Moving house is always stressful. One half of GAFF recently moved and it was a feat of organisation for her (even with her OCD tendancies). Here are some of the handy tricks and tools Jo found made moving that bit more endurable.
Sort Your Utilities
OK, so you have your moving date? Perfect, you can work backwards from there. Thankfully, most electricity, tv, broadband and energy providers are super flexible when it comes to relocating. You can either keep your account active and just change the address or you can end your contract pretty easily. Drop your providers a mail 4 weeks before you go so you have plenty of time to arrange your last bill and outstanding payments. You’ll need to cancel/rearrange
- tv
- broadband
- refuse collections
- energy provider (electricity/gas)
Remember to cancel these direct debits with your bank. And, if like me, you’re renting and have a joint account, you’ll need to close this with your current housemates. There is no fee for shutting an account, just sign on the dotted line in your local branch with whoever you started the account with, and you’re sorted.
Updating Your Address
There are so many less obvious, practical things that need to be changed and updated too, including …
- Your voting address (which you can amend by downloading this form and bringing it to your local council office)
- TV license (get in touch with them here)
- Tax details (if you’re self-employed)
- Doggy licence
- Bank deets (just call in and change the address, they’ll do it on the spot)
- Online shopping details. This is a MAJOR mistake we’ve made – change the address on all of your go-to online retail hot spots. It’s so easy to hit “checkout” and have that package of goodies sent to your old address, which is no fun.
If you are still stressing about missing out on post and parcels then head on over to An Post and pay €140 to have all your post forwarded to your new address for a year. As every letter and package comes to your new abode you can contact that person and remind them you’ve moved.
Pack It Up
Ok, now that you have ALL of that sorted, it’s time to get down to the nitty gritty. The more time you have to prepare the better, obviously, Start by decluttering one drawer, closet and cupboard at a time. The more stuff you can give to a charity shop or chuck in the bin ahead of your moving date the less you’ll have to do when you land on the other side.
- Books, clothes, shoes and bags can all go to charity shops
- Bedding, pillows and duvets are welcomed at animal homes and Dogs Trust
- You can hand over unwanted furniture to Age Action or Oxfam
Once you’ve sufficiently gotten rid of anything you no longer need, start by packing things you won’t need in the short term in your new space. For instance, I packed all of my summer and holiday clothes in these vacuum packs from Dealz. Having half my wardrobe packed ahead of time helped me sleep a little easier in the lead up to moving day.
Vacuum packs, €1.50 each at Dealz
You can ask your local shop to keep any cardboard boxes they have from deliveries for larger items, but for smaller items, I love these Penneys oversized carrier bags. They fit so much in them, are easy to carry, reusable and these are great for packing items you’ll need immediately like food, coffee, makeup and fresh clothes. They are a steal for €2 each at all Penneys stores.
I also stocked up on IKEA’s Branäs wicker storage boxes, Again, these are reusable, fit loads in them, you can see what you’ve packed in them (unlike annoying cardboard boxes) and are easily stackable.
€15 each at IKEA.
Easy Arrival
Once you arrive on the other side you’ll want your house to feel as homey as possible as soon as possible. Rome certainly wasn’t built in a day, and it’s really important to live in a space for a while before you decide what kind of furniture and storage solutions will best suit your new abode. That said, having some really luxe bedding for that first night is definitely top of our list. Check out our ultimate bedding guides here and browse the duvet section at Arnotts. We love Bedeck and John Lewis.
Another great short-term way to feel right at home right away is to treat yourself to some new prints. A little pop of colour on a wall or shelf will help keep your new home cheery while you spend time gathering the bigger essentials. Check out GAFF faves Jando and Etsy for pieces that will put a pep in your step but won’t break the bank. We also have a great rundown on affordable prints here and here. I treated myself to a Lulu O’Donohue piece and it’s all the colour my new bedroom needs.
Happy moving Gaffers! And let us know if you have any moving tips of your own.