A quick guide to moving to a new house

Moving to a new house is a chore because there are so many things to consider. From planning to moving in, here’s a quick guide to making the move easier.

1. Preparing to move

Change your address

Change your address two weeks before moving.

Some institutions to update your address include banks, telcos, insurance companies and service providers for your subscriptions. Otherwise, any letters from them will be mailed to your former home.

On top of that, you’ll need to update your new address with the authorities within 28 days of moving in. Previously, this could be done at the nearest police station.

But from Oct 1, 2020 onwards, you can only change your address online via ICA’s e-Service.

Once you’ve registered your new address with ICA, they’ll send you a PIN by mail. You’ll need this PIN to finish the application. Afterwards, you’ll receive a sticker with your new address by mail, which you’ll have to stick on your IC.

Minimise the stuff to bring over

Start decluttering your items. This will help reduce the amount of things to bring over, making packing and moving much easier.

Instead of throwing your unwanted items away, you can sell them online to earn some cash. Remember to put them up for sale at least a month before you move, since it will take quite a while for buyers to respond to your listings.

For items you can’t sell, consider giving them away instead — this is still better than having to pay for the disposal costs.

Engage movers

Unless you’re moving with only a couple of luggage and furniture (that can fit a van), you’ll need to engage a mover to help you with the move. It’s more convenient than doing it yourself (trust us).

Research on a few movers and find out more about their services and rates. Some services include

• Dismantling and assembling of furniture
• Packing and unpacking
• Disposing of bulky items
• Providing packing materials such as free boxes

On the other hand, if you prefer not to engage any movers, consider renting huge vehicles such as lorries and vans to reduce the number of trips. This will minimise the inconvenience of travelling back and forth many times.

Furnished properties for sale

Collect or purchase boxes

This is if the boxes from the mover are not enough, or if you need special boxes for certain items, such as your books or watch collection.

If you are a book lover, put all your books in beer boxes. Since beer boxes have handles, it will be easier and more convenient for you to carry them.

But if you just need a few more cardboard boxes, you can try asking nearby shops if they have some to give.

ALSO READ: This 999-year leasehold land in Punggol can be yours for under $1m, but there's a catch

2. Packing

Categorise your items according to the rooms

Pack your items room by room. This will make packing and unpacking easier for you. For instance, categorise your items for the bedroom, such as clothes and toiletries, and pack them into their respective boxes.

Consider separating your valuables from the other items though, as you may want to carry them yourself during the move.

Label your boxes

There are many ways in which you can group your items, but make sure to label the boxes for easier reference. Proper labelling minimises the odds of items going missing or misplaced. You’ll also know what to check for when you start unpacking at your new home.

For example, you can use a thick permanent marker to label these boxes according to their categories, such as clothes and toys, and their intended rooms.

In addition, you can colour-code your boxes according to their weight (such that the movers won’t put a heavy box above a lighter box) and priority for unpacking.

Be strategic in the choice of storage containers

Wrap your breakables in clothing to save on bubble wrap (and storage space). Label these as fragile too, so that the movers will take special care when transporting them.

Use your baskets, laundry bins and suitcases for your clothes, instead of buying a few new duffel bags to carry them.

Put together the essentials

Pack an overnight bag containing all your essentials, such as medicine, toiletries, towels and clothes you will wear the next day.

Trust us, you will be too tired to unpack everything once you have settled down in your new house. This also saves you the hassle of going through all the boxes for your essentials.

3. Clean your new house

A few days before the big move day, bring cleaning supplies such as the mops and vacuum cleaner to your new home.

Give your new house a deep clean before all the furniture arrive. Plus, it’s easier to clean an empty house.

If you need some help with this, consider engaging a cleaning company to do a thorough cleaning of the house.

4. Unpacking

Prioritise what to unpack

After moving in, prioritise the items you want to unpack first. For instance, stock up your fridge with food items that need to be kept refrigerated (such as some sauces and cheese).

Remember that essentials bag? Unpack that as well.

When you feel more refreshed (probably the next day after a good night’s sleep), you can start unpacking the rest of the boxes. And like the packing process, we recommend unpacking room by room.

Do your post-moving checks

While you’re unpacking your things, don’t forget to check for missing items.

The sooner you find out you have missing items, the higher the likelihood of getting them back. (A week from now, you may not be able to go back to your old home and look for them).

Otherwise, if you’ve opted for insurance coverage for your items, you’ll need to submit claims for them soon.

This article was first published 99.co.