5 Moving House Tips

People say that moving house is one of the most stressful things you will ever do - And they aren't wrong.

Moving into our first proper home (a two bed flat) was easy-peasy - We'd gone from a rented apartment where most of the contents were provided, into a blank canvas.

But, if you're anything like me, you might find it very easy to... Accumulate things. Maybe your vice is ornaments or candles, maybe it's cushions. Personally mine is, well, just everything homeware, which at the time seems perfectly logical. It's pretty. It fits in your home. Your style changes and your possessions grow with your home. And then suddenly the time comes to box it all up and pop it somewhere new, and WOW you seem to have bought a lot of things!

So now that we've succesfully gone through two big moves, I thought I'd share a few pointers for moving house, from choosing the removal companies to the unpacking once you're in!

1. Shop around for a removal company

This tip had to come first. I know it seems obvious, but you'd be surprised at how many people just go with the first removal company they see, or the ones with the most online presence. Removal companies hold so much power as they can really make or break your move. These are some of the key things we thought about:

- Level of service. Do you need them to pack your things for you or could you manage that yourselves? Some companies provide packing boxes - work out whether you need these or not. Make these decisions early on, and then start hunting around.

- Details, details. Removal companies will need to know where you're moving to, the size of your home, and a date on which you will be moving. You really need to get this date pencilled in with your removers as soon as you have it - The last thing you want is to be left in the lurch on the day.

- Shop around. We contacted four independent removal guys, each of whom came to scope out our apartment before giving us a quote. It's very important to shop around, in order to gauge an 'average' cost of the move and to know that you're not being ripped off! Don't just go with the cheapest quote - Make sure you have gained a full picture of the work you are agreeing to and if possible, some past jobs the company have done (see reviews on websites etc). You could also ask friends and family if they would recommend a company they have used, for added peace of mind. Once booked, ensure that you have all of the contact details for the company for any emergency updates, and you're set.

2. Start early

You might think you can't begin packing until you've been given a moving date, but why not start sooner? We started packing non-essential items such as things that were up in the loft, and clothes we didn't wear often. We did a few boxes every weekend, and before we knew it we were almost done. When we were given our final date, all we had to do was the last couple of boxes. It made it seem like so much less daunting than trying to do it all a few weeks before moving day.

3. Label it up

One of the things we found most helpful after the move was the way we had labelled the moving boxes. I used a template I found on The Project Girl which were really easy to use and made unpacking easier. When the removal men came to pick up the boxes, they could easily see which box was destined for which room, and on the blank lines we wrote exactly what was in the box, so we could lay a hand on anything we needed. Have lots of marker pens ready for anyone helping you pack, so they can help you label as you go. Trust me, this is one of the best things you'll do!

4. Pack a 'first night' box.

This is a tip you've probably seen mentioned before, and with good reason. This should be the last box that gets put onto the van, and the first one to come out and be immediately unpacked.
Handy items for this box are:
- Kettle, coffee, tea, milk (this one is especially important - to keep the removal men happy!)
- A few mugs and glasses
- Cleaning products
- Accessories for any pets or kiddies that will need feeding that evening
- Towels & toiletries
- Bedding (make up your duvet and pillow before you go, so that when you get to the new house you    can build your bed and just jump on in!
- Paracetamol for achy heads and backs
- A bottle of champagne, to crack open when you finally shut the door on the removal men!
- A radio or speakers for ipod/iphone, to make the move a bit less stressful!
- Pyjamas
- A change of clothes for the next day
You'll be so glad you did this one at the end of a long day when you can't find the teapot and are desperate for a cuppa.

5. Unpack the areas you use the most first

This seems like an obvious one, but it's almost always forgotten - Don't sweat the small stuff! Focus on the essentials. Build the beds and wire in the TV so that you can sit down with a coffee and get an early night before starting to unpack in the morning / at the weekend. You'll probably feel like you want everything to be perfectly in it's place from the moment you get in, but remember there's no hurry! Pace yourselves and it will make for a much happier and more memorable experience for you and your family.


If you're reading this because you're about to move house, I hope you found these tips useful.
Best of luck with your house move!

- Em

Bathroom Choices - Braving the Blue?

Before Christmas we began researching bathroom installation companies, as our bathroom is one of the things that desperately needs doing. We had quotes from several stores but the one we finally went with was Wickes. They seem to get quite a mixed reception, especially online, but we liked the designer and he created a look we really liked. It's a huge decision to make; a bathroom is not something you can just start again with if it doesn't look right! (well you could, if you were rich and frivolous).

