Many home-moving tasks take a lot of time and effort. Moving home is rarely easy.
There is all the packing to do which seems to take weeks and weeks to complete, labeling all the boxes, physically moving everything, then you have to unpack it all again.
Knowing the best shortcuts for moving home will make your relocation far less stressful, easier, and cheaper.
Using shortcuts does not mean that your home move will be any less safe or you will compromise the safety of your belongings, just that there are quicker ways of doing things than many of the traditional ways to pack and move.
There are often new materials and new products being developed which simplify the packing and moving process so in this week’s home moving blog we look at the less traditional ways in which you can make your home move quicker and easier.
13 Shortcuts to Make a Home Move Easier and Quicker
#1 Hire a Full-Service Removal Company
Ok, so this is not new or revolutionary, but the easiest and quickest home moves are carried out by professional removal companies.
Many removal firms now carry out your move survey using video apps or software that allow them to make accurate inventories of what you intend to move, therefore the quote is far more accurate.
They have the skills and equipment to pack and move you in the shortest possible time with the least amount of stress for you.
Choose your removal company carefully, and this is the best way to move home.
Must read: A Step-By-Step Guide to Choosing a Good Removal Company. In this guide, we take you through the process of finding a good removal company step-by-step ensuring that you find the best removal company for your needs.
#2 Declutter
Decluttering for a home move may not be that new, but it is essential when moving home, so it has to be included here.
Yes, decluttering takes time and effort but it is the one task that is guaranteed to make your actual home move easier, quicker, and cheaper.
Moving home signals a fresh start and what better way to start anew than by getting rid of all the things that you no longer want or need in your life?
The fewer pieces of furniture and fewer boxes that you need to take to your new home, the cheaper, quicker, and easier your home move will be.
Historically furniture was made from real wood and would last at least a generation. Today furniture is mostly flat pack and therefore almost disposable. It is often cheaper to sell or donate your furniture than to pay to pack and move it.
You may like to read:
The Epic Guide to Decluttering for a Home Move in which we go through the process of clearing out your home ready for moving.
How to Declutter Your Loft. The loft is usually where all the sentimental items, the rarely used things, and often just junk get stored. This makes the loft one of the most difficult places to declutter so in this guide we take you step by step through how to declutter your loft ready for moving home.
#3 Tape-Free Moving Boxes
Good quality packing boxes are essential for the protection of your valuable items, but having to fold and tape the boxes adds to the packing time considerably.
You can however now buy boxes that need no packing tape, they easily fold into a carton and are strong enough that they require no tape to hold them together.
Tape-free boxes are usually two-ply which means that they are double thick and will give the best protection to your precious items.
Tape-Free boxes are more expensive than traditional packing boxes but they are far quicker to construct and you will not have to buy numerous reels of packing tape.
The other advantage is that packing tape is usually not biodegradable so these tape-free boxes are more eco-friendly.
Must know: How Many Boxes Do I Need to Move Home In this guide we show you the average number of cardboard or plastic tote boxes you are most likely going to need to move home.
#4 Plastic Tote Boxes
Plastic crates are another great modern alternative to cardboard boxes, especially if you do not intend to unpack the boxes straight away.
Cardboard deteriorates over time and is susceptible to getting water damage whereas plastic boxes are not.
This makes them a great option for storage purposes.
They also do not require assembling with packing tape so will save you a small fortune on packing tape and also means you will have fewer packing materials to dispose of.
You may also like to read: Alternative Packing Materials for Moving Home in which we look at the different ways to pack for your home move using not only plastic boxes but items that you will find around your home, including a section on eco-friendly packing tips.
#5 Pre-Printed Packing Tape
Labelling your moving boxes is essential so that you know exactly what is in each box and which room they should be placed in within your new home.
You can easily identify if a box is in the wrong room or if one somehow goes missing during the move.
Properly labelled boxes will also make unpacking far easier too.
Traditionally you would write with a marker on the boxes but this makes it harder for the next user if you give them to someone else to use and also can be quite time-consuming.
Now, however, you can buy good quality packing tape that saves you time because you no longer have to write on the moving boxes.
Pre-printed packing tape is colour-coded as well as having the name of the room printed on them.
This makes each box really easy to identify so all you have to do is put a corresponding strip of tape on the door to the room and those unloading the boxes can easily see where they have to go.
Be sure to put a strip of the tape around the entire box so that no matter which way or from which angle to look at the box you can clearly see the colour of the packing tape.
You may also like to read: How to Label Moving Boxes: An Easy and Foolproof Way. In this guide, we suggest a really easy way to identify your moving boxes which will make not only unloading quicker but unpacking far easier as well.
#6 Vacuum Bags
Vacuum bags considerably reduce the bulk of soft furnishings, bedding, towels, and clothing.
You just place the items into the bag, suck out all the air with a vacuum cleaner, and the package shrinks.
Multiple bags can then be placed in boxes or if you are moving home by car allows you to pack far more into a lot smaller space.
