Moving house can be a stressful and demanding process for anyone – but if you’re moving from one rental property to another, you might find yourself faced by a slightly different set of challenges. Let’s consider how these challenges might be met.
Plan and organise early
The earlier you begin your preparations, generally speaking, the less stressed you’ll be during the days and hours before your move is finalised. You can build your process around a moving checklist, which can either be a physical document or a digital spreadsheet. You’ll get the sense of progress that comes with checking boxes, and you’ll avoid the sense that you aren’t getting anywhere, and that you’re going to run out of time.
The to do lists should include every step, from transferring your utilities to notifying your landlord. Speaking of which…
Notify your landlord and utilities
You’ll need to let your existing landlord know that you’re moving out. The amount of notice you have to give will be written in your tenancy agreement. Fail to do this, and you could be made to pay rent for an extra month – or more.
The same applies to your water, electricity, internet provider, and gas. Check these off your list as you make the necessary phone calls.
Packing and transportation
Of course, the most significant task for would-be movers is the actual removal of your material possessions. This will mean sifting through everything and deciding what is to be kept and what is to be discarded. After all, it’s wasteful to move unwanted items to a new property.
You can make your packing more efficient by moving room-by-room and making sure that all of the boxes are labelled with permanent markers. If you’re moving a lot of stuff over a great distance, it might be a good idea to invest in a professional moving company. Or, if you are moving locally but don’t have your own transport you could rent or borrow a van/car, depending on how much you have to transport, just make sure to have adequate car insurance for the day.
Inspecting and cleaning your new rental
When you move in, your first step might be to ensure you aren’t going to be held responsible for any damage to the property. Look for defects while the property is empty, and photograph them so that you can report them to your landlord. Then, give the space a thorough clean. It’s much easier to do this before you’ve moved the furniture in, but you might still want to dust and vacuum afterwards, too. That way, you’ll give yourself the freshest possible start, and give yourself the best possible chance of holding on to your deposit.
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