Moving house is always a stressful time, especially if you have to do it all yourself. With so many things to plan, and so little time, it’s amazing anyone manages to do it. To take some of that pain away, this post will go through some of the things you should keep in mind when moving out by yourself.
Planning
Planning is key to anything like this. First, you’ll want to assess your available resources and plan from there. If you have a small car and no other transport, you’ll need to be careful. Without a plan, you’ll waste time figuring out how to pack on the driveway. Start with your bigger objects, and then go from there. Use small items to fill gaps, and soft items to protect fragile ones.
Next, it’s best if you plan the day itself. It’s a good idea to have a solid schedule, with completion milestones along the way. This will make it easier for you to judge how much time you have to complete everything, avoiding a mad rush at the end of the day. Sometimes things go wrong, so be liberal with the time you give for each stage.
Get Help
You might not need the help of the national moving company, but you might need some help. You’ll have plenty of friends and family willing to help you. You just need to ask ahead of time. Don’t ask for help on the day, as you won’t have much luck. Remember to remind your willing crew of the work they’ve committed to, as well. It won’t be a good day if no one turns up. Be sensible when selecting your helpers. Make sure you have people who can carry heavy items, as well as small ones.
More people will likely mean more vehicles. Obviously, this will speed up the move and allow you to carry more at once. Just make sure that you know exactly what’s in each car. Otherwise, it’ll be a challenge finding things at the other end.
In return for help, you should provide your staff with something. A good meal and drinks throughout the day will help. But, you’ll probably owe a few favors as well. Be willing to do work in return for work; time is free, but help usually isn’t.
Do The Move
On the day of the move, you’ll be calm and collected, with all of your plans in place. All you have to do now is the move. Monitor your time throughout the day, and make sure you’re running to the schedule. There’s no need to panic if you overrun; that’s what the extra time is for. React to progress only if necessary; if you’re going to run out of time.
Don’t overwork your staff, though. Make sure that people have plenty of breaks, and that you don’t become their boss. You can easily make a day of hard work into a fun day to remember if everyone’s happy. You’ll often find that people work faster and harder when they’re relaxed.
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