Ask anyone that has moved home and they’ll probably agree that it’s one of the most exciting, but stressful, days of their lives.

Whether you’re leaving the nest, moving into student halls, buying your own place or you’ve outgrown your current place, packing up your worldly possessions is pretty scary. But fear not, change is good, and at s1homes we want to ensure that moving home is as stress free and enjoyable as possible.

We’ve put together some helpful tips for making moving day go smoothly and also, some nice things to prepare so that you feel settled in your new home on the first night.

Moving day

Hopefully, by this point, you’ve been packing for a few days, even weeks, and it’s just those last-minute things to sort. But those little last-minute items can cause the most pain and stress. There will be items that you use on a daily basis and have been holding off packing until moving day, like your kettle for a quick morning cuppa, toothbrushes, bathroom towels and even your TV! In the days leading up to the move, make a list of things you need to keep out on moving day and make sure you set aside a box or suitcase for these things. A suitable size that could easily fit into your car and doesn’t need to go in the van with your other boxes. Keep a toiletry bag handy for moving day too that you can put your toothbrush, toothpaste, soap and shower gel into. This can be included in that box too and means it’s easy to find in the new place.

At s1homes, we’re big fans of organisation and moving home can easily become pretty unorganised, quickly. When arranging boxes, try and figure out how many each room will need and leave the boxes in each room with them labelled. Try packing up a room at a time, starting with the ones that are used less frequently, maybe spare rooms and offices. For an extra level of organisation, you could number each box and keep a list of items in each box. This means when you come to unpack at the other end and want to find a certain item, you can easily find that specific box.

Pack the boxes in the van with the boxes of the same room. For soft items like clothing, quilts and bedding, try using vacuum bags instead of boxes. They’ll take up less space in the van and can be easier to carry.

On the morning of moving day, try to get up nice and early. Enjoy a good breakfast – you’ll need the energy. If you have kids or pets, arrange someone to look after them so they’re not in the way. Before you start to load up the van, do one more run through of everything, checking cupboards and sheds to make sure you haven’t missed anything.

Once your home is all packed up and empty, give it a clean. It’s not a requirement but is a nice thing to do for the new owners and will give you a chance to say goodbye. Another nice thing to do is to leave a wee note for the new owners, even if it’s just to take note of the meter readings and any helpful advice like bin collection days.

Your first night in your new home

Depending on how organised you were with packing and how much you had to move, priorities for the first night might just be to build your bed and get the TV set up! When you arrive, before you start unpacking, give the new place a clean down and put toilet roll in the bathrooms. The items you kept in your ‘last-minute’ box are probably things that you’ll want straight away in your new place. Cooking dinner in your new home might not be practical for various reasons, never mind not being able to find cutlery or plates. We love an excuse to order a takeaway and when better than your first night in your new home? It’ll give you a chance to try out the local cuisine and is also a well-earned treat. Make sure you also open a bottle of fizz to celebrate! If you have kids, why not make it fun for them and camp out in the living room or have a movie night? You’ll no doubt be pretty tired after a long day of lifting boxes so it’s a chance for you to have a quiet night and let the day sink in. Those boxes will still be there in the morning!

Also, remember to take note of any meter readings as soon as you arrive and keep them safe for when you contact your new providers. Do a run through of the property too for any snags you notice or anything that previous owners have left behind. If there are any problems, contact your lawyer or agent straight away.

Hopefully, these tips help you have a smooth moving day.