Preparing to move? Top tips to make moving day as stress-free as possible

Moving home marks a fresh start. Leaving one home closes a chapter in a person’s, couple’s or family’s life and signifies the beginning of their next one in a new house.

As home movers reach record high figures, many people will understandably be looking at ways to help minimise the stresses of moving house. Whether this is your first or fourth move, the moving process will only slightly get easier.

If you’re preparing to move, here are some of our top tips to help make moving day as stress-free as possible.

Create a plan for moving

If you have a date set for when you are moving house, start to put a plan together for moving house. Included in this plan can be a timeline between the day a moving date was confirmed to the evening of the moving day. These could consist of when items should be packed if a removals company is needed, how many trips between properties will need to be made and who will clean the old property.

Of course, moving day is unlikely to run exactly as planned. The plan you have created is to help you organise some of the biggest tasks of moving home, for example, packing all of your belongings and organising a removal company. If you have a plan in place, it can help to keep you on track and avoid not completing essential tasks.

Begin packing early

After devising a plan for moving, starting packing early should be one of the first tasks to start. Depending on when you are planning to move will influence what items you choose to pack. The best way to pack is by starting with the items or rooms you use the least. These could be household items you will unlikely need between now and when you move. It could be seasonal decorations or sporting equipment you have not used for some time.

Putting away these items early helps reduce the amount that needs packing in the days leading up to moving day. As the day gets closer, you can gradually pack away all your other household belongings. The last remaining items to be dealt with can be the belongings you’ll most likely need the day before or on the day of moving.

Another thing to help ease the stress of moving is clearly labelling each box. Write what items are inside the box and the room in which they should be placed. This approach allows the removal team or those helping you move to know where to put each box. For you, labelling what each box contains can help to save you time searching through multiple boxes for the items you need.

Invest in professional clearance services

One of the most time-consuming tasks of the house moving process is packing away all of your belongings. After you’ve packed away all your belongings and sent them to their new home, the next stage is removing and clearing the house of all items that will not be coming with you to the new property. This process is necessary but can take a significant amount oftime, especially in areas cluttered with unwanted items.

Look at enlisting the services of JS Removals as they can help with house clearance. Their expert team can go to the property you are moving out of and clear it completely, even removing the carpets if you wish.

Investing in this type of service can be ideal if you’re very limited on time. Having a professional clearance service come in and handle clearing and removing items from your home can save you a significant amount of time. Time that can be spent focusing on other aspects of the house moving process.

Book in advance

If you feel a weekend isn’t long enough to move house and get settled, consider taking a little time off work. This may be a couple of days in the week or booking a week off entirely, depending on what availability and flexibility you may have. Organising your time off work in advance could help you avoid disappointment over not getting the dates you need. This could be because too many people are already away or it’s too short notice. Additionally, scheduling a leave of absence ahead of time provides you with peace of mind that you have ample days to unpack and settle into your new home.

Aside from arranging time off work, booking a removals company should also be organised well in advance. Removal companies can sometimes be challenging to secure. Weekends and bank holidays will be busy periods as they’re ideal times for people to move. It means that they don’t have to book time off work. Book them as soon as you know the date to ensure that you get the removals company you want. It can help to give you a better chance of booking the removal companies on the dates for which you need them.

Time to move

When moving day finally arrives, the plans and preparation you’ve put in place will have been worthwhile. You may notice some things run relatively smoothly. Of course, there might be a few unforeseen hiccups, but hopefully, nothing that impacts the day entirely. If there are delays in removal companies arriving or loved ones coming to help, these are issues that are out of your control.

Before you move into your new home, pack a weekend bag. This could include toiletries, medication, sleepwear, clothes and other essentials you will need readily available. Having this on hand can help save you time searching through your packed belongings. You can pack them in a suitcase or a large gym bag, anything that will fit all items to which you want easy access.

Keep some of these tips in mind to help make your moving day as stress-free as possible. You will appreciate the little stress you experience on moving day.

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Auction Alert: Sale of 20th Century Art to be held at Prior Park, Bath

Wotton Auction Rooms will be running a Sale of 20^th Century Art at the National Trust property, Prior Park, Bath.

272 lots will be coming under the hammer on Friday 22^nd July 2022, from 12pm. Artists represented include some of our old favourites such as Paul Peter Piech and David Gentleman – the latter well known for his postage stamp designs. In addition, we’ve been introduced to a few new artists that we’d like to find out more about; William Scott CBE, Anita Klein and Bernard Cheese amongst others.

If you register on the Wotton Auction Rooms website, you can leave auto and absentee bids. There’s a buyer’s premium of 21.6% and, if bidding via their website, an additional premium of 3.6% (plus VAT) will be levied.

Alternatively, you can bid live via the EasyLiveAuction website for a £3.00 flat fee or 3% of the final hammer price. The buyer’s premium still stands.

Unfortunately, the auction house doesn’t offer a packaging and posting service, so you’ll have to organise your own if you’re unable to collect in person.

