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| Moving House and Packing |
Before you begin the daunting and tedious task of packing for your move to your new home it is a good idea to dispose of all the items you no longer need – clothing, fixtures, childrens things, old or broken furniture. Holding a car-boot sale, if you have a quantity of stuff, would not be a bad idea.
You will need a good moving company, so click HERE for a list of the best moving companies in Ireland.
Packing Tips
Prior to packing you will need a good supply of strong cardboard boxes. The local off-licence on delivery day is a good place to request having some boxes left aside for you. Or ask the goods-inward manager at your local supermarket. You shall also need masking tape, heavy duty markers, sticky labels and plenty of old newspapers.
Moving companies shall also be able to supply standard size boxes and specially intended boxes for clothing, china or porcelain.
Put together in total the following list;
Plenty of boxes
Stacks of newspapers
Masking Tape
Plastic bags
‘Fragile’ Tape
Heavy duty markers
Sticky labels
Bubble wrap
Tissue paper.
Make sure you use only clean boxes. Don’t put aside any soiled or damaged ones. Your local electrical store or hardware store is another place where you might get a supply of heavy card-board boxes. Also, your local fruit and veg dealer may have some spare plastic or onion bags, or even a few orange boxes ideal for certain items.
Packing Tips
*Cushion the bottom of boxes first. Do likewise with the sides for fragile
items.
*Packed items should not exceed 15kg.
*Do one room at a time and pack everything before moving to the next
room.
*Label all boxes by corresponding room in your new house.
*The earlier you begin packing in the moving process the better.
*Wrap well all fragile items in newspaper, kitchen towel tissue or clothes,
placing them in drawers, containers with lids, wooden boxes etc.
*Pack heavy items into the smallest boxes, the lightest items into the
smallest boxes.
*Tape cords underneath all electrical appliances.
*Use heavy duty string or cord to secure furniture, doors etc Do not use
tape as this can sometimes damage.
*Fill your refrigerator, dish-washer, washer/dryer with clothes and
linens.
*Pack all your childrens toys together, in selected boxes, with their help.
You don’t want your child looking for his favourite toy afterwards and
You cannot find it.
*If you are using a professional mover it may be a good idea to leave
china and other fragile valuables for them to take care of.
*Set aside a couple of boxes and fill with items needed the day of the
move – coffee maker, coffee, sugar, biscuits, paper-plates, hand tools,
scissors, extension cords, mobile phone charger, plug adaptors, bucket,
rags, soap, linen, paper towels, toiletries. Set aside a few days worth of
clothes, food and other essentials you will need prior to the movers
arriving at your new home and prior to unpacking.
Never pack the following;
*Flammables
*Household cleaners
*Corrosive liquids
*Firelighters
*Jewellery
*Credit cards, cheque-book
*Passport
*Driving-licence
Once you know the date when you are moving into your new home, start packing. Now is the time to go through all those drawers full of clutter, everything from spare light-bulbs to food tokens to old photographs. You’ll find a lot of material for the binman.
Don’t forget to give your landlord adequate notice of your move. In all the excitement of moving into your new home you may have forgot. If you know a month in advance then allow him benefit with a months notice.
Make a list of people who need to know you are moving. Give the gas company about two weeks notice of the move. Notify the ESB of the date you are moving but be sure of the date when doing so. Failing to notify them will only mean the next bill will be in your name, and legally, due by you.
About one week prior to the move start packing away any non-essential items. You’ll find there are many things you wont need over the course of the week and you’ll be able to pack the bulk of your clothes.
Clean the property as you go along, leaving the fridge to be defrosted the day before. Only use strong boes, ones not likely to break up. After each box is packed seal it well with tape, use one of your sticky labels and clearly mark the contents and the corresponding room.
Its always a good idea to hire professional movers, particularly if you have a lot of items and plenty of heavy furniture.
Check out our ‘removals and storage’ section for a professional service in your area.
Professional movers should also be considered if you are relocating some distance away. Make sure your movers have insurance to cover all items in transit. Always mark boxes ‘fragile’ when necessary.
It can be a great hinderence if you are partaking in the move with only the family car. This will involve a lot of frustrating coming and going. If you have a tow-bar try and get the lend of a car-trailer. Maybe a friend of yours has a van and will help out or even lend you the van. A tractor and trailer could also be used especially if you are among a farming community. You could also consider hiring a large van for a day.
Make sure you give yourself ample time to make sure everything is taken out of the house before the key is handed over to the estate agent. When you reach your new home with your load of contents try and place all boxes in the room where it is supposed to go. Your markings come in handy here.
Don’t clog up the hallway with boxes, leave it clear as you have many boxes to be brought into your new house. Try to pack everything away in your new home as soon as possible. Don’t leave it on the long finger. The sooner everything is in its proper place the sooner you shall enjoy your new home. And you really want to enjoy it from the start. So unpack, as much as you hate the thoughts of it especially after all you’ve done already. You don’t want packed boxes gathering dust.
Make sure the electricity, the heating and the phone work before unpacking. God forbid that you should have to move into a b n b for a few days. Unpack items you will need to start with – dishes, cutlery etc Plug in the fridge. Put all the food in its proper place.
Then relax, plug in the telly and have a cup of tea before really getting stuck in. Make sure you have the tool-box on hand for hanging pictures properly. Note the surface of the wall when hanging heavy pictures. It may be plasterboard and not able to hold the picture. Don’t rush these things but preferably place pictures at the foot of the wall where you think it might go. You may change your mind later and swop a few of them around. Rawl plugs may be needed – will you have them?
Some Points to Remember
1…Start preparing your things as soon as you have a date for relocation.
Pack non-essential items first and clothing you shall not use until after
You move. Tape each box securely and clearly mark its destination ie.
The kitchen.
2…Notify your electricity, phone, cable and gas companies at least two
weeks before you move in. That should ensure that all these services
are connected when you move in.
3…Get rid of stuff you obviously don’t need. Don’t pack clutter.
4…If you have a lot of stuff you would like to get rid of place an ad in the
buy n sell, put items on the ebid.ie website for sale or even hold a car
boot sale. Now is the time to get rid of all unwantables and fatten
your wallet at the same time.
5…If hiring professional movers, check out the professionals listed here
in the ‘removals and storage’ section a few weeks in advance and
ensure availability and compare value for money.
6…Don’t rush into arranging items or hanging things on the wall in your
new home. Unpack first. Make sure you have the tool-box kitted out
and on hand. And don’t forget the rawl-plugs – you just might need a
little item like that.
7…Always know immediately where you have packed bed linen, duvets
and pillows. It may be too late when you finally get everything indoors
in your new home and you may be ready for nothing but sleep.
8…Unpack carefully in the room where the items are to remain. Don’t
clog up the hallway and living room with items destined for other
rooms.
9…Unpack as soon after moving as you can no matter how much you
hate the thoughts of it. You’ll be delighted when it’s all over sooner
rather than later.
10..Prior to unpacking anything make sure all your essential services are
in order-electricity, hot water, phone, gas and tv.
So now you have reached the end and it’s been a tedious and tiresome task. Take comfort in the fact you have finally gotten rid of several items you’ve being hanging onto for years. Your new home is clutter free. Now all you have to do is burn a ton of cardboard and paper. After what you’ve being through, that’s easy.
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