Moving with the help of a remover is stressful in itself. However, in some cases you may decide that you do not need to use the help of a specialized company. You may choose the DIY route for various reasons – either because you can’t afford the expense of hiring a remover, because your move will be a short distance one or maybe because you’re confident and you can arrange the transportation and get enough help with larger items, so that you won’t need a removals service.
In any of these cases, there will be quite a lot of additional work on your shoulders, should you choose to opt out of using a removal service. This is why a checklist of tasks will be helpful.
This article provides some tips and advice on the topic. Naturally, you do not have to follow this point by point, because every moving job is different, but some of the general pointers listed below will work for anybody.
- Begin early on. There will be a lot of work involved in moving by yourself – from packing, to arranging storage, to the more complicated removals and the actual transportation – and everything will be on your shoulders. It can be done, of course, but the task will require extremely good time management skills and you will have to spread out the work. Try to begin planning at least two months in advance of your chosen date for the move.
- Gather all of your resources. This includes things like thee vehicle or vehicles you will use, to the people (friends, family, neighbours), who will be helping you in the process, to the actual packing supplies. Try to get your calls in as early as possible. Begin by seeking out someone, who will be able to lend a large van or maybe even a lorry (and maybe their own driving skills) on your chosen day. Begin by talking to friends and telling them to spread the word that you need help with a move. Once you have the transport set up, try to get in as many calls to friends as you can. You will need a lot of help with a move and, while it may be more difficult to manage twelve people, instead of two, the work will go on much more quickly and efficiently. These are the first things you have to arrange. After you’re done, you can begin thinking about all of the supplies.
- Reuse or use recycled supplies wherever possible. Try to pack as many things as you can in their original boxes. Alternatively, you could go around some of the local shops and collect some of their unwanted boxes. This way, by recycling and reusing, your move will be not only much more environmentally friendly, but also much cheaper.
- Minimize the amount of things you will need to transport. Get rid of anything that you won’t absolutely need in your new place. This will simplify the packing and transportation immensely.
- Develop some sort of system for packing. Maybe use color coordination to match each box to its respective room. Or try some other kind of organizational system.
- Try to store all of your packed belongings in a separate room. Moving will be a bit of a hassle and you will need your occasional break from looking at boxes all day long.