Tips for staying safe and healthy when moving

Tips for staying safe and healthy when moving

Moving can put your body under a lot of stress. With tasks like packing, lifting and unpacking, the entire process can be pretty exhausting. If not done in moderation and under the right conditions, these tasks could result in health issues. Besides that, there is still the risk of being exposed to the Coronavirus. Although the virus has been managed since its outbreak, it’s essential to take extra precautions to ensure a safe and healthy move. So, how can you ensure you stay safe and healthy while you move to a new place? Here are some helpful tips.

Illustration of a man in face mask & shield

Assess movers’ COVID-19 protocols

Ask your expert moving company what steps they’re taking to ensure a COVID-19-safe when moving during lockdown. The safety of you and your things is paramount throughout any move, and most reliable movers recognise this. When it comes to your safety and health, though, it’s critical that the moving company you use shows they care.

Illustration of a man asleep in bed

Sleep well enough before move day

While sleep deprivation may result from your decision to move, it should not become a habit since it might impair a person’s ability to focus on the duties at hand. So, if you want your relocation duties to be finished on time and without a hitch, schedule time to sleep regularly. This may provide your body with the energy it requires for tomorrow’s physical activities.

Illustration of 2 removal men carrying a large box

Choose a reliable moving service

While it may appear irrelevant to staying safe and healthy during a move in 2021, choosing a reputable moving company can go a long way toward safeguarding your health. Because relocating during a pandemic might be more dangerous, you’ll need professionals to assist you to stay safe and healthy during the shift. As a result, look for a moving company that follows specific safety recommendations during the relocation. With them by your side, you may rest easy knowing that they’ve taken precautions to safeguard you from COVID-19 infection.

Illustration of a hand and pump bottle of sanitiser

Keep clean and sanitise

As moving may expose you to COVID-19 and other viruses, following the general safety precautions is one method to stay safe and healthy. As a result, if you’re moving, the following guidelines should include wearing a face mask and gloves, avoiding physical touch and keeping a safe distance from other individuals, always keeping your hands sanitised. Avoid touching anything, including surfaces, as these may be covered with viruses as well.

Illustration of a hand cleaning a blue vehicle with a yellow sponge

Ensure COVID-19 protocols

Enquire about your moving company’s sanitary policies. Make sure they’re cleaning and disinfecting vehicles, moving supplies and other equipment; and while you’re at it, make sure you’re keeping yourself clean as well. Buying new moving boxes rather than reusing old ones will assist in reducing the spread of the virus.

Illustration of stacks of cardboard boxes

Unpack and sanitise

When it comes time to unpack, use the same caution you used when packing. Before unpacking, thoroughly sanitise your home and disinfect items as you remove them from boxes and put them in place in your new home. As an added precaution, gloves can be worn.

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How to ensure moving home is stress-free and organised

How to ensure moving home is stress-free and organised

Moving house is something that people look forward to and dread all at the same time. There’s the excitement that goes along with a new home, but then reality hits and you realise you have a lot of packing, organising and moving in your future. This can create quite a bit of stress and turn what should be a positive situation into a negative one. To help ensure this isn’t an issue, we’ve got many essential moving house tips that will eliminate the stress.

cardboard boxes, tape and scissors

Start the process as early as possible

One of the best pieces of advice to follow is to start the process early. Ideally, you want to start organising the moment you know you’re going to be moving. Tackling a little bit each day is much more accessible and stress-free than leaving it all until the last minute. Taking your time also ensures you don’t miss anything, you pack things properly and safely, and it’s done logically rather than thrown together at the eleventh hour.

Plastic box with items for donation

Do a declutter before packing

Chances are you’ll have items you don’t want or need in your new place – so why take the time to pack these items, move them and then unpack them at the other end? Experts suggest doing a massive full-house declutter before you even start on the packing. You can put things into three piles – keep, donate/give away and rubbish.

Cardboard box with 'bedroom' label

Label all your boxes – small and large

The next tip is to make sure you’re labelling every box no matter how big or small it is. This will make the process of unloading the moving van and unpacking so much smoother. You may find it helpful to invest in a label maker for this process, as it will be well worth it.

Cardboard box and red tape dispenser

Have all your packing supplies to hand

You’ll also need a selection of packing supplies, so it’s best to get these in advance. These include cardboard boxes/crates of various sizes, bubble wrap, packing tape and marker pen. Stored them all together to save yourself from having to hunt around for them.

Two men in a white moving van

Hire a removals company

There’s the ultimate stress-free tip and that is to leave all of the hard work to someone else – in this case, a professional house removal service. These companies ensure that your move day is organised, on time and without issue. Depending on the company you choose, their services will differ; however, if you want the full-service experience, look for one that can do both the packing and the moving. For example, G W Twilley and Son Removals prides itself on ensuring your move happens seamlessly. You can talk to them about what you need, fill in a survey and then get a quote on the exact services required. They go over all the details of the moving day beforehand so that you aren’t left feeling frazzled and stressed.

The fact is, moving doesn’t have to be a big stressful event. When you take the time to properly organise and plan out the day, it can be filled with positive energy and excitement. It’s the perfect way to usher in this new stage of your life.

