Experts agree that moving house can be one of the most stressful times in one’s life! up there with the loss of a loved one or losing a job. Whether it is downsizing, moving house or de-cluttering your property, we will be writing a series offering tips and tricks to assist you along the way and hope they help.

Estate Matters has been in business for five years, and our team has assisted numerous clients in Canterbury to downsize, de-clutter and move houses. We are happy to share our stories and advice.

The key is planning, and our mantra is “Proper Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance”—the six Ps.

It can be daunting and overwhelming when moving and clients have said on many occasions “I don’t know where to start”. If you are moving from a family home with a garage, a garden shed, with outdoor furniture to a smaller dwelling, e.g. a two-bedroom unit. It is unreasonable to think “I can take all of my contents with me”. Of course, you can; however, all of your furniture and contents will not fit into your new house, and you will have boxes piled high. It will also add considerable cost ( in monetary or hours) to your eventual move.

Planning is the key. We recommend that you purchase an exercise book to write down your “to-do list” write up your plans, have the telephone numbers of your key people; friends, movers, lawyer, bank, insurance company, telephone and power company. All of your move information will be safely stored in one place, and you will have easy access to the information.

It is an excellent idea to take measurements of your new dwelling and to draw a floor and wall space plan. Your plan should include windows, distance from the floor to the bottom of the windows, as you may have a dresser with a large mirror, which may impede the window area. The plan should also include door space and storage. Does the dwelling offer pantry space? How many cupboards are there? What space is there in the wardrobe? Could you maximise the wardrobe space with added shelving? How much wall space does the dwelling offer? How much art do I have? Will it fit?. Television outlets? How may does your new home have? How many televisions do you currently own? Take your floor and wall plan and take a look at the furniture you have, and take measurements, can it be placed in my new dwelling. After some calculation, you will have a clear idea of what will fit in your new home.

In the next blog, we will give tips and tricks for dealing with “what do I do with all the stuff before I move?”.

Watch this space