It is normal to be filled with joy when moving into a new space. However, you must be careful to go through the moving-in process intact, making any mistakes or losing anything. It can be hard not to be disorganised or lose things considering the volume of things you will be handling. Here are a few tips to help ease your moving process:

Get Organised early and Downsize

You should not wait till a week before moving day before you start putting things together. Get organised at least one month before your anticipated moving day to avoid unnecessary rush and panic. You can create a to-do list for the entire month before the relocation. It is just to ensure you’re not overwhelmed.

Also, there are some things you have frequently been using, some you have seldom been using, and some you have never used. Take advantage of your relocation and part ways with unused items. Don’t take unuseful things along to your new house. If you have not used something in a year, give them out (Except the usage is annual). Give them out or dispose of them.

Pack

Packing takes time so start early. Start with items you don’t use frequently. That said, we have a simple but efficient way to help you pack. 

Ensure you have a checklist and a packing list. Your checklist would contain everything you packed successfully to transport to your new house. In contrast, your packing list should include what’s on your checklist and also things you plan to leave behind. So basically, your packing list will contain your checklist and things you want to dispose of.

While writing items down, put them into categories and label each category with letters. You should also get big boxes and nylon bags to pack. For example, Category A is for clothing items. Bedspread is the second item under category A. When you pack your bedspreads, label the nylon bag or box as A2. Do the same for all items to avoid things getting misplaced.

Lastly, pack your valuables separately. It is crucial. No matter how trustworthy the movers might look, things like expensive jewellery should be with you on the move-in day.

Hire professional movers

When relocating, you place the bulk of your tangible goods in other people's hands. Like it or not, if anything goes wrong, it will be a significant loss. Ensure the moving agency you employ is experienced and professional.

Some of these agencies might even offer packing services. Also, you can plan ahead of the move-in day to visit your new place with an agency representative.

Plan a day move-in survival kit

You will most likely be very occupied on the d-day, so it’s best to have a move-in survival kit in place. This is just a separate box or bag containing items you will use on that day before you get used to the house or surroundings.

This survival kit is handy, especially if you have young ones (children or younger relatives). It could contain snacks, light foods, toothbrushes and toothpaste, and anything you foresee needing on the move-in day.

Fumigate and clean the new house

That’s right. Fumigate and clean, not clean and fumigate. If you do the latter, you’ll have to clean again, which means double work and more stress. Some believe that when you get into a new house, check around and see that it’s been taken care of; there’s no need to do anything again. We advise against this. No matter how clean a house might look on the surface, go the extra length of doing your cleaning. Better still, employ a professional cleaner to help out.

Before going ahead to clean, fumigate the house. You can employ professionals here, depending on your pocket. You might even be lucky to see a company that can handle fumigation and cleaning. If you feel like skipping this tip, remember that rodents and insects can make your home a living hell.

Change the locks

You don’t want to be ambushed in the middle of the night. Worse if they didn’t even need to stress or break-in. As soon as you’re handed the keys to the doors and locks of the house, you should change them. If it’s possible to do so before you move things in, please do. Knowing that the principal and spare keys are with you will give you greater peace.

Understand the circuit panel

Whether you’re an electrically inclined person or not, you need to know the circuit panel and switches there. To simplify, you can use paper tape to label each switch in the panel. You cannot mark it alone. You need someone else to help. They can turn on and off the switches while you check what parts of the house respond to them. 

Your partner at the switch can label it while you go around the house. Ensure your partner wears a glove while turning on and off the switches because you don’t know if there’s any fault at the circuit breaker box.

Inform your family and friends

Save your loved ones the stress of visiting your previous house and meeting an empty place or a new person. Inform your family and friends through texts or calls, depending on your closeness with them. You can let them know before or after you move, but most Nigerians will stick to after for reasons best known to us.

Update your address on documents

You should update your address on bank documents and other essential documents (such as your national ID card) you possess. You should also update your address with your workplace and even tax agencies. This is a critical step before you move into your new apartments. You should also update your address information on frequently used apps (trustworthy apps, of course).

Get to know your new neighbours

It might not look significant, but you should get familiar with your new neighbours. Ensure you know who lives around you for security reasons. As much as it’s practicable, be friends with your neighbours. Help with things if you can. Make conscious efforts to avoid trouble and arguments. For example, make sure you don’t double park when you park. Little things like that can keep your friendship with them tight.