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How to move your plants when you move home

How to move your plants when you move home

Moving home can be one of life’s most stressful activities. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be that way. If you plan ahead effectively, your move will be exciting rather than stressful. Part of this involves ensuring that your most cherished possessions arrive safely. For many people, that includes their plants. Here are some tips to help move your plants to their new location successfully.

Moving boxes and plant in a kitchen

Get packing in good time

Even if you have the budget for professional removers, it can be more useful to use mobile storage solutions like https://www.mobistorage.com.au/moving-house/perth/. The benefit of this is that it allows you to pack your belongings yourself at your own pace. This allows you to declutter as you go rather than leaving it to the last minute.

Taking the pain out of the main household move will give you more time and energy (and money) to organise the removal of your more precious items. As a rule of thumb, pets and any very personal items should generally travel with you. Plants may go in your car (or on public transport). You might, however, want to arrange alternative transport for them.

Taking cuttings from a favourite plant

Moving garden plants

Before you move outdoor garden plants, make sure that you legally can. If you’ve sold a home with a garden then the garden plants may be considered to be a part of that sale unless you clearly specify otherwise. If you’re a tenant, then the plants will probably belong to your landlord unless you planted them yourself. Taking seeds or cuttings is often a better option.

You’ll also need to consider the practicalities of finding a new home for your garden plants. Even if your new garden or allotment is geographically close to your old one, the conditions may be significantly different. For example, the soil may be more acid or alkaline, there may be a different balance of openness and shelter and/or of light and shade.

If, however, you’re confident that you can take at least some of your garden plants with you and give them a happy new home, it’s generally possible to move them. Prune them back as hard as possible ahead of your moving day. Then uproot them as close as possible to your moving day. Try to dig when the soil is warm rather than cold or hot. Leave plenty of room for the roots. All these steps will minimise trauma to the plants.

House plants in a cardboard box on a checkerboard floor

Pack and load your plants for stability

Once you have all your plants gathered together, you need to pack them for stability. For example, tie branches together and add canes for support. Consider adding weights to pots. Try to pack smaller pots in trays with lips so the pots support each other. Keep the weight balanced across the tray.

When you load your plants, keep stability in mind. If you have a lot of plants, using a van can be far easier than using a car. Whatever transport you use, make sure that larger plants (and their pots) are going to stay put and not crush smaller ones.

If you’re going any more than a very short distance, give your plants a good drink before you leave. In fact, if you’re going a long distance in hot weather, you may need to rehydrate them periodically during your trip.

House plants arrived in their new home

Making your plants feel at home

Check your plants thoroughly for transport damage and if you find any deal with it promptly. Replant garden plants as quickly as you can and water them in thoroughly.

Try to give all your plants the same conditions they had in your old home. Container plants will generally adapt easily, garden plants will often need more attention. In particular, they’ll probably need extra water and possibly food until their roots are completely back to normal.

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Signs that it’s time for you to move house

Signs that it's time for you to move housecredit

If you’re not one of those people who love to move, then you may wonder if the home you’re in now is going to be the one you stay in forever. This is understandable, but sometimes there are clear signs that you need to move house and, if you’re not careful, you may end up missing them entirely. If you want to find out more, the only thing you need to do is take a look below.

Illustration of man holding a for sale sign outside a house

The market says so

Every single newspaper you pick up will be telling you that it’s a seller’s market. You may even see that estate agents are talking about it and this can make you wonder if it’s possible to make a profit. Either way, if the market is signalling that it is time for you to sell, then this is something that you should be taking notice of. That being said, just because the market indicates that it is time for you to move house, doesn’t mean that you should.  You need to make sure that you’re personally ready to take that next step.

Illustration of a man looking through binoculars

You’re taking note of prices

If you see that a house on your street has just gone on the market for an unbelievable price, then this may get you thinking. Nothing will get you more excited than knowing that a neighbouring property has won the game on the property market. Be careful of the hype though, even though your property may be on the same street, there may well be other factors influencing the value. You need to do your bit to seek professional advice and you also need to be prepared for carrying out another valuation. This will ensure that you’re making the most from your sale and it will also help you to get a better idea of what you could achieve.

Illustration of two people exchanging a house for a bag of cash

You’re stretching financially

It’s very rare that you’ll find yourself financially stable for years on end. After all, circumstances change; whether it’s that you change jobs or whether you have kids. Either way, there’s a chance that you may even be looking to enhance your lifestyle or that you need a bit of money with which to play around. If this is the case, then moving home could be a good way for you to move up in the world. If you have a worsening financial situation, then moving home could also be a good way for you to try and free up some tied up money. If you intend on saving, look up the best choice for storage so you can get your furniture out of the way, so you can stage your home properly in preparation for putting it on the market.

Illustration of a couple with a baby moving house

Your family has grown

You may well have started your home, thinking that it was going to be for you and your partner. Now, however, things have changed. It may be that you have a baby on the way or that your home is too small for your little ones. Either way, the reality may hit that you’ve expanded but your home hasn’t. If this is the case, then this would indicate that you need to make a change… and quickly. Needing more space is one of the main reasons why people try and move house, so keep that in mind.

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