, what you can get rid of before the big move, and just what you’ll actually need to pack everything into - and essentially make a moving checklist. Are you the type to carefully pack up your clothes into boxes a week before you move, or are you more likely to throw them into a bin bag right before putting them in the van?
Whatever your style is, you need to make sure that you’re prepared for the move by having enough boxes and bags to put everything into. Plus don’t forget extra materials, like a lot of bubble wrap and tape to ensure that everything stays exactly where it’s supposed to when you’re moving. You don’t exactly want to pack everything up sloppily and drive it to your new house, only to unpack and discover that all of your plates have disintegrated along the way and all of your picture frames have shattered.
One other point to mention here is to think about the weight of the boxes. You’ll want to try and spread the weight out evenly across all the boxes you’re packing, so that you don’t end up injuring yourself. This wouldn’t be great right before moving to a new house!
Further moving house tips
Where possible, get professional movers to help you. These can often be the difference between having to spend an entire weekend hunting through your new house for something important, like a duvet set to sleep under, and being able to get everything unpacked with a minimum of fuss, and is often the best way to move house. Plus getting professional movers in means you’re less likely to suffer from a problem, such as a slip or a trip whilst carrying boxes, which can lead to you needing to claim for personal injury compensation.
If you do have a personal injury whilst moving your house and it wasn’t your fault, then you might be entitled to claim as a result, so we suggest that you get in touch with lawyers to see what kind of case you can build. A solicitors can help with building a case to help get you compensation and will assist you throughout the entire process, saving you some stress on top of the additional stress from moving house.
Label everything properly. Not only is this important to know where everything is for both you and anyone helping you move, it can also save someone from being accidentally injured if they go to grab a box and find it’s a lot heavier than expected, or contains sharp objects that weren’t expected.
Don’t forget to update your address, either a week or two before you move out or as soon as possible after you move. This can be key for ensuring that your move goes smoothly as you can register for a new doctor and other services and not have to worry about them at all during the moving process.
And finally, pack a survival box or bag. This can consist of the basic essentials, such as snacks, a bin bag or two, tea bags and some cutlery and crockery as well as toilet paper. This is just to ensure that you have a quick way of making your home liveable when you’re unpacking everything without needing to dig through a million different boxes to find everything you need to make a cuppa!
Moving house checklist
As an added bonus, here is a quick checklist of the above tips for you to use as a way of judging what to do when you move house.
Have you planned ahead for how you’re going to pack everything?
Have you got enough boxes and materials to pack everything up?
Are you able to get professional movers in to help you?
Have you labelled everything correctly?
Is everything evenly distributed so there’s nothing too heavy to pick up?
Have you updated your address?
Have you packed a survival box/bag?
Have you got any further tips or anything you can share about moving in the comments? Write below as I am always interested in more tips and tricks for moving house safely!
1) Finish decorating my house
After buying our first house last month, it has been the most expensive thing we have ever done, but for good reason. At the moment, only the living room and kitchen are complete. Our main bedroom still needs finishing and we haven't even started to touch the spare bedroom yet. I would like 2019 to be the year that the house plans start winding down and finalising; both for the sake of my purse and it would just be nice to photograph the whole house.2) Learn to drive
I remember this being on a previous bucket list about 3 years ago and it is something I have never done. Unfortunately, I gave up learning to drive when I was 20 and it's one of my biggest regrets in life. In all honesty, I don't really need a car, but it would be nice to have a little run around to go from A to B and back home again.
