7/03/2013

What Everybody Ought to Know About Moving House

packing hassle
If you have taken the day off to pack and you don't get the keys until four o'clock in the afternoon, you will probably feel incredibly excited and quite emotional by the time you can pick up the keys and open the front door. This is a real moment to savour.

But, prepare yourself. You might not have seen the property for six months and it might not look as nice as you remembered, eve if the owners have looked after it well. There are bound to be marks on the wall where furniture and pictures have been removed, which can look a bit ghostly and it is likely not to be totally clean.

Despite all of this, don't be discouraged. An empty house rarely looks inviting, which is why estate agents like to shoot pictures of well-dressed homes and property developers kit out show homes. Remind yourself that this is a very special moment when you open the door to your first piece of Britain. This will never be repeated, and is really quite historic. You might even want a camera to hand to capture the time when you arrive in your home for the first time as its new owner.


packing boxes
Buying your new home and taking possessions for it is a real milestone in your life, like getting on the bike for the first time and passing your driving test. This defining moment only happens once and you deserve a massive pat on the back for having got this far. Everything might not be perfect, but it is yours.

Simple and yet vital points you should remember while moving:
  • Communicate with your mortgage company, broker, solicitor and the chain ahead to make sure everything's going through. 
  • Get your solicitor to check the money's gone through for the property and that you will get the keys immediately after this happens. 
  • Confirm the time you can get into your home, and don't be shaken if there's a small delay.
  • A small detail, but an important one: buy tea, cold drinks and biscuits (and maybe even sandwiches if it's a long process) for the removal men. Like armies, they march on their stomachs and a bit of friendly goodwill could go a long way. And, tip them at the end if they've been particularly helpful and supply some cold beer to christen the move and the new house. 
  • If you can afford it, why not escape all the hassle and hire a really good firm that will do absolutely everything for you. Then go on holiday for a week, and you can come back to a new home with all your possessions unpacked and neatly put away. If you're really brave, you can even engage decorators to spruce the place up for you. However, it might be wise to get someone to oversee the move and the work.

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