‘You could be in by Christmas!’ you were told. But every house move is beset with delays, and now it looks like ‘in by Christmas’ means moving while everyone else is putting up the decs. Moving house in December is not for the faint-hearted – but if you’re determined to go for it, we’ve got a few tips to make things a bit easier.
Book well in advance for your December house move
Many businesses – removals companies included – give their staff time off from mid-December. So book your December removal well in advance to ensure you can get a removal company to work with you on the date you want. The same goes if you’re moving by yourself – friends and family are more busy than usual and may not be available on your chosen moving day.
The best way to find a removals company you can trust is to use the directory of the British Association of Removers. And we’ve got some more ideas about finding the right removals company.
Let someone else do Christmas
Moving house is one of the most stressful things you can do. So do whatever you can to take the pressure off yourself around the time of your house move. For example, buy in prepared Christmas food rather than cooking from scratch.
Christmas decs and moving house
People have all sorts of traditions around putting up Christmas decorations. Some do it all on 1 December and take it down on Boxing Day. Other people leave it later and take down on 5 or 6 January. Families can be quite rigid in their festive traditions – but have a think about making an exception to make your house move easier.
If you’re moving really close to Christmas, you might decide it’s not worth putting up the decorations on 1 December at your old home. But you can always plan things so that your decs are among the first things you unpack in your new home.
Moving advice often suggests prioritising unpacking in rooms like the kitchen, the bathroom and your bedroom. Even if you won’t have your reception rooms unpacked immediately, consider putting up a few decs or even a Christmas tree in the kitchen.
Prepare for bad weather
Moving house in torrential rain is pretty miserable: wet footprints in every room; soggy cardboard boxes; and slippery surfaces. A professional removal company has the knowledge, equipment and skills to protect your domestic goods and your home during a rain storm.
Have plenty of old towels on hand, or rolls of paper towels, to dry off anything that gets wet. And use plastic sheeting and tarpaulins to protect your furniture. It can also help to have an indoor team and an outdoor team – that way you reduce trails of wet, muddy footprints.
Leaves, ice and rain can make paths and access to your home slippery. Think about how you will make paths safe. Do you need shovels and grit at your old home, and at your new home? Will you have to do some quick prep work before the movers arrive?
It can make all the difference if your helpers or the removal staff have somewhere warm and dry to take a break. Offer hot drinks and snacks, too.
Shorter days mean you’ll be moving in the dark
If you’ve got a long journey to your new place, you may end up doing some of the removals in the dark, as night falls close to 4pm towards the middle of December. How is the lighting? Can you provide a safe, well-lit path for your helpers?
Another option is to split the move over two days so that you can pack up your old home on one day, park the lorry overnight with all your stuff inside it, and unpack the next day. A professional removals company will have secure parking for their waggon, and can organise the logistics of taking an overnight break.
Use self-storage to relieve the pressure of a December house move
If circumstances force you to leave your old home before your new house is ready, use self-storage to keep your furniture and domestic goods safe. Most storage companies require you to insure your stored goods; but you don’t have to use the insurance they stipulate. Insure your stored goods by the day with Store and Insure – perfect if you just need a few days or weeks of storage.