3) Travel somewhere new long haul
The only place I have been long haul is New York and I think that is actually considered mid-haul. I would love to travel further into America or Australia as I have family in both parts. I am also craving the sun and a get away due to skipping a holiday this year thanks to purchasing a house. It will just be nice to jet off for a couple of weeks and eat lots! I would most likely use a website like Holiday Gems to find the best holiday deals and destination ideas.4) Take up a new hobby
Fact is that blogging was my hobby which in reality stopped being a hobby when I started to make a living from writing on my corner of the internet. I am not sure what I would like to take up, but it would be great to learn a new skill or even learn a new language. Just something different and something new to focus on.5) Get another pet
It's no secret around here that Elsie is my first love in my life. However, I have been feeling broody for another dog for a few weeks now. I just know that if I end up feeling like this still by Christmas, then getting Elsie a furry brother or sister is something I would try and persuade my boyfriend to let me do. Who doesn't want another dog to cuddle up to?!!Dislaimer: In collaboration with Holiday Gems. All words and opinions are my own.
It's no secret that running a car is one of the most expensive things to own and run. It's one of the main reasons that I don't drive, but I know from experience of my partner having a car, that the metal box with four wheels he drives around in, can eat up his wallet.
I sat down with my partner to chat about his driving experience of around 13 years and what he thinks about the expenses that come with it. His first car was a very common and typical second hand car. He then decided to buy a brand new car which was an expensive purchase at the beginning, but worked out cheaper in the long run.
Whilst it can seem cheap to buy a second hand car for a couple of thousand off the internet, it can end up costing you a whole load more in the long run. Cars are like people; the older the get, the quicker they slow down. It may be cheaper to save your money for something newer or to even take out a brand new car on finance and avoid second or third hand cars altogether. Whilst those car dealerships can suck you in, sometimes it is best to walk past and leave them. With brand new cars, you can guarantees.
As a safety precaution, you are supposed to check your tyres every time before you drive. However, in most cases we don't. If you notice that a particular or more than one tyre is slowly deflating, you should take it a tyre garage to get repaired. It's much cheaper to pay out for a repair cost than what it is to buy a brand new tyre to replace.
Car insurance is one of the dreaded things to pay that come with owning a car. It can be easy to go with any company, but it is best to use comparison sites and speak to several insurance firms to find the best quote for you. There's special car insurance packages out there for new drivers, 18-25s and female drivers. Taking an extra day or two to research good deals could save you a lot of money.
We all get sucked in at the supermarket or in shopping mall car parks when there's a group of men advertising to do car washes for £10 whilst you shop. In addition, they can hoover and valet the inside for an additional £5. For the average person who likes to keep their car tidy, you would be looking at spending a LOT of money in a year on something that you can do yourself one weekend at home.
Finally, we would all love to drive a car that runs perfectly in every way from the day you purchase to the day you scrap it for something newer. However, things can happen along the way. Whether it's hitting a pot hole in the road, scraping against a curb or an un-insured driver may hit you; these are all things that will burn a hole in pocket. My partner highly advises that every car driver should put some money away every month for car related emergencies like this.
If you are in need of spare parts for your car, then visit KAP Motors for genuine spare parts. It is always better to shop around for parts that your car may need, rather than giving up on it and buying a new car altogether. Whether it is a new engine or light replacements; this is a great place to get any parts you may need.
Disclaimer: In collaboration with KAP Motors. All words, opinions and photographs are my own.
The gym I used to go to was great but there was a few facilities it didn't have that I really would have liked to have tried. A swimming pool would have been amazing for days where I didn't feel like pushing my quads on a leg press machine. I also really wanted to try boxing to keep fit and tone my upper body, but another thing that m previous gym didn't offer in the classes it provided.
That's where the Esquared fitness app comes right in handy. Available for free download on Google Play and ios, Esquared searches for pay as you go local gyms, sports centres and fitness events. Sadly, it hasn't arrived at any centres near my new house just yet, but it has meant that I can book London based swimming sessions and fitness classes to go to after work.
The app is incredibly easy to use and has been stress free whilst using it. You start by either selecting all or choosing a few things you are keen on looking for i.e swimming sessions, boxercise, yoga etc.
It then works using your current location. It presents you with a map of where you currently are, or you can search for an area you will be visiting in the near future.
Dotted around the map, you will see black squares with prices which means there is some form of gym or fitness classes in that area available to book with. You simply select the individual black square and it presents all of the information you need to know.
