If umpteen studies and reports are to be believed, moving to a new house is going to be stressful at the best of times.
Different seasons prompt more unique challenges though and as today’s title may have already indicated, we’re going to focus on the situation of moving home in autumn.
While this isn’t quite as tricky as winter to comprehend, there are still some extra considerations to think about.
The purpose of today isn’t to give you a general moving guide (Safestore have put together a moving house checklist), but instead provide some key tips that can transform your fortunes if you move during the autumn months.
Here goes.
Consider temporary moving solutions to stay on top of natural daylight
Something that can work against you post-October is the lack of natural daylight.
The clocks start to go back and over time, the amount of natural daylight dwindles and tends to be over by 4pm.
From a moving perspective, this is something that clearly works against you.
The last thing you need is to be lugging around boxes in darkness.
Bearing this in mind, either consider storing your belongings in temporary storage or a friend’s so you can tackle the move gradually, or insist that the transaction is completed in the early morning so you have the best part of the day to complete your move.
Unfortunately, the latter is easier said than done, but if you can get solicitors and a seller to agree to it, it will make your move much easier to handle in lightness.
Stay on top of the central heating
As well as the drop in natural daylight, something else that autumn brings is a drop in temperature.
If the house you are set to move into has been unoccupied for a reasonable amount of time, you’ll notice this as soon as you step through the door.
If the heating hasn’t been on, freezing won’t do the environment justice.
As such, make sure that your building survey picks up the condition of the boiler.
Moving into a property without a functioning boiler, or one that does not heat the water, is not a good start to life in your new home.
This isn’t just about how it feels to live in the property either; unpacking in the cold is nobody’s idea of fun!
Make window dressings a priority
In some ways this next point links to the others we have discussed through today.
With the dark nights drawing in, you’ll start to rely more on window dressings.
The problem for most of us is that we order these when we arrive in the property – causing a lead time of several weeks.
To get around this, arrange a viewing just before you complete your purchase.
Measure your blinds, curtains or shutters and ensure they are installed as quickly as possible.
Immediately, the room will feel cozier – and those autumn blues will be a thing of the past.