New Year, New Home?

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Here we are on the doorstep of a new year, and if you're dreaming of a fresh start, a new home could be the answer in 2019. Whether it's moving in with a partner, making room to start a family, downsizing, or even making a major cross-country move, that dream home is out there and you can start making it happen how. January is a great time of year to list your current house for sale or think about buying a new home. Moving is an upheaval, but it doesn't have to be stressful and chaotic if you plan ahead.

Make A List of Questions For The Owner

Whatever home you finally decide on, there will be certain things about the property you're certain to wish you had asked once you're settled in. Save yourself the hassle by writing out a list of questions to submit to the sellers once the sale is in progress to help ease your move. This can be stuff like: the location of the stopcock to shut off the main water supply, about any surfaces in the home which require specialist cleaning products, where any areas of tiling in the kitchen or bathroom came from in case of chips, how to work the thermostat and who the current utility suppliers are for gas, electric and broadband connection. These simple queries can save you a lot of wasted time.

Compare And Save On Moving Expenses

Moving costs can vary greatly from company to company, so make sure that you shop around for a good deal on your removals service. You should also look for customer reviews as you don't want to sacrifice an experienced, quality moving company over a small price difference. You also have the option of renting a van to move items yourself - this can work if you have a short distance to move, a small amount of large furniture,     and plenty of friends willing to lend a hand!

Get A Head Start On Cleaning

If at all possible, try to gain access to the new property ahead of moving in to give it a thorough, top to toe deep clean. Moving out creates a lot of dirt, so you are very likely to want to get everything sparkling before you move your belongings in. You could even consider hiring a professional cleaning company to do a deep clean of the house before you get there.

Make A Plan For Moving Day

The day of the move, plan as much as you can in advance to make things flow more smoothly. Print off a moving checklist several weeks ahead of time to make sure you cover all the bases. Create an ‘essentials box’ for the day of the move with a small toiletries bag, phone chargers, a pack of protein bars, an emergency contacts list, some wet wipes,     and other key items that can travel with you in the car. When you arrive at your new home, make one of your first tasks making up your bed. You'll be glad it's there ready to collapse into when you've run out of energy!