The more things you pack into fewer boxes, the lower your packing costs are and you may even not need such a large van to move you.
You may also like to read: How to Pack Quickly for a Home Move in which we show you the quickest and easiest ways to pack for a home move in just a few short days.
#7 Storage Bags with Windows
Storage bags with windows are great for long-term storage of seasonal clothes or spare bedding and towels.
Not only can you see what is in the bag but they are waterproof so there is no danger of mold or damage being caused to the contents.
They are stackable too making loading of the van easier, and then they only need to be unloaded to the place you intend to store them.
The more double-use ways you can find of packing things the less unpacking you will need to do.
#8 Wardrobe Boxes
Wardrobe boxes allow you to keep your clothes on hangers whilst they are transported to your new home.
They are not cheap but do make moving clothes on hangers so much quicker and easier.
If you don’t mind your clothes getting creased you can also slip a large bin bag straight over the hangers, tie the hangers together, and place them straight into the removal van without the need for wardrobe boxes.
Wardrobe boxes however will ensure that your clothes remain in pristine condition during the home move.
You may also like to read: How to Pack Clothes for Moving Home in which we show you how to pack your clothes so that they are well-protected and arrive in great condition at your new home.
#9 Foam Sleeves for Packing
Packing crockery, glasses, and cups to ensure they are properly protected during your move can be very time-consuming using traditional packing methods.
Usually, it is recommended that you wrap crockery and glassware in packing paper and bubble wrap.
However, using foam sleeves will save you plenty of time and will also be more environmentally friendly as most foam sleeves are recyclable.
This is a quick and efficient way of packing fragile plates and glasses but if you want to save some money you could slip your glasses into socks which will do the same job as a foam sleeve.
#10 Paper Plates
Place a paper plate between ceramic plates to save you from having to wrap each piece of crockery individually.
The paper plates will act as a shock absorber ensuring your crockery will arrive intact at your new home.
Be sure to line the bottom and top of the box with padding and stand the plates on their edges not flat into the box.
You may also like to read: How to Pack Fragile Items When Moving Home in which we show you the best ways to protect your fragile items during a home move.
#11 Shoulder Dolly
If you are moving furniture or heavy and large objects then a shoulder dolly will save you a huge amount of time and effort.
Shoulder straps are especially great if you have steps or an awkward journey to get to the removal van.
The straps slip under the object being moved and the other end of the straps form a harness that wraps around your body.
You will need another person to help you lift things using a shoulder dolly but they will make the moving of heavy or large objects so much easier.
These are available to hire from tool hire shops or are available to buy online fairly cheaply.
You may also like to read: How to Move Heavy and Large Furniture in which we look at safe ways to move your furniture when relocating.
#12 Floor Plan Hack
Usually, you would make a floor plan of your new home showing where you would like the removal team to place the furniture in your new home.
But that requires multiple copies of the plan so that you can tape one to each door of each room so the removal team can see them.
And then there is always the chance that the removal team will misinterpret the plan.
A quick and easy way to ensure your furniture is placed where you want it in your new home is to cut newspaper into the exact shape and dimensions of the furniture you are taking.
When you arrive at your new home lay the templates out on the floor of the rooms where the furniture will be placed.
Then all the removal team has to do is place that piece of furniture exactly where the template is.
No keep referring back to a drawing, they can enter a room and see immediately where you want that piece of furniture placed.
You may also like to read: How to Create a Simple Floor Plan. It is still a good idea to produce a floor plan so that you can be sure that all your furniture fits in the available space in your new home. Here we show you not only how to create a floor plan but also how to measure rooms and furniture.
#13 Plastic Wrap
Get yourself a roll of industrial plastic wrap to save yourself time when packing.
Don’t waste time boxing up utensil trays, just wrap them in cling film to keep all the contents secure.
The same with clothes drawers, just cling-wrap them then slide them back into the chest when they are on the removal van.
Cling wrap the chest of drawers to stop the drawers or doors from opening as you move them.
Use cling film to secure blankets around the furniture to protect their edges.
You may also like to read: Plastic Wrap for Moving Home: How and Why it Will Make Your Home Move Easier. There are very good reasons why professional packers use industrial cling-film. In this guide, we explain the multitude of uses for cling-wrap and how it will help you during your home move.
The process of moving to a new home can be long and stressful, so when it comes to the final hurdle of physically moving to your new home, you want to be sure that it is as stress-free and painless as possible.
If you are moving without furniture then it is likely that you will be moving home with the help of family and friends.
In our home moving blog, you will find many useful articles to show you how to pack and move easily as well as the pitfalls to avoid.
For larger home moves or long-distance home moves it nearly always makes moving easier if you hire a good removal company.
There are still pitfalls to avoid so that you hire the right removal company and because it is so important to research your removal company thoroughly we have a whole library of articles dedicated to this subject.
Take the time to read the guides in our home moving blog as many people moving home come to regret not knowing how to protect their belongings or end up hiring a scam removal company.
Good luck with your home move and with your new life.
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