Category: Top 5

2/4/2019 0 Comments

Top 5 things to do AFTER you have moved in to your new home

So you have gone through the conveyance of a property and the agent tells you that they have exchanged and are ready for you to collect the keys! You are super excited, you have just picked up the keys to your new home! You stand in your living space and your life is in boxes, the movers hopefully didn't break anything and you have just about figured out which key goes to which door and window! TADAAAA you are officially moved in... But what now!? Where do you start? Where is the kettle? And how do you get to that point where you function in your new space?

It can feel so overwhelming when you first move into your home. All your worldly belongings which all had a place and a use at one time are now in a pile of boxes and bags. What about now? Where do you start? I remember when we moved into our house we spent the first hours just walking from room to room staring at and shifting boxes (which I thought I had well organised - if you are not sure about this part, head to this blog post for BEFORE you move.) The following is a guide to get your sorted within ONE day of moving in.

entrance doorway flanked by white hydrangeas and white flowers in zinc pots. the entrance is a few steps up from the ground level. the door is a rustic wood finish with black ironmongery. the door is flanked by two large lights.

Step 1: Take photos of the meter readings - This is boring but important for when you finally get down to setting up your move in accounts with your gas, water and electric people. You wont need to set up these accounts super urgently, but having these meter readings photographed on your move in date will save you the worry and hassle at a later date

a bright kitchen with dark cabinets on the lower section and a butlers sink with brass taps installed on a white marble counter top. there is a range cooker along the kitchen and a beautiful vintage persian rug on the floor. above it on the wall are open shelves with plates and glassware on show

Step 2: Start with the Kitchen - This is the room that will be the heart of the home, so get the heart set up and the rest will follow.

Give the cabinets a good wipe down with some de-greaser and disinfectant (its highly unlikely that the previous people cleaned it perfectly - did you do a deep clean when you moved out?)
Find the cupboard closest to the dishwasher or sink and near a plug (hopefully the kitchen is well designed for this to be obvious). In this cupboard put all your glassware and mugs, plug the kettle in and get the teabags out - tea and coffee station complete! Now make a brew and have a good look around the rest of the kitchen to plan the rest of it.
Work outwards from the cooker
- Closest: Cooking implements
- Closer: Pots and pans
- Close: Plates and bowls.
Baking stuff and casserole dishes near the oven.
Any small and medium sized appliances like your blender, chopper, kitchen machines must be places in positions where it is easy to access and plug in. If your kitchen is well designed this will be obvious, if not then a few different setups should be tried before settling on the best way that works for you.
Cupboard food goods are the last to go in.
- Keep herbs and spice labels easily readable and visible
- Keep all your baking things together
- I would recommend putting a metal tray under your oils as they tend to drip and stain the cabinet

Step 3: Get your capsule wardrobe organised (head to the BEFORE you move blog post to for more advice on how to pack for this).

Get your underwear sorted. There is nothing worse than having to hunt around a house you aren't used to, covered only in a hand towel, flashing the neighbours as you don't have curtains up looking for some underpants. Not a good first impression to give or a good way to start your day for that matter.
Hang your capsule wardrobe up as soon as possible, it will prevent it from getting really creased and make going about your working day in the next few weeks a breeze.

minimalist wardrobe with blues, whites, blacks and browns.

pink sink mounted on antique table with brass taps and gloss green tiles in a herring bone pattern across the wall. white marble floor tiles.

Step 4: Bathroom matters - This is the space where we rejuvenate and refresh ourselves. Get the basics sorted in here so you can give yourself a good base to start off from at the beginning of each day and keep your everyday comforts.

Make sure that you have two set of towels (it might take you a while to do some laundry)
Get your must have products (keep this list as short as possible for now) out and in a row so you can find them easily. Oh and razors or trimmers or whatever you use, know where they are and get them in the bathroom asap.
Loo paper - essential, necessary - make sure there are a few in every bathroom. That's is all that needs to be said.

Step 5: Bed space - this is the resting space where at the end of a hectic unpacking day, you need to retire to. So sorting out the basics in here is essential.