Lot 24: WILLIAM SCOTT C.B.E., R.A. (1913-1989) ‘STILL LIFE WITH FRYING PAN AND EGGS’
Screenprint in colours on wove paper, signed, dated and numbered in pencil, printed by Kelpra Studio, published by CCA Galleries, London, with their blindstamp. 91/250. 67cm x 88cm.
Estimate: £3,000 – £5,000

Lot 33: EDWARD BAWDEN C.B.E., R.A. (1903-1989) ‘BOROUGH MARKET’
Lithograph in colour, artist’s proof, signed, titled and numbered in pencil, A/P. 2. 50.5cm x 65cm.
Estimate: £1,000 – £1,500

Lot 46: ROBERT TAVENER (1920-2004) ‘PIERHEAD’ (NO.3)
Linocut in colours. signed, titled, numbered and dated 1966, in pencil to margin. 16/30. 67.5 x 54cm.
Estimate: £200 – £300

Lot 60: BRIDGET RILEY CH, CBE (b.1931) POSTER POEM ‘DESCENDING’ 1968
Screenprint, from the edition of an unknown size, unsigned, probably published by Editions Alecto. 64cm x 65.5cm.
Estimate: £500 – £800

Lot 76: ANITA KLEIN (b.1960) ‘NIGE & THE NECKLACE’
Etching, signed, numbered and dated 2002 in pencil to margin. 21/100. 12cm x 14cm.
Estimate: £100 – £200

Lot 87: BEN NICHOLSON O.M. (1894-1982) ‘SMALL STILL LIFE’ 1966
Etching, signed, numbered and dated in pencil – annotations to verso “Small Still Life, 1966 Ben Nicholson”. 10/25. Lafrance blindstamp. 32cm x 31cm.
Estimate: £800 – £1,200

Lot 114: JOHN PIPER C.H. (1903-1992) ‘NORTH GRIMSTONE’ YORKSHIRE
(Levinson 128) lithographs in colour, signed and numbered in pencil to margin. 61/70. 82cm x 59cm.
Estimate: £300 – £500

Lot 128: DAME ELIZABETH BLACKADDER O.B.E., R.S.A., R.S.W., R.G.I., D.LITT (1931-2021) ‘STAITHES’
Lithograph in colour, signed, titled and dated 1963 in pencil to margin. Inscribed “407” in pencil, Curwen Chilford Studios blindstamp. 57cm x 80cm.
Estimate: £300 – £500

Lot 162: SIR PETER BLAKE C.B.E., R.D.I., R.A. (b.1932) ‘I LOVE VINTAGE’
Digital tin plate print, unnumbered limited edition of 2,500. Published by Creatively Recycled Empire and printed by Impress Group, with certificate and papers. 22cm x 17cm.
Estimate: £150 – £250

Lot 169: PAUL PETER PIECH (1920-1996) ‘JAZZ’
‘Evolved in part from spirituals, sung by slaves, jazz is the only true American music form, It was created by blacks for blacks’. Linocut in colours, signed, numbered and dated 1995 in pencil. 1/25. 64cm x 45cm.
Estimate: £200 – £300

Lot 174: BERNARD CHEESE (1925-2013) ‘RING OF TREES’
Lithograph in colours, artist’s proof III, signed, titled and dated 1965 in pencil. 79cm x 59cm.
Estimate: £200 – £300

Lot 202: BARBARA VINCENT (20TH CENTURY CONTEMPORARY) ‘FRIESON COWS’
Linocut in colours, signed, titled and numbered in pencil. 6/9. 32.5cm x 38.5cm.
Estimate: £100 – £200

Lot 218: DAVID GENTLEMAN (b.1930) ‘CURLEW STREET, LONDON’
Lithograph in colours, signed and numbered in pencil. 112/195. Blindstamp lower right. 61cm x 51cm.
Estimate: £100 – £200

Lot 234: ERIC RAVILIOUS (1903-1942) ‘GARDEN MEMORIES’
Wood engraving, signed with initials ‘AU’ for Anne Ullman (the artist’s daughter) and numbered in pencil. 100/200. An illustration for Thomas Hennell’s ‘Poems’ 1936.
Estimate: £150 – £250

How to build a summer house on a budget

Garden buildings are a long-standing tradition in the UK. Essentially, the relaxation and unwinding value they bring makes them sough-after. You can erect your summer house in your garden on your own with just a little help and a bit of advice on how to do it for less. The good thing is it’s entirely possible, whether you’re well-versed with building one or not. This post outlines some of the steps on how to build a summer house on a budget.

The preliminaries of building a summer house

Before building your summer house, you need to think carefully about a few essential aspects to make the process seamless and more organised. Summer house lighting ideas need to be spot on, and the choice of the material needs to be less costly, working on a budget. Therefore, ensure that the following points check out.

The size and dimensions of the summer house – determine the square footage of the summer house, judging by the available budget and the cost of materials. Most budget-friendly summer houses Essex zone are tiny and stand on even slopes. However, don’t compromise on material quality to fit your budget because that can prove costly in the long run.

