Depending on the type of person you are, planning a large move can either invoke feelings of excitement or terror. A large move offers a whole range of challenges that aren’t present in a small or local removals. But, with the right advice, a large move can be exactly what it should be – an exciting experience that gives you the perfect start to your new life, wherever that may be.
You can use this advice for any large scale move, whether its interstate or even overseas.
Visit Your New Home and Area
The biggest challenge with large or long-distance removal is that you’re likely relocating to an area where you don’t have your normal support network around you. In most cases, your parents, siblings and friends won’t be around the corner to help you out with odds and ends. This can be confronting, especially after you’ve hauled your entire life over thousands of kilometres.
To make a big move easier, make sure you allow time to go and visit your new home to acclimatise. This gives you a chance to familiarise yourself with essential places like supermarkets, pharmacies, schools and medical centres. It will also give you an idea of what you have to look forward to, which will give you something to hold on to when the pressures of the move start piling up.
Organise Storage Nice and Early
Storage is your best friend during a large move. Storage gives you choice and freedom. It allows you to move your belongings in stages, rather than having to do everything at once. The thing about a big move is that there can be a lot of uncertainty. If you’re moving overseas, you just don’t know if your belongings will suit your new life. If you’re moving interstate, you don’t know what clothes you’ll need.
If you organise storage, you can just focus on the bare essentials and then ship the rest over as you need it.
Take Advantage of Extra Services
Removals providers often offer much more than a basic pick-up and drop-off service. While you’re planning your big move, make sure you investigate exactly what additional services your provider offers—some of these added extras could make your large move so much easier.
For example, if you don’t have time to pack, why not organise a professional packer. If you’re worried about getting your pets organised, see if your provider offers pet transport and boarding. And, you may even be able to arrange vehicle transport, as well as cleaning and handyman services to ensure your old house is ready for handover.
Map Out Your Time Carefully
If you’re dealing with a large move, it means you’ll have a lot of possessions to pack and organise. The key to getting through everything with a minimum of fuss is mapping out your time and creating a clear plan. That means:
- Decluttering your belongings and making a clear list of everything you want to pack
- Creating a checklist, so you can tick off items as you go
- Starting as early as possible—as soon as you’ve set a moving date
- Locking in a reputable moving company, so you have some help. Remember, chances are, your usual support network might not be on-hand to help.
What Could Slow Your Progress?
While you’re planning your large move, you need to try to identify any factors that could slow you down. For example, if you have young children, you need to double the time you devote to your move for every child. So, for a removal that would take two months for a couple, you probably need to devote four months to the process if you have a young child.
Or, if you’re moving overseas, customs requirements could slow you down, as could inclement weather when shipping via airfreight. By identifying these factors early, you can put measures in place to help control them and ensure your move stays on track.
Communication Is Essential
A large move is all about creating a partnership between you and your moving company. You need to trust everything your provider tells you, and you need to communicate throughout the process. Setting a clear moving plan is essential, as is communicating any changes to that moving plan immediately.
If your removals team aren’t aware of important information, such as access points, pick up dates, drop off locations and floor plans, it makes it very difficult to execute a smooth move.
Understand What You’re Taking On
A large move is a massive undertaking. It doesn’t matter if you’re moving overseas or around the corner, trying to organise and transport a large volume of belongings is always going to be difficult. The essential step in planning a large move is accepting this difficulty.
You can make your move go smoothly, but it will take a lot of work. You need to remember that it will be impossible to get everything done in one weekend. You can’t just wing it—a large move needs careful planning over time.
The best way to plan your move is to download Kent Removals and Storage’s Ultimate Moving Checklist. It doesn’t just map out your moving plan; it also contains handy tips that make the whole process easier.
Planning a large move can feel completely overwhelming. While parting with some possessions, packing and shortlisting removalists can be difficult at first, it’s a lot easier once you start. To take the stress out of your large move, contact Kent Removals & Storage today!