Top tips on moving house quickly
Here's our speedy guide to even speedier moves - including some tips and tricks our team has picked up from years of working with homeowners and professional movers.
Create a moving house checklist
Whether it's a well-planned in advance or last minute move, having a plan is essential. After you've gone through the process of buying a house, you'll need to start thinking about actually moving pretty quickly. It's a good idea to start organising the rooms in your existing home one at a time, making a list of everything you'll be packing and then separating things for donating or getting rid of.
Make a list of the packing supplies you'll need, including the number of boxes, tape and any packing material like bubble wrap for valuables. If you're lucky enough to have help with packing, you can assign friends and family to different steps on the checklist to help make the whole process smoother.
Streamline the packing process
If you can, set up a packing station for each room so you can easily sort through the entire house in stages. That way you'll be able to pack essential supplies in order, make sure everything's packed together logically and get it all done quicker. You won't need to pack everything away into boxes either, which can save some time on actually building the boxes. If you can, pack things inside other items you're taking to save on space and organising. You might be able to pack soft items into plastic bags, for example, or use towels and linens to wrap breakables.
Packing hacks for less stress
There are loads of tips and suggestions on how to make packing up your home even simpler. While everyone will have their own preferred packing plan, working smarter can help save so much time when you're in a rush. For example, some people choose to keep clothes on hangers and simply bundle them up for an efficient way to transfer from wardrobe to wardrobe.
Our top tip is to label everything - whether you're using a box or bag, labelling what's inside or where it's going can transform your entire move. It means that when you get to the new house, you'll know where to drop that box off and which to unpack first. This can be really useful if you're using a removals company too, so they know where to take items.
Declutter your home
Moving home is a fresh start, so it's a good opportunity to go through your belongings and figure out what you no longer need. Sort everything from clothes to books and home accessories into three piles or sections: items to keep, items to donate and items to throw away. This will help streamline the amount you actually need to sort into boxes for packing, and will help give you a clearer idea of what you'll be unpacking at the new place.
Pack an essentials bag
It's easy to get stuck thinking just about packing day and leaving your old home, but make sure to think about those first few hours in the new house! It's a good idea to make sure you've got all the things you'll need for your first 24 hours or so in one place.
Some things we recommend packing into a 'first day survival kit' include:
- Phone chargers
- Bin bags
- Cleaning wipes
- Toilet roll
- Dustpan and brush
- Bedding - duvets, sheets and pillows
- Paperwork to organise utilities
- Hand soap and towel
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Medications
- Curtains
- If you're moving with pets, their food, bedding and any favourite toys
Is it quicker to buy a new build home?
Whether it's for work, the sale of your existing home, family reasons or anything else, the buying and selling process can sometimes take weeks - if not months. Particularly if you're moving to or from an older home where multiple surveys and checks are required. This is why buying a new home can be a great option to facilitate a speedier move.
Why? Because by purchasing a brand-new property, you’re immediately eliminating one potential headache, which is the onward chain. Once you’ve secured a buyer for your current property and put down your initial deposit on your beautiful new home, you can rest safe in the knowledge that you won’t be gazumped on your purchase, or that it will fall through due to other people ‘higher up’ the chain having issues.
How Redrow can help you move house quickly
The good news is that at Redrow, we know a thing or two about helping homebuyers move quickly. As well as offering plenty of advice about packing quickly, we're proud to offer a few different options for Redrow homebuyers to speed up the moving process.
Help to Sell
First on the list is Redrow's Help to Sell scheme. This is an assisted move programme that provides you with assistance selling your current property and a contribution towards the cost. Once you've chosen your new Redrow home, we'll work with you to agree a valuation of your existing home. Once you’re happy to proceed, the estate agent will take care of all the marketing activity for your property to help secure a quick sale, so you can relax in the knowledge that it’s all being dealt with by a professional. Redrow will also contribute towards the cost of the estate agency fees, which can save you thousands of pounds (all the better to splurge on that new sofa you have your eye on for your new home!). For more information, discover our guide on the best time to sell your house.
Redrow Readymade homes
To speed up the move-in and decorating process, our range of Readymade homes do exactly what it says on the tin - they're made so you can instantly move in and start living. This not only saves you time but can save significantly on the usual costs of moving into a new home, with plenty of important extras included with the Readymade scheme. Within the range, you'll find homes within our award-winning Heritage Collection, with all the extras and upgrades that come with the Readymade scheme. So all you need to do is bring your belongings and furniture in, and decide where everything goes.
Part Exchange
Sometimes though, you need a quicker solution than putting your property on the market. That's where our Redrow Part Exchange scheme comes in. This means that Redrow will arrange for three valuations on your existing property, and will agree a guaranteed price with you that Redrow will purchase your property for. This means that the entire process is chain-free, as you have a guaranteed buyer in Redrow who doesn’t have to sell anything to buy your property. If the Redrow home you wish to buy is already completed and ready for you to move into, Part Exchange can mean that you can move in just weeks.
The best news of all though? Another benefit of buying a new build home is that once you’ve got the keys, there is no work to do as you’ll have a stunning new kitchen and bathrooms, with freshly painted walls and ceilings along with a brand new boiler, electrics and plumbing. That means you can just unpack your boxes and start enjoying your new home from day one, without the need to undertake any heavy-duty renovation or DIY, and instead focus on settling in as quickly as possible.
Discover more about buying with Redrow and how we can help make your move as smooth as possible.
