If you’re
planning on moving house soon and you want to save money, managing the move
yourself could be an ideal way to stay within budget. However, you need to
ensure that you get organised and take on the role of a professional
removalist. Here are our five top tips for a DIY house move, from packing tips
to hiring the perfect van.
Start organising early
One of the
most important things to remember about coordinating a self-move is that it
takes time. You need to start organising yourself early as you won’t have the
professionals to plan it all out for you. We advise starting at least three
months in advance, beginning with decluttering and packing. To get yourself
prepared, it’s a good idea to write up a moving timeline, including a long list
of everything you need, as well as everything you’re going to pack.
Become an expert packer
One of the
crucial mistakes that many first-time self-movers make is assuming that packing
is a quick and easy task. Be sure to do your research and pick up as many
packing tips as possible, as getting it wrong can cost you more than just time.
A handy tip is to utilise the items you already have that can be used as
packing receptacles, such as chests of drawers, suitcases and bedding. Remember
to pack your belongings into relevant boxes for each room and label them well
to avoid minimal confusion at the other end.
Lift and load safely
When it
comes to a DIY move, you need to make sure that you (or some willing family and
friends) are physically strong enough to manage the heavy lifting required. You
don’t want to injure your back in the process, so try to keep actually lifting
things off the ground to a minimum- use wheeled trolleys and suitcases to
transfer heavy boxes between house and van. Most importantly, never tackle
lifting and loading alone- for large items of furniture you need at least two
or three people to lift, with another pair of eyes guiding you through the
house. It may even be worth considering the use of one of our Luton Vans
complete with electric tail-lift to ease the loading procedure still further.
Rope in your friends and family
As you won’t
be hiring in professional help, you’ll need to substitute an expert removals
team for a group of dependable family and friends. Ask your physically fit
friends to assist on move out day, meanwhile, your most organised friends can
help you with packing and logistics. Just remember to invite them over for a
dinner party once you’ve moved into your new place to return the favour!
Hire a suitably sized van
Unless you
already have a particularly large car, you’re most likely going to have to hire
a van to transfer you, your family and your belongings to the new home.
Consider the size of van you need carefully- too big and you’ll end up paying
too much unnecessarily, too small and you’ll have to do multiple trips back and
forth, costing you excess fuel costs and increasing your carbon footprint.
Here at First Self Drive, our vans for hire
offer the perfect solution for anyone carrying out a DIY house move. We offer
short and long term hire at competitive prices, ensuring our customers save
money where possible, whatever the task at hand. Our vehicles are
well-maintained and are available in a range of sizes.
Book a vehicle now
or, to find out
more,
get
in touch with our team today.
