Sometimes finding the perfect home can require a big move, where relocating to a new city or even a new country can present a wealth of exciting possibilities. Whether you’re moving for work or for better weather, a big relocation can present various opportunities as well as challenges. It can be difficult starting afresh in an unfamiliar location, where this combines with the added stress of moving all your belongings to your new home.
As such, it is important that you are prepared. A long distance move doesn’t happen overnight, where you will need to accumulate belongings and construct your new life over an extended period of time. Getting organised is the best way to ensure that this process goes smoothly, which is why we’ve prepared a helpful guide to see you through your moving journey – read on to find out more.
Planning Ahead
Before you even consider packing all your belongings into cardboard boxes, you will need to have a plan in place concerning how best to proceed. This should include the following essential elements:
Moving Timeline – It’s difficult to know where to start if you don’t have a clear timeline in place. Understanding exactly what you’re doing when can help you to find the motivation to get organised, where this should include packing schedules, moving dates and travel times.
Budget – A long distance move can be expensive, so it is important to have an accurate budget in place that you feel you can stick to. This should include things like the cost of packaging materials, shipping costs and the price of anything you might need to buy once you arrive at your new house.
Packing Checklist – Making a checklist is essential when it comes to a house move, where this can help you to organise your belongings in a sensible manner. A checklist can also make the big task of packing all your things feel more manageable, as you can then work out a packing schedule that feels doable for you.
Documentation – One of the most important things to consider when planning a big move is to make sure that all your documentation is in order. This should also make up an important section on your packing list, where you need to keep hold of housing needs, passports and plane tickets.
Packing & Shipping
The biggest difficulty of a long distance move is packing up all your belongings and relocating them to a new house. This can be incredibly stressful and time consuming, where it is important that you leave plenty of time in your moving schedule to manage this. Below are some top packing tips that should help to make things a little easier:
Organising By Room
One of the best and most time honoured ways of organising your belongings is to pack by room. Going room to room is a great way to make the packing process seem more manageable whilst also making sure that you don’t miss anything. This will make things easier on the other end where you will also be able to unpack room by room.
Securing Valuables
Making sure that your valuables are kept safe throughout the moving process can be a big headache, where you want to make sure that these items are properly wrapped, packed and stored. Consider packing things like jewellery or expensive technology ahead of time so they don’t get swept up in the moving of furniture and other bulky items. Clearly labelling your boxes or investing in additional storage security can also bring peace of mind, where you can also opt for tracked shipping to ensure everything arrives safely.
Packing Breakables
If your belongings are being shipped long distance, you will want to make sure that your breakables are properly wrapped and prepared. Individual wrapping within a larger storage container is a good way to do this, where you can purchase packing materials that are purpose made for protecting particular items. Seek expert advice for packing the most difficult items, where some breakables may be too heavy or fragile for you to properly handle on your own.
Essentials Box
There’s nothing worse than finishing up your packing only to realise that you’ve misplaced something that you need right away. To prevent this, it is always a good idea to make an essentials box so that you will have everything you need to hand throughout the moving process and when you arrive. You can even create a box for each person living in the house to avoid headaches once you get to your new home.
Shipping & Container Storage
Once you have finished packing your items, it will then be time to consider your shipping options. This can be an expensive process if you are shipping your belongings overseas, where it is important to shop around to find the best removals service to support you with your move. If you are moving across the country, then a moving truck is typically the best option for getting your belongings to a new place. Alternatively you may need to ship items by boat, plane or train to get things delivered further afield.
Settling In
Once you’ve arrived at your destination, the process of unpacking and settling in will now start. You may not feel entirely settled immediately, where this can take time particularly after a long move. Our tips for helping with the settling in process include:
Unpacking Properly
It can be tempting to leave boxes sitting around for long periods of time following a big move, especially if you are tired after travelling. But whilst leaving boxes for a few days is understandable, it is important to unpack properly fairly soon in order to start the settling in process. Otherwise an empty house can make you feel like you’re stuck in limbo, where this can delay the process of acclimatising to your new environment.
Staying Connected
Just because you’ve moved to a new part of the world doesn’t mean that you can’t stay in touch with friends and family back home. It is now easier than ever to stay connected, and communicating properly with your loved ones can help with the initial loneliness and stress of being in an unfamiliar place. Scheduling phone calls, writing letters and sending daily updates can all help you to feel more comfortable in your new home.
Exploring The Area
When you’re surrounded by boxes it can be tempting to stay indoors for long periods in order to sort everything out. And whilst unpacking is essential, once this is done it’s important that you then take the plunge and explore your new surroundings. Familiarising yourself with the landscape is a great way to feel more settled and connected with your home, where you can also use this as an opportunity to source additional furnishings and accessories for your interior.
Meeting Your Neighbours
Talking to your neighbours is another great way to make your new house feel like home. Whether it’s the people that live next door or someone further afield, making contact with those in the vicinity can help you to tackle the initial isolation of being in an unfamiliar place. This communication can also help you to seek recommendations and advice concerning the local area, particularly if you need to employ building or repair services for your new home.
Essex Removals: Reliable Long Distance Shipping & Storage Container Services
At Essex Removals, we offer a wide range of moving services to help you to kickstart your new life. As a leading shipping container company, we can ensure all of your belongings are stored and transported safely, where our European movers can assist with a relocation that takes you beyond the UK.
In addition to this, we can lend a hand with the cumbersome packing process, where we can provide you with all the materials you need to pack or we can help with the physical heavy lifting. We can also help you to unpack the more difficult items on the other side. So get in touch with us today to find out more about how we can help with your big move.