For example, there are 22 spaces left in a Yoga class at 5.30PM today, lasting 1 hour for just £10. Perfect.
Esquared is a fairly new app and I can see it being a rather popular one in the fitness world. It gives the opportunities to find fitness classes or centres that allow quick pay as you go visits, rather than being tied down to a 24 month contract that causes many problems if you need to cancel it. I'm all for it!
Disclaimer: In collaboration with the Esquared app. All words, opinions and photographs are my own.
Our living room is about 90% complete and we couldn't be happier with the result. As mentioned in my previous post, buying a new build house has meant that we have been lucky that decorating has been kept at a minimum. Every room was already painted white and brand new carpets were laid as part of the buying price.
I have been buying bits and bobs for the house over the last 3 months and these mustard fluffy cushions from The Range were actually the first purchase. I think I found them on a reduced aisle for around £6 each, so we have 4 of those. We already knew in our heads that we wanted a grey sofa, so knew mustard would be a great pop of colour. Ricky also picked up this industrial style lamp in The Range for around £70 which was a steal, as we had been seeing them around previously for £100+.
Our sofa is from Sofology and is called 'The Cricketer'; the first sofa we actually saw 3 months ago. We wanted a corner sofa which would allow us to both lay out when watching films. It's quite an expensive sofa I won't lie, but velvet is something I really wanted and so it made sense to buy what we really wanted as it's the one room in the house that we will be spending most of our time in (although Ricky likes to think mine is the kitchen).
We did visit a Sofa Club pop up shop in which we saw a much cheaper grey velvet sofa at a fraction of the price of the Sofology one. After explaining that we required a corner sofa with the exact measurements of 240 x 240 cm, one representative told us it was not possible and that their sofas are not available for custom sizing.
With limited choices available, we decided to visit another Sofa Club pop up shop nearby. The representative there told us it was available to order with a custom size, so we paid a £50 deposit and placed an order. A few days later, I received a phone call from Sofa Club letting me know that it actually was not possible and proceeded to ask if I would like the sofa delivered at 270 x 270. Well, NO.... it won't fit! They apologised and refunded us the deposit. Therefore, I do not recommend Sofa Club AT ALL and it made much more sense to buy the more expensive sofa from a reputable company!
To complete the lounge area of the room, we had decided we wanted a lighter grey colour for the back wall as a feature wall. Valspar Paint (available at B&Q) kindly provided us some vouchers to buy some paint for a few rooms in the house (more on the other rooms very soon!) and this is the result. We spent so long choosing the correct shade of grey, but settled on 'Elephant in the room' which is just the coolest name too!
I am so impressed with Valspar Paints as the wall only required one coat of paint, when I have previously always had to do two or three. It also dried fairly quickly and did not smell of that dreaded paint smell that can make the room smell for days on end.
I am so in love with our 50x70xm prints from Desenio and have been itching to get them up on the walls. They luckily got in touch to collaborate with me, which has always been a dream as I always see them collaborating with bloggers.
We chose 3 black and white animal prints (Lion from side, Lama, Elephant from side) as a fun and unique twist to the room. We just love how it looks like the lion and elephant are looking at the lama! They also offer frames on site, making it super easy to frame your prints with the right sized frame. We went with black frames, but there's lots of different frames to choose from.
From 11-13 September, you can grab 25% off Desenio prints (excluding frames, handpicked and collaboration pieces) with code beingashleigh
What do you think of this area in our living room? We are really happy with it and cannot wait to show you the other side of the room soon. We are just waiting for some dining chairs to arrive!
Disclaimer: In collaboration with Valspar Paint and Desenio. All words, opinions and photographs are my own.
We bought a BLOODY HOUSE.
As soon as I turned 25 at the beginning of the year, I knew I wanted to move out. Together with a jumble of meeting my boyfriend last year who I consider 'the one' (ok, cheese, I'll stop), a relationship breakdown with family and turning the big 25, I wanted something to call my very own. I have a fair few things I wanted to achieve by this age and moving out is one of them.
