Complete Moving Guide: Tips, Tricks, and Services for a Smooth Transition

You’ve decided to move? Whether it’s for professional, family, or personal reasons, moving is a significant milestone in life. However, it involves many changes and numerous steps to be taken. To help you in this adventure, we have designed this complete moving guide. Here, you’ll find practical advice, packing tips, and professional services to facilitate your transition with peace of mind. A successful move requires thorough preparation and organisation. In fact, several obstacles need to be anticipated before settling into your new home.

Preliminary Steps of Moving

Before you dive in, there are some preliminary steps to take to prepare and organise your project effectively. The steps outlined in this moving guide will save you time, money, and stress.

A. Planning and Organization Before Moving

Planning and organisation are key in this moving guide. You must anticipate needs, deadlines, tasks, and unforeseen circumstances. To do this, we recommend creating a schedule and a task list. Identify the major steps of the move, deadlines to meet, tasks to complete, and people to contact. You can use a moving checklist, available in PDF or Excel format, which will serve as your guide throughout the process.

B. Assessing Needs and Choosing Services

Assessing needs and choosing services are important to tailor your move to your budget, volume, and constraints. To do this, this moving guide advises you to:

• Estimate the volume to be moved.
• Select suitable moving services.

C. Informing Relevant Organisations and Individuals

This is an essential step to avoid administrative, tax, or contractual issues related to your change of address. For this, we recommend:

• Completing the change of address and administrative formalities.
• Notifying subscriptions and important contacts.

Packing and Preparing Belongings Before Moving

Once you have planned and organised your move, it’s time to pack and prepare your belongings. This moving guide will show you how to protect your possessions and facilitate their transport. Here are some tips for packing and preparing your belongings properly.

A. Preparation of Boxes and Supplies

Preparing boxes and supplies is the first step in packing. You should choose sturdy, new moving boxes suitable for the size, weight, and fragility of your belongings, as well as high-quality packing materials to protect them. For this, we recommend:

• Choosing sturdy, resistant, and new moving boxes.
• Opting for standard-sized boxes that are easier to stack and store in the truck.
• Selecting appropriate packing materials for your belongings.
• Using quality adhesive tape to seal your boxes.

B. Organization and Labelling

Organisation and labelling are essential for easy unpacking and organising in your new home. You need to categorise your belongings by room, category, or priority, and clearly indicate the content and destination of each box. For this, we recommend:

• Methods for organising boxes.
• Methods for labelling boxes.

C. Protection of Fragile Items

Protecting fragile items is essential to prevent breakage or damage during transport. Carefully wrap fragile objects with suitable materials and place them in reinforced or special boxes.

• Individually wrap each fragile item with bubble wrap, kraft paper, or newspaper.
• Place fragile items in reinforced or special boxes, such as dish boxes or wooden crates.

Successful Moving: Knowing How to Manage Logistics and Transportation

After packing and preparing your belongings, you need to transport them to your new home. This step requires effective logistical management and a wise choice of transportation mode. Here’s what the moving guide advises for efficiently managing the logistics and transportation of your move.

A. Rental of Vehicle or Moving Services

Renting a vehicle or using moving services are two possible options for transporting your belongings. Each has its advantages and disadvantages, depending on your budget, volume, and availability. To do this, compare between renting a truck and using moving services, considering the following criteria:

Renting a truck allows you to be more independent, choose your moving date and time, and reduce costs. However, it requires more effort, time, and responsibilities. You will need to drive the truck, load and unload your belongings, provide fuel and vehicle insurance, and follow traffic rules.
Moving services provide professional assistance, save you time, and offer peace of mind. You won’t have to worry about transport, loading, or unloading of your belongings. However, they are more expensive, less flexible, and less personalised. You will need to adapt to the movers’ availability, abide by the contract terms, and trust third parties to handle your belongings.