We got the call today to say that it will be fitted at the end of this month, and we're so excited! The only problem is, we are really struggling with choosing our paint colour and tiles.

 Right now in the bathroom, the tiles are a crazy aquatic theme with shells, swirls and angry fish. A visiting relative said that they looked like piranhas... Not very welcoming! The walls are mucky cream, and it looks as though the previous owners attempted a few DIY jobs such as the floor tiles and installing a delightful wooden cover for the back of the toilet. It just needs a complete overhaul. We begged the help of Pinterest, and found ourselves leaning towards three distinct looks...


Exhibit A: Moody Dark Blue (with gold / white accents)

I love this look. It's so much more exciting than picking something 'safe', and it might make the small bathroom look bigger. The downside is that, well, it might make it look smaller! And I feel like we might wish we'd gone with something less heavy come the summer months.


Exhibit B: All Things White & Beautiful

Ahhh, the sensible option. Classic clean lines, no fuss, lightens up the space. I do wonder how easy it would be to keep clean, though.


Exhibit C: Spa-like Serenity

Horizonal wood-effect tiling, greenery and taupey paint. Calming and restful.


Decisions, decisions. What do you think - Do you have a brave blue bathroom or is everything white? If so, do you have painters' remorse or are you loving it?

- Em

A Decorative To-Do List

If you're doing up your house and are anything like us, you won't have an immediate budget to start buying curtains, wallpaper, flooring and the latest snazzy dishwasher all within the first weekend of moving in. Writing a master list of the things that need doing really helps to focus on the tasks at hand. So here goes - Some we have already ticked off but I have left in for information's sake.

The Kitchen

• Tiles to be painted - TICK! 
• Painting walls - TICK!
• New flooring (vinyl? currently weighing this up)
• New blind for the kitchen window

The orange tiles just weren't working for us, so as a temporary measure we've painted them with a grey tile paint. You can read my blog about it here! I'm so excited to post the before and after in a few days when the second coat is dry.


The Living Room

• Decide on paint colours
• Laminate flooring to be installed
• Woodchip wallpaper removed and replaced with paint
• Decide on pictures/frames arrangement
• Fit shelves

The living room is a top priority. It's the room where we eat our meals, entertain guests and one of the first rooms to be seen from the hallway when you come through the front door. There is a lot to do here, and I'm sure I'll be posting about the horror of removing the woodchip wallpaper before long. In fact - Does anyone have any tips on that? We'll have to do some Googling! Our laminate flooring has now arrived, but we'd like to strip the walls and paint before we put it down, to avoid paint disasters! You can read about our woodchip wallpaper removal here.


Entrance/Hallways

• White paint
• New stair handrail installed
• Gloss paint on stairs and cupboard doors
• Picture and print placement 

The hallway is currently a delightful shade of grubby beige, which could be lightened up a lot with a lick of white paint. Also, my Mum rightly pointed out that the handrail is less of a handrail and more of a... Piece of wood. So we'll rip that out and put something more suitable in its place.
We're also contemplating doing something with the stairs, along the lines of a dark gloss paint to contrast against the white walls - But the jury is still out on that one.


The Garden

• Paint fence (decide on colour)
• Rip out crazy huge, sun-blocking tree
• Lay down some new grass seeds - TICK!
• Build a little path from the patio to the garage. Dan would like to install little lights along to light the way
• Buy some garden furniture! 

Master Bedroom

• Decide on paint colour - Everything is cream at the moment so we have a blank canvas.
• Install blinds for privacy
• Find a new mirror for the dressing table (was broken in the move!)
• Possibly get some wardrobe organisers to create shelving in the fitted wardrobe. At the moment it's just hanging space.
• New carpet - Maybe?
• Super important - Get windows fixed as they currently do not open! 

Guest/2nd Bedroom

•  Decide on paint/wallpaper colours
• Install blinds for privacy
• Hang pictures

Porch

• De-spider everything
• Lick of white paint on brickwork to spruce it up
• Buy a nice plant for the entryway
• Pick up lamp table from parents house to put the above plant onto!
• New lock needed for inner door and potentially the outer doors too

So there you have it. There's quite a bit to be done, and so far the main work has happened in the kitchen, but we are getting there. Trying not to let myself get daunted as I know some people will have done much bigger renovations! It's mostