- Who's Moving You? Are you going to hire the professionals (click on Services for removal companies) or do it yourself? Be realistic about the amount of stuff you have to move. If you're hiring a van to move yourself, make sure it's the right size.
- Prepare to create more rubbish than you thought possible. Whether you're moving from the smallest apartment or downsizing from a large family house, you'll be surprised/horrified by the amount of stuff you've accumulated. Hire a skip or get plenty of refuse sacks. If you have large pieces of furniture or appliances that are still in goodish condition, but which you simply have no more use for, give it away through Dublin Waste or Jumble Town. Do all this at least a week before moving day. Some charities take furniture, but phone first to check. If you need to move anything to storage, click on Services on Myhome.ie to find the best deal.
- Get all the moving gear and lots of it before you start e.g strong tape, thick markers to write contents on boxes, scissors (at least two pairs!), tissue paper, a razor knife, bubble wrap, newspaper and cardboard boxes.
- Pack wisely. Label boxes clearly. List what's in each box and what room it belongs to. Pack room-by-room - it'll save time when you get to your new home. Think weight and adjust content accordingly - an oversized box full of books is going to be impossible to lift. Mix heavy objects with lighters ones.
- Moving day can be traumatic for children. Make sure they're prepared well in advance for the move. Figure out an age-appropriate activity - a little one could pack some of his or her own toys, while an older child can be of real help. You know your own children best. If you feel they'd be in the way or be upset by the day, arrange a babysitter.
- Don't forget the attic. Many people do and it's a big, time-consuming job if you only remember it at the last minute. You might want to deliberately forget all the household junk you've packed away up there but your sales contract will most likely require the house to be cleared and that includes the attic. (The same applies to the garden shed and the garage.) Don't be tempted to leave behind old beds and bits of furniture - you are obliged to clear them out.
- If you have pets, consider asking a friend to petsit on moving day - all the activity will upset even the most placid dog or cat.
- Check your home insurance policy (you may not have one in rented accommodation) and ensure that your contents are covered from the day you move into your new home. Also check you are covered for damage and breakages during the move.
- Three weeks before moving is a good time to start notifying people of your new address, i.e. friends, banks, credit card companies, insurance companies, subscription suppliers, doctors, schools etc. NewAddress.ie is a service which saves considerable time and hassle and involves no call queuing. The online service enables you to change your address details with all your companies not only for the electors roll, your car registration and your driver’s licence but also many other companies as AA, Bank Of Ireland, Concern, Friends First, Irish Nationwide, PTSB, Magnet Entertainment, National Irish Bank, Quinn Direct, Quinn Healthcare, Red Cross, Superquinn, Tesco, Vodafone and many more. The service, with the support of MyHome.ie, is FREE for the mover! And if you have already moved, don’t worry – you can still use the service and change your details. It only takes about 10 minutes to start the process on http://www.newaddress.ie.
- Clean the house or apartment from top to bottom before you walk out the door for the last time. It's a nice gesture and hopefully the person you are buying from will have done the same for you. A note wishing your buyers luck in their new home also creates goodwill. On a more practical level, detailing when bin day is; your regular window cleaner/gardener/cleaner/babysitter; and any guarantees/manuals of appliances you are leaving behind.
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