How to ensure your moving day goes smoothly

Moving houses is one of those tasks that can send a shiver down your spine as you imagine all of the work, stress and chaos that has come to be associated with the simple act of moving. Yet there are those who have refined the moving process down to a finely tuned art. For them, moving can be a cathartic opportunity to declutter, reorganise and start fresh. 

As the world’s oldest and largest provider of relocation services, we’ve seen every type of move under the sun. From the chaotic to the choreographed, and everything in between. The question that we get asked most often by our customers is how to make moving house easier. So in response we’ve done our best to distill almost 400 years of moving experience into a few simple tips for ensuring your moving day goes smoothly. 

1. Start the process early

Most of the stressful aspects of moving are directly related to time pressure. As the moving date looms and jobs pile up, the difficulty and anxiety of moving grow way out of proportion to the actual size of the task. To avoid adding unnecessary weight onto your shoulders, we advise starting the moving process as early as possible.

There is no universal amount of time required for moving without stress. It will depend on the amount of time you have available and how efficiently you work. As a rule of thumb, we recommend that you calculate that number of days or weeks that you think you will need to move, then double it. This way you won’t need to work at maximum efficiency for the whole time and your schedule won’t be thrown off the rails by a few unplanned setbacks. Our pre-move planning checklist is a great resource to get you started! 

2. Break big jobs into small steps

Any large task can seem daunting when looked at as a whole. When broken down however, it can be simplified into a series of smaller, easily achievable steps. Dividing multifaceted or imposing jobs into small tasks can alleviate needless stress, assist in effective planning and allow for a smoother moving process overall. 

We recommend applying a step by step approach to every stage of your moving process. Each room can be divided into sections, each section can be broken down into a few easy steps and each step can be an achievement to celebrate on your to-do list. Moving should be an event worth celebrating, so make sure your approach to moving reflects that.

3. Remove before you move

Transporting anything you don’t use or want anymore is wasted labour and packing space. Use the days or weeks before your move to clear house, declutter and donate those things you no longer need in your life. Those with hoarding tendencies may find this step to be the largest and most challenging job of the entire process. Remember to use a staggered approach to divide this task into achievable steps if at first it appears daunting. 

For many, the process of shedding unwanted possessions before setting up in a new space can be one of the most satisfying parts of moving. Purging the excess clutter from your life lightens the load to be transported to your new home. It frees up space for other things in your mind, in your new space and in your packing boxes.

4. Get your new home ready

Get your new home ready to live in before you move anything. Not only does this make sure that your new place is clean and comfortable as soon as you move in, but it’s also a whole lot easier to accomplish with an empty house. That’s why we recommend getting your new place professionally cleaned prior to moving any of your possessions in. 

We also advise taking the opportunity of an empty house to carry out any other home services like painting, carpet cleaning and refinishing hardwood floors. There will never be a better time to perform these tasks. Set yourself up for success in your new home by ensuring it’s in the best possible condition before you move in.

5. Strategise

Just as cleaning is easier to achieve with an empty house, so too is planning your move. Take measurements, plan your furniture arrangement and interior design before you even begin to pack. This will enable you to get a better sense of the space available to you. With a good idea of the space you can plan out exactly where you want everything to go. By doing so you will be able to pack more strategically and efficiently by grouping things together based on where they will go, rather than where they began.

6. Change your address

Take care of the small administrative tasks like changing your address ahead of time. By doing this in advance you can minimise the chance of lost mail while also reducing the amount of work for yourself once you’re in your new home. Many countries have easy to use mail forwarding services, which will redirect mail to your new address, whether it’s in Singapore or somewhere overseas.

7. Check guidelines for moving within Malaysia or internationally