How to Help Your Friend Move to a New Flat

Moving to a new house is an exciting time, but it can be hard work. Helping friends in need can mean much more to them than the physical labour involved.

If you know someone moving soon, reaching out to offer your help can make a world of difference to the work involved and the stress it can cause.

The following article will help you plan and execute a move with minimal fuss.

Prepare for the move

If you or someone you know is moving soon, don’t leave everything to the last day. Planning will help the move go more smoothly. Even if they are using professional moving services, there are lots that you can do to enjoy a stress-free, successful move.

Packing

It is never too early to start packing non-essential items. The packing process can be difficult, so do what you can to help with the moving process.

As soon as you know about the move, start to collect boxes so you will be ready to pack. Ensure you have all the packing materials you need including boxes, packing tape, and bubble wrap for more fragile items.

If your friend is using professional movers, the moving company might supply this and pack, but your friend will be able to advise you of the service they have paid for.

Try to pack by room and mark each box with what room it should go to when you get to the new property.

Trips to the tip

Another great way to prepare for a move is by decluttering and removing anything no longer needed. Getting this out of the way before the moving day will make things more manageable.

Donate to charity

Not everything no longer wanted should be taken to the tip. There may be personal belongings, clothes, furniture, or other items that are still perfectly usable. If this is the case, check with local charity shops to see what donation items are accepted.

Sell

Alternatively, finding car boot sales and jumble sales means your friend might be able to get rid of unwanted items and make a little bit of money. Anything that doesn’t sell and is still not wanted can then be donated or taken to a tip.

Plan the move

This might seem obvious, but it is incredible how many people try to wing it daily without preparation. It will significantly affect how smoothly the move day goes when you plan.

If a moving crew is helping, try to work out what needs to be done in advance. You will then be able to work out what items can go in the moving truck and what can be shared out among other vehicles.

If you are moving without a professional service, try to work out how you will fill the moving van, considering what you want to remove first at the other end.

Hire a van

Moving to a new house is a big day for anyone. There is usually lots of heavy lifting, and the entire process can be draining. Hiring a van to move the majority of the belongings can save multiple trips back and forth and be well worth it.

Before hiring the van, you will have to determine the size needed for the job. It would be best if you also worked out who is best placed to drive it and whether their driving license allows this.

Temporary car insurance is a great option to ensure the vehicle and contents are covered. GoShorty offers a range of temporary car insurance, temporary learner driver insurance, and temporary van insurance, making it easier to enjoy low insurance prices.

Rather than forking out for an entire year’s cover, temporary cover will make sure you meet the legal requirements to use the van on the road, and you will be able to select a policy for just the day of the move or even a few hours to get the job done.

How many cars are needed

A local move should allow easy travel between the old place and the new home. This might make it easier to make several runs with fewer cars. If the person moving is hiring or borrowing a van, you might not need as many cars or trips to get everything over.

Moving day

The day of the move will be stressful and tiring, so sticking to your plan and following these tips should let everything go to plan, especially with family members and friends helping.

Collect and pack the van

Collecting the hire van and packing it efficiently will help minimise the number of trips needed to take everything to the new place. This will help clear the old home more quickly and make it easier to get in and out with other bags or boxes.

Pack cars

Depending on how many people are helping, you might be able to have a team concentrating on getting boxes and furniture out to the van, a team loading the van, and others loading cars.

Move boxes into the correct rooms

When you get to the new property, it will help you work in teams again. Have one team unload the van and bring items to the house, and the other team should then take these items and put them into the rooms marked on the box.

Listen to music

Moving can be a long, hard day so try to make it as enjoyable as possible. Making a playlist and asking everyone involved to contribute will help to boost morale and keep you going.

Remember to eat

Some people like to plough on the work to try and get it done as quickly as possible, but having the energy to do this is essential. Food breaks will allow people to rest and build the strength to keep going.

Eating food like energy bars throughout the day can improve team morale and give all the movers a much-needed energy boost.

After the move

Getting your friends’ belongings into their new home is only part of it. Making sure they settle into their new home is also important.

Unpack

Unpacking should be easy if you have marked boxes and placed them in the correct rooms. This will start to make the place feel like home straight away.

Remove boxes

The last thing anyone wants in their new home is mess and clutter. Removing unwanted boxes and packing materials will help. It will also minimise the risk of filling the home’s bins within a day.

Enjoy

Try to take some time to sit with your friend in their new home with a cup of tea and enjoy all the hard work that has gone into the move.

Other things to consider when a friend is moving

As well as everything we mentioned, it would help if you also considered any children or pets that will have to be looked after during the move. You might also want to go the extra mile and help your friend after moving in.

While they are settling in and unpacking, you could run errands and pick up some essentials like milk, bread, toilet rolls, and cleaning materials, so they have a good start.

Consider temporary van insurance to help them move

Moving house can be stressful, and trying to do it alone is extremely hard work. Chipping in and helping a friend when they move will make a real difference and make it easier for you to call in favour should you move in the future.

Get a temporary insurance quote today, and see how much it would cost to insure a van to help your friend move home.