Moving has the potential to be one of the most stressful things you’ll ever do and if you are moving home at Christmas time, the stress can easily be compounded. It needn’t be the nightmare at Christmas you’re imagining though. If you have a Christmas move approaching, some careful planning will make your move go like a dream.
1. Book your removal company as soon as you can
It’s best to book your removal as soon as you have a firm date. Removal companies often get booked up very quickly at this time of year, so don’t leave it until the last minute. Once you have a removal booked, you can plan every last detail of your move around it, leaving nothing to chance.
2. Plan for snow and ice
There’s a good chance that there will be ice or snow on the day of your move at this time of year, so don’t just hope for the best, plan for the worst. Keep supplies of salt and grit at the ready and invest in a sturdy snow shovel so that even a white Christmas can’t disrupt your plans. You might also find that journey times will be longer if bad weather hits, so make allowances for this in your planning.
3. Sort out food for moving day
Don’t forget that shops often have shorter opening hours around Christmas, so take this into account when you plan how to feed the family on moving day. If you’re moving house on the 24th, you’ll need to plan the food for Christmas Day carefully, either bringing it with you on the move or arranging a delivery to your new address. This will also need to be booked well in advance as home delivery slots fill up very quickly at this time of year.
4. Get your shopping done early
Whether it is presents, decorations or food, there is a seemingly never ending list of things to buy at Christmas. Get your shopping done as early as possible so you can concentrate on your move. If you are shopping online, don’t forget to take into account how long your purchases will take to reach you – make sure they will arrive well before you leave.
5. Organise your presents and packing
If you’re doing your own packing, get started as early as possible and label all your boxes carefully. It’s a good idea to wrap your presents before you pack them and make sure they are all together in a labelled box that you can find easily at the other end of the move. If your removal company is packing for you, ask them to pack the presents together and label the box.
6. Find a safe place for children and pets
Children love Christmas and tend to get very excited in the run up to it. Add to this the excitement of moving home and you’ll probably conclude that overexcited younger children are best kept out of the way on moving day. Try to arrange for them to spend the day with friends or family. Pets are also best kept away from the disruption, so either put them in a quiet room or ask a friend to look after them for the day.
7. Organise your utilities
One thing you don’t want to be without at your new house is power, so make arrangements in advance with your utility company. Let them know your new address and the date you are moving, then you can be sure that your Christmas will be warm and cosy, with a full complement of fairy lights.
8. Register your change of address
If you register your change of address with the Post Office, you can make sure that your Christmas post still reaches you. Sending out your new address with Christmas cards can be a good way of letting all your friends and family know your new address. You can also spread a little Christmas cheer by leaving the new occupants of your old house a Christmas card with details of things like bin collections and instructions for the boiler.
9. Prepare to celebrate
Moving into a new home at Christmas is cause for a double celebration, so make sure you pack all the decorations and any other essentials for the season in clearly labelled boxes. Even if you haven’t unpacked the whole house by Christmas Day, you can still put up some decorations and celebrate in style. Another important aspect of a cosy Christmas that may easily be overlooked is to have your curtains up. Unless you want your new neighbours to have a front row seat to your festive celebrations, keep your curtains handy and put these up when you arrive at your new home.
10. Check the chimney!
If you have younger children, they will, no doubt, be anxious that Father Christmas won’t find them at their new house. Why not reassure them by carefully checking the chimney and announcing that he can definitely get through? Another way to reassure them is to give your children reindeer dust to sprinkle outside the new house to make sure Santa finds it.
When you are planning your Christmas house removal, the best way to ensure a stress-free process is to make a list of your priorities. If you want to make sure that your family has a relaxed and cosy Christmas, think about all the elements that will go into this and plan how to accomplish each one. From booking your removal with Alexanders Removals & Storage to finding the presents easily, forward planning is the key.