It takes Brits’ over three-months (14-weeks) to unpack and settle into a new home or flat after moving.
New research of 2,000 UK adults by leading UK home builder, Redrow reveals the key to a successful move comes down to organising the kitchen first, this includes deciding where things should live in your kitchen (24%), labelling everything up correctly (16%) and having essentials like tea bags, mugs and the kettle in reaching distance.
In order to speed up the settling in process, the best way to make a new space feel like home is ensuring all reminders of the move, like belongings being left in boxes are out of sight and put away in their right place.
To help the nation master the perfect unpack, Redrow has teamed up with organisation expert and author Vicky Silverthorn to reveal how to best organise the nations homes, after moving.
Vicky says: “Moving home is the perfect opportunity to declutter, ridding yourself of unwanted items including clothes, furniture, and utensils. The most common mistakes people make when moving is buying too much storage – specifically smaller items like aesthetic jars for the kitchen or organisation dividers for drawers and wardrobes. Hold off, until you have unpacked properly, so you can measure up what is needed and order more methodically.
“Everyone knows the kitchen is the heart of the home but, organising it in an efficient way can leave people feeling overwhelmed and stressed. Consider areas which help maximise the space and cut down on your steps around the kitchen to find what you need. You should organise your kitchen based on how you use it, and that might mean the placement of your spices and herbs is more important than fancy gadgets.”
Vicky’s top unpack hacks are:
1. CREATE A MOVING FOLDER EITHER DIGITALLY OR PHYSICALLY
Whether it’s a physical or digital folder, having everything (important documents, telephone numbers and dates) in one place will be helpful in making the move as smooth as possible.
2. DECLUTTER IN THE LEAD UP TO YOUR MOVE
Save time by not packing and then having to unpack items you no longer need or want. Use this step as a chance to declutter before you move. Unwanted items can either be sold online, at a boot sale or donated to a charity shop. It’s a great opportunity to start fresh.
3. LABEL PROPERLY AND DON’T OVERPACK
Label boxes with detail, rather than just writing ‘Kitchen’ or ‘Bedroom’ on a box. Be just a little more specific with what’s in the box or use a colour coding system – stickers and colours for each room. Often people underestimate how heavy boxes can get, some removals companies may not move boxes that are too heavy.
4. PRIORITISE HOME COMFORTS
Think about what will instantly make your house feel like a home. In terms of what you’ll need immediately on the day, make up a home comforts box or bag full of essentials and little luxuries, including kettle, mugs, tea/coffee, cutlery, family photos and a candle!
5. CHANGE OF ADDRESSES
As soon as you know you are moving start making a list of addresses you will need to change. As post arrives, update your list accordingly.
Alysha Alli, Redrow’s interior expert said: “There’s no better feeling than unpacking all your boxes when you move into a new home – especially if you’re moving just before Christmas. As more people make their kitchen space a social one, we’re seeing a rise in requests for storage spaces away from the main kitchen area. Redrow homebuyers have a world of choice when it comes to designing their homes and tailoring this space to suit their exact needs. In fact, many of our homes now feature a dedicated pantry for all the ideal organised storage you could ever need!"