Now I can light candles that I was not allowed in my family home and I have bloody gorgeous flowers sitting on MY kitchen windowsill in a jar that is meant for pasta storage, because c'mon on now, buying a vase is never on the list of things to buy when you get your own first place, is it?
This is the stunning Citrus Coulis bouquet from Appleyard London. A truly fabulous mix of cerise germini, tara roses, blue agapanthus and foliage to finish. I've had flowers from them before and can vouch they last for quite some time provided you change the water and I've also been spraying the flowers with a mist of water everyday to ensure the sun doesn't dry them out too much!
I had been looking at renting a flat since around February this year and it was an experience in itself. With me, comes Elsie and it was proving near impossible to find anywhere that would accept a dog. We had called maybe 30 properties in a week or so and only found one rented flat that would allow a dog... if we could pay a few thousand in advance. Nah, you're alright mate. Stick your average flat and £1200PCM rent where the sun don't shine.
I had never really thought about renting being dead money or the fact that renting is paying off someone else's mortgage. I don't think there is anything personally wrong with renting and it is something I would have totally done if it meant that Elsie could come with me. Even though some people may see renting as dead money and I agree that it ties you up with no freedom to make a home completely yours i.e decorating etc, I think renting is a great option if you want to experience living on your own/away from home and familiarity. Personally, I had to think of a plan B as it was either rent a property or re-home Elsie... and that was never going to be an option.
With all of this flat rent hunting rejecting going on, I felt very disheartened and disappointed that I could not move out sooner than I would have liked. However, that's when the discussion of buying a property came up and it was like a non-stop roller coaster from there.
With a quick look at properties online, I have always said that the space I wanted to live in would be new-ish, bright and airy, with excellent transport links and a good circuit for dog walks. Well, I have literally hit the jackpot.
Our home is a 2 bedroom new-build house with a lovely garden, three bathrooms, transport links, a fabulous shopping centre 5 mins down the road and a local Chinese and chippy. Erm, what more could I ask for?
They say a house chooses you and I can't agree more. Most people go and view 5 or 15 homes before finding the perfect one for them. However, this was the first house we organised to view and within a week, we paid a deposit to secure it.
It ticks every box that we both had for a first home and is the perfect starter home for a young couple ready to start a family(😏)... not to mention it has a lovely and maintainable size garden for Elsie. I feel extremely lucky that it is a new build too, as we haven't had to do too much to the place; just a lick of paint in the odd place here and there (more on that soon!).
I never thought I would be able to afford to buy a house (like literally, EVER) but anything is possible when you work hard. I hardly dip into my wages, so together with that and my blog income, I have been saving for the past year with the goal to move out within the next 2 years. Together with my boyfriend, we was able to put down the fees; deposit, solicitor fees and a mortgage broker to help us find the best mortgage to buy our own home together.
I personally don't recommend paying a mortgage broker as it cost us £500 upfront and a whole load of stress on top. I am sure there's some better companies out there, but the one we used really made us regret not going to the bank ourselves to apply for a mortgage. We seemed to constantly be chasing our 'advisor' for updates and signed a few documents that had mistakes made by them... not good! My best advice would be that if you have the possibility of getting a mortgage off your own accord, then definitely do it. Otherwise hire the best mortgage broker in town!
The solicitor side of things was a smooth process in which communication was always made with us with updates and information on the next steps. We was given a move in date of 4th September, but that was pushed through quicker in time; luckily for Ricky's birthday. So, as of Tuesday 28th August, I not only moved out of my mum's house, but into my first home with a boyfriend.
I am in absolute love with my house and cannot stop buying bits for it including #hinchhauls (if y'know, ya know!) and am just SO excited to spend the next however many years here! I have so much to share with you, so expect lots of interior posts over the next few months. You can catch more regular and live updates on my Instagram though, so make sure you head over there and hit follow to be in the know!
Disclaimer: This post contains a gifted item. All photography, words and opinions are my own.
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