B. Loading and Unloading Organisation

Loading and unloading organisation is crucial to optimise space in the truck, prevent damage during transport, and facilitate unpacking in your new home. However, certain rules and tips must be followed to load and unload your belongings efficiently and safely. For this, the moving guide advises you to:

Tips for efficient loading: Distribute the weight of boxes and furniture evenly in the truck. This involves placing heavy items at the bottom and centre, light items on top and on the sides, and fragile items last. Use straps or blankets to secure boxes and furniture to prevent them from shifting or tipping during transport. Make sure the truck’s rear door is securely closed and locked.
Tips for safe unloading: Unload boxes and furniture with care, starting with fragile items, followed by light items, and then heavy items. Use suitable equipment to handle bulky or oversized items, such as a dolly or trolley. Follow the labelling instructions on the boxes to place them in the correct room of your new home.

C. Additional Services

Additional services are extra options that can ease your move. They can involve transport, storage, or handling of your belongings. For this, we recommend renting:

• A furniture elevator: This device allows you to transport your furniture or bulky items through windows or balconies. It’s useful if you’re moving to a building without an elevator or with difficult access.
• Storage units: These are secure spaces where you can temporarily store your belongings if you don’t have access to your new home yet or if you don’t have enough space to take everything with you. They are useful for long-distance moves or when doing renovations in your new home.
• Other useful services: There are other services that can make your move easier, such as cleaning your old or new home, disassembling or assembling furniture, renting moving equipment, and more.

If you want to take advantage of these additional services, we recommend contacting us, Helvetia Services. We specialise in moving and offer solutions tailored to your needs and constraints. We also offer the option to rent a furniture elevator, storage units, or any other useful service for your move. Moreover, our service is of high quality and guarantees personalised support.

Settling into Your New Home After Moving

Once you have transported your belongings to your new home, it’s time to move on to the next step in the moving guide: unpacking and organising your belongings. This is the final step of the move, but it can be lengthy and tedious. Here are some tips to help you settle into your new home.

A. Unpacking and Assembling Furniture

Unpacking and assembling furniture requires method and patience. You should unpack your boxes and furniture carefully and assemble them correctly. To do this, use the following methods:

Methods for unpacking furniture: Open boxes and packaging with a cutter or scissors, being careful not to damage the furniture. Check the condition of the furniture and report any anomalies or damage to the mover or the landlord. Also, retrieve screws, nails, or spare parts that may be stored in bags or boxes.
Methods for assembling furniture: Follow the assembly instructions for the furniture, using the appropriate tools (screwdriver, hammer, wrench, etc.). Follow the order of steps and ensure that the furniture is stable and sturdy. Seek help if needed to handle heavy or bulky furniture.

B. Storage and Arrangement

Storage and arrangement require creativity and organisation. You should store your belongings in closets, shelves, or drawers and arrange your space according to your tastes and needs. For this, we recommend:

• Tips for efficient storage: Sort your belongings by category (clothes, books, dishes, etc.) and store them in labelled boxes or baskets. Optimise available space by using smart storage solutions (under the bed, behind the door, etc.). Get rid of unnecessary or bulky items by giving them away or selling them.
• Tips for optimal organisation: Place your belongings according to their frequency of use (most used items within easy reach, less used items higher up or in the back) and their function (items related to the same activity grouped together). Maintain visual harmony by choosing matching colours or patterns.

C. Final Steps

Final steps require rigour and vigilance. You should update your subscriptions, read your meters, and complete other tasks related to your move.

• Update subscriptions: Subscribe or cancel contracts for energy (electricity, gas, water), telecommunication (internet, phone, television), insurance (home, car), or other services (press, leisure) as needed. Ensure you have the appropriate rates for your new home and consumption.
  Record the readings of your electricity, gas, and water metres when you arrive at your new home. Provide them to your respective suppliers. This will help you avoid billing errors or disputes with the previous owner.
• Other final tasks: These may include redirecting your mail, changing your vehicle registration, registering on the electoral roll, updating your health insurance card or ID card, and more.
  To benefit from our services, simply fill out the quote request form. You will receive a personalised and non-binding offer tailored to your budget and project. Don’t wait any longer; contact us today and enjoy a fresh start.