Weather you are sleeping on a mattress on the floor, or if you have actually got a bed set up, treat yourself to fresh sheets and pillowcases - this will improve the quality of your sleep. Make sure you have a good duvet as you may not have figured out how to sort out the heating by the end of your first day.
Light control and privacy in your bedroom is also vital. It is important to have darkness to sleep so I would advise having eye masks handy to allow you to get dark without having any curtains set up.
Also maybe keep some lounge wear or a dressing gown near your bed so you can put them on and stand up in your bedroom without flashing the neighbours (like the underwear scenario above).

blue and white bedroom set up in a classic design scheme with orchids next to the window and a brass bed side table

If you achieve these basic 5 steps on day 1 or 2 of moving into your new home, you are winning at life. Let me know if these tips work for you!

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13/3/2019 0 Comments

5 Things to do BEFORE you move

So you are going through the conveyance process and are expecting to exchange and complete soon, the daunting task of packing up your entire life is a massive daunting task but breaking it down into steps and being organised can help you manage this tricky and sometimes stressful time. Here is a list of 5 steps to do when prepping to move out;

cute little dog in a moving box in the centre of a big bright room with white panelling. lining the wall are a row of movers boxes with brown tape and red arrows. the floor has a beautiful herringbone pattern in a medium wood colour.

Pre book the following stuff:

The internet supplier to your new place - it always takes time to get the modem sent over and a date for the engineer set up. If you are close to completion, most sellers are happy to let you post your new modem at the property (we all know how long it can take to get this sorted - up to 4weeks at busy times)
The moving team and van - never under estimate how much space you need, its better to end up with a larger van than necessary than to have to do multiple trips or have to get stressed on moving day due to the miniature van that has shown up. Also it is SO worth your time to get someone to move your stuff for you. Even if you are young and relatively fit, moving that dining table or mattress on your own is an absolute pain in the neck (not to mention the back!), make your day easier and just get a reasonably priced moving company to do it for you.
Pay to get your mail redirected - it is yet ANOTHER cost to moving, but so worth it, as it gives you a grace period to make sure you don't miss out on anything that you forgot to notify of your move.

Notify- Let your current internet, gas, electricity, water suppliers know that you are moving with plenty of notice. At the same point remember to let these other people know that you are moving:

Bank
Phone company
Council tax
HR at work or any professional registration companies
Car and or Home insurance
Any subscriptions or delivery services (flowers, wine, food, magazines, milk- you get the drift)
Home Alarm team

Packing - now there are whole books written on this - but as a short summary:

Pack things by Room (Kitchen, Bathroom, Living room) and label the contents of the boxes (be specific - Stemware, DVDs, books, towels)
Vacuum packing bulky things like pillows, duvets, blankets, towels is genius.
Heavy things in smaller boxes, lighter things in bigger boxes - your (or your movers) back will thank you for this. Also you don't really want all your books and papers (or dinner set) falling out of the bottom of a weakened box mid move.
Consider the time frame that you expect to need the item by, you are more likely to need your teabags before you need that jar of smoked sea salt. Pack the items that you need access to sooner together, this is more useful for basic clothing, food items and toiletries which brings me onto my next step

a cardboard box on a wooden table with the words

close up shot of some clothes neatly hung in a similar colour scheme. capsule wardrobe

Capsule living - your first few days to weeks in your new home will be chaotic until you get all settled, so slimming down your life to a capsule of what you own (even if it is just for a week) will really help give you time to get organised.

Create a capsule wardrobe of things that you wear all the time and simply cannot live without. Quality basics including good underwear and socks and one good jacket that goes with everything and one or two pairs of shoes)
You can apply this capsule concept across the board, to the cupboard food items that you simply must have, or the best pan that you will always use, or your favourite mug. Having all these things easily accessible and in one handy place will make your nesting process in your new home a million times easier and quicker.

De-clutter - This is most possibly the most important stage. This is your opportunity to go through ALL your belongings weather you like it or not. So take the time to actually vet items. Decide if you really need something or not, if you haven't used it in 2 years - chuck it (Some people say 1year). I moved house 3 times before I got rid of a pair of trousers that I am NEVER going to fit into again. Don't do the same mistake. Same goes for all your books, media equipment and technology and those random old spices that you don't even know how or what to use for. Donate it, sell it or bin it. It is liberating, and better still when you get to your new house you wont have to wonder what to do with them all over again or where to store them. Give yourself time to do this, and for heavens sake don't leave the packing for a morning of your move when you are hungover and in a mad rush.

There you go. 5 tips to help you on your preparation journey for a move! Good luck! Let me know how it goes!

Head to the next post about the top 5 things to do AFTER you move in!

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