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Contracts have been exchanged and moving day is nearly here, time to get down to business. We’ve packed more homes than we can count, so take it from us, when it comes to stress-free packing, there’s a right way and a wrong way to get it done. Here are our top five packing hacks for stress-free moving… 1. Five Packing Hacks: Don’t Pack At All You’ve ‘completed’ on your house and now you have to start thinking about the big move. Undoubtedly the simplest way to make moving day go smoothly is to book a removals company to take care of everything for you. From getting your white goods loaded safely to securely wrapping your heirlooms, we offer both house packing and removals services to suit your requirements.  Although a packing service comes at a cost, customers tell us that the time and stress they save more than justifies it. Get in touch to find out which is right for you.  … 2. Five Packing Hacks: Separate Your Tools There’s nothing quite as frustrating as arriving at your new home after a long day of moving only to realise you don’t know where your tools are. By keeping a few essential tools close at hand, you can avoid searching through boxes to find that elusive Allen key that assembles your bed. Take note of the tools you used to disassemble any furniture and keep those in a separately marked box or bag that you can quickly identify. We recommend including a set of Allen keys (hex keys), a Phillips and flathead screwdriver, a hammer and a strong pair of scissors.   … 3. Five Packing Hacks: Be Prepared Preparation is at the heart of stress-free packing. You’ll find some great suggestions in our blog 5 Tips For Moving House, two of which are particularly important: To avoid an uncomfortable first day in your new home, pack a Survival Kit with essentials like toiletries and phone chargers – anything you’ll need for those first 24 hours. Bulletpoint every box highlighting not only what room it belongs in, but a few of the items it contains. This will save you a ton of time and stress in the first few days of unpacking.  … 4. Five Packing Hacks: Don’t Overpack When filling your boxes, try to think less about the size of what you’re packing and more about its weight. It may be tempting to try to get all of your books into one big box, but you risk the box falling apart or becoming difficult to move. Instead, try to use small boxes for heavy items and larger boxes for lighter items.  … 5. Five Packing Hacks: Protect Your Weakest Link If you’re not using a packing service, it’s important to pay special attention to any items that are breakable, spillable or otherwise vulnerable to damage. All it takes is one bottle of shampoo to ruin an entire box of cosmetics or one broken champagne flute to cover your belongings with shards of glass.  Reduce your stress by taking special care when packing these “weak link” items and save yourself any extra work when it comes time to unpack.   Want to make moving house in Essex even easier? Speak to a member of the team at Neales Removals for an obligation-free quote.  

Have you ever had that feeling where you know you’ve forgotten something, but you can’t figure out what it is? That feeling goes hand in hand with moving home and adds an element of anxiety to an already stressful day. We’ve worked with a lot of people over the years, and have identified five things that most people forget when moving.  Learn from those that came before you and cross a few of these off your list… 1. Five Things To Remember When Moving home: Update Your Address You’ve got your meter readings and even changed your address with your bank. Great start! But there are a few other places you’ll need to update your address that might have slipped your mind.  Changing your address on the electoral register only take five minutes at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote Failing to update your address with the DVLA can result in a £1000 fine, so update it at www.gov.uk/change-address-driving-licence Updating the address your TV License is valid for at www.tvlicensing.co.uk … 2. Five Things To Remember When Moving home: Hold Your Mail No matter how prepared you are, there’s always some paperwork that will inevitably slip through the cracks. Whether it’s clothing catalogues or annual charity updates, it’s likely that a few stray pieces of mail will continue finding their way to your old address.  To avoid missing anything important, inform Royal Mail of your change of address. And set up a temporary forwarding service to serve as a catch-all for the first few months after your move. … 3. Five Things To Remember When Moving home: Pack Your Plants One of the most commonly overlooked groups of items, plants play an important role in making your new house a home. # While most removals companies exclude the transport of plants, that doesn’t mean you can’t move them in your own vehicle.  Indoor plants may need the top few inches of soil removed to prevent any spillage during the journey. Meanwhile, outdoor plants should be temporarily placed into pots/large buckets and replanted quickly.  Think ahead and decide which plants will be coming to that new home with you. But that rose bush you’ve fought with every summer? Well, you might want to leave that one behind. … 4. Five Things To Remember When Moving home: Grab Those Garden Tools Out of sight, out of mind – it’s no wonder garden tools are one of the most common things people forget to pack when they move home. Whether you need them at your new property or not, it’s good practice to pack the contents of your garden shed and leave it empty for the next person. Remember that spades etc should be in a clean, tidy condition and anything sharp should be protected accordingly to prevent injury.  … 5. Five Things To Remember When Moving home:  Clear The Medicine Cabinet With so much to pack, the medicine cabinet is easily overlooked. Remember to completely clear your medicine cabinet before moving and take the opportunity to have a good sort out. After all, there’s no point packing anything that’s past its expiry date or you don’t have any need for.  Pack any essential prescription medicines where they’ll be easy to find and separate any unopened, unused or out-of-date medicines for recycling at your local pharmacy. With these tips, you can avoid the “What am I forgetting” feeling and move into your new home with total peace of mind. Ready to book your removals date?  … Want to make moving house in Essex even easier? Speak to a member of the team at Neales Removals for an obligation-free quote.