Moving house and home is always a big endeavour but it can be a less stressful one if you make a few smart moves well in advance and have a checklist to work to.

Read on for a quick checklist of ways to make the whole house moving process much easier by doing as much of these things as you can 3 months to a fortnight before the big day .

Here are the steps you can take in the run up to the house move to make the process easier during moving day.

Declutter, Downsize, DoneDeal and Donate.

First things first. Make sure you’re not taking anything that you don’t need. This is a job you can do even when the move is months away.

As soon as you know a move is imminent don’t waste time in reducing the workload on the big day. Start by reducing the contents of your home in the following way

Go to each room (and its inhabitants) and start decluttering. Remove anything that is no longer needed into the following piles and act on them:

1. Donations of outgrown items that are still in good nick.
2. Items that can be sent for clothes or WEE recycling.
3. Items that can be offloaded into car boot sales or in online marketplaces like DoneDeal.
4. Return any items that have been borrowed and forgotten about to their owners.
5. Broken unwanted Items for the bin.
6. Items for long term storage in another facility if you happen to be moving overseas for a sabbatical or downsizing.

The aim is to make sure that you are left only with the stuff that you want to see in your new abode - make sure you are only packing and taking what you know you will be needing.

Timing is Everything.

Be sure to book time off in advance for the moving day and the week after ideally as you unpack, it is easier to do a little packing every day after work and school in the run up to the big day.

However, you will probably need more downtime and freedom from the work and school commute when unpacking, setting up your bedrooms and kitchen and generally settling in.

School midterms or summer holidays are a perfect time for a house move.

Keep a Running Checklist

You will never remember everything in one sitting. So keep a clipboard handy in the kitchen or the hallway and start filling it up with all the things you’ll need to remember during the house move as it occurs to you.

Here are some of the things you may want to add into the checklist.

Services you need to book.

1. Book a cleaner or clean team to deep clean the house after your big move.
2. Book a babysitter and if necessary a pet carer to free you up on moving day.
3. Start booking in the removals or van company for the moving day itself. Ideally get as much done in one day as possible.
4. If you are renting - be sure to give the Landlord an update of the exact moving dates.

Services you need to inform.

1. If you have children - inform the school/creche of the moving date and the new address.
2. Keep a note of key government sites that will have to be notified of your new address, for example revenue, the municipal authorities or registering to vote.
3. Bank accounts and financial institutions.
4. Home and health Insurance providers.

Services you need to switch.

• Notify the post office of your big switch in address and if possible avail of their forwarding service.
• Notify your home insurance provider of your impending move and get advice on the essential steps, forms and dates that will matter in the switchover.
• Are there regular deliveries or subscriptions that you need to switch or cancel? For example:
• The milkman and regular supermarket or food deliveries.
• The newspaper or magazine subscription.

• When it comes to parking - in an urban home that has no built-in driveway or garage, start doing the applications for necessary street parking permits, suspensions, or dispensations.
• Line up dates and appointments for making your utilities switch. Inform key providers of your new address and pre-book switching any essential accounts where possible. This includes:

1. Electricity.
2. Gas.
3. Broadband.
4. Telephone.
5. TV supplier.
6. The alarm company.

Start Compiling An Essential Documents Box

This is the last box you will take with you and the one that will be next to you in the car for the final journey - have a documents box for the most critical items like passports, birth certs, and insurance policies etc.

If possible scan these and have a backup stored somewhere in the cloud just in case anything gets lost- this is also good practice in general in case there is ever a disaster or fire that annihilates your key documents.

On a lesser level but practical nonetheless…

Have essential numbers in your back pocket.

Take a notebook into your handbag or start an encrypted notes page on your phone where you can store essential numbers like your MRPN number. These are numbers you know you will be calling upon on a regular basis during the house move.

Pack Non-Essential Items.

There is a lot of packing you can do, 2 months to a fortnight before the big move! Do a little bit every day after work or on the weekend in the month leading up to your move.

Some obvious items include:

• Non seasonal clothing, shoes and occasion wear
• Books that have sentimental value but kept mostly for display
• Ornaments or collections of items you may have on display that are merely decorative
• Photographs and wall art should be wrapped carefully
• Vinyl or CDs - leave a handful or rely on Spotify in the meantime
• Gardening tools or hardware that you will not be using in the weeks leading up to the big move

If you already have access to your new home well in advance of moving day, then there is nothing stopping you from doing a few drops every day to ease the pressure.

Stock Up on Essential Packing Supplies.

This means it’s a good idea to start stocking up on packing supplies and even calling around the neighbourhood shops for spare boxes or get in touch with friends.

It might also be worth your while making a big investment in some hardy storage boxes that you can recycle for use in the shed or garage in your new home.

Start stocking up on:

• Masking tape & Packaging tape.
• String - string raffia string and cord will also come in handy.
• Markers.
• Sticky Labels.
• Scissors and Cutters.
• Bubble wrap.
• Industrial cellophane wrap.
• Stackable Clear plastic boxes.
• Vacuum Pack Bags for transporting clothes bedding and soft furnishings .
• Cleaning materials like dusters and cleaning liquids for external and internal cleaning
• A handy trolley for moving boxes and heavy items to the van.
• You’ll need to reach high places so be sure to have a small step ladder handy or stepstool.

Above all, Relax as much as you possibly can and remain Stress Free.