Determining the materials to use – You’ll primarily use timber, so you should get the best quality but fit for your budget. Otherwise, you can cut costs by going for flat or gable roofs and foundation or wood. Ground screw bases can work fine, but you need a proper budget.

The legal requirements for building summer houses – most summer houses in the Essex region have to meet a few restrictions. They must be single-story with a roof height of not more than 2.5 metres.

You’d also need the right building tools, including but not limited to:

Handsaws
Electric drill and enough screws
Insulation
Tape measure
Pressure wood treatments
Foundation slabs and wood
concrete

Building the summer house: step-by-step process

Building your summer house can be hectic but fun and engaging. Here are the steps for building one on a budget.

Step 1: Building the base

If the area is sloped, you can level it before taking the measurements. Also, consider the drainage, ensuring that water doesn’t puddle. Then, lay the foundation wood planks to cover the base. Ensure they form a perfect square or rectangle and are secure with 45º braces. You can also treat the base with pressure wood treatments for preservation.

Step 2: Attach the beams and spars

Attach the front and back spars once the foundation is screwed and in place. Check the lengths, ensuring that they are much for both sides.

Tip! Keep the studs about 20-25 cm apart, but not too close together to save on costs. However, ensure that they face each other right on from both sides.

Step 3: Create the door and window frames

Since you have your measurements determined before commencing the construction, building the windows and door frame should be a breeze.

Step 4: Patch the roof together and attach it

Always ensure that the foundation has a similar surface area and frame to the roof. The simplest and most cost-effective version should be the flat roof, but you can work with whichever suits you – building your roof from the ground is much easier since you’ll only have to attach and secure it.

Step 5: Add some roof tiles and finish up

Once the roof is in position, you can add the roof tiles, paint it and decorate as you please. The summer house will then be ready for occupancy and leisure.

Conclusion

Building a summer house is pretty straightforward and possible on a budget. If you can work with less costly materials and use simple construction methods, you’re bound to spend less money than anticipated. Hopefully, this article has helped you out.

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Taking good care of your home tech

We’re living in a technological age where most of us have access to at least one device that we use on a regular basis. This is likely a smart phone, but many of us also have tablets, laptops, computers, gaming devices and more. Of course, these things don’t come cheap. Our tech tends to come with a high price tag in exchange for the great value that they bring to our lives. Therefore, it’s important that you take good care of your home tech at all times. This can maintain its value, boost its longevity and generally maintain it as best as possible. Here are some top tips that will help you to achieve this!

Take out insurance

The first thing you should do when you get your hands on any tech is to make sure that it’s insured. These are pricey items and can be costly to repair or replace should you lose or damage them, or if they were to be stolen. There are plenty of different plans out there that are specially designed for different items, ranging from smart phone insurance to general gadget insurance. Browse different options and find a policy that ticks all of your boxes. Make sure that it covers the full value of your phone and protects against any scenario you may foresee. You can then take time to compare policies and different providers to get the lowest price possible. If you’re set on a specific provider, you could even consider asking them to price match a lower cost competitor.

Update the software

If you’re unfamiliar with the term “software”, it’s good to know that software is a set of instructions, data or programs on any piece of tech that helps it to operate and for you to do what you need to do on it. For example, software on a phone could include call systems, text message systems, apps and more. Put simply, the software on your phone will tell it how to work to ensure that you get good use out of it. Of course, developers are consistently working on software to make it better in a number of ways. This could include adding more features, improving usability, making the software more accessible or simply increasing security to prevent cyber crime wherever possible. As you can imagine, it’s important to keep up with software updates that will help you to experience all of these things. All too many of us press “remind me later” or other options that postpone software updates when they’re suggested to us. This is because we’re usually using the tech in question when it comes to the time to update software. But it’s really important that you take the time to accept software updates and to allow them to install on your phone, so you don’t miss out on the perks. Take some time to accept all software updates and experience the benefits on all of your devices. You could also take time to clear old information and data, by learning how to clean my drive.

Clean the hardware

The hardware of your tech is any element of the device that you can touch. It’s the smart phone itself – the screen, buttons, charger and more. It’s your tablet itself. It’s your laptop itself. As you can imagine, these items grow dirty with repeated use. Even if you think your hands are clean, they tend to harbour grease, dirt, germs and bacteria. Phones, tablets and laptops left on work surfaces can accumulate dust. You may get crumbs on them if eating while using them. They might get splashed by drinks. The list goes on. It’s important to clean your hardware on a regular basis to ensure that you’re getting the most from it.

Cleaning your hardware will not only make your devices more presentable and nicer to use, but it can help to extend their life too. Dirt and grime can cause problems such as keys sticking or build up inside the device, which will be much harder to clean down the line. There are plenty of kits out there that are specially designed for use on tech devices, such as screen wipes and small vacuum cleaners that can pull crumbs, dust and debris from hard to reach spaces such as between keyboard keys.

Tech is an integral part of our lives nowadays, so make sure you take the time and effort to take care of yours as well as possible. This is simple, straightforward and will really pay off in the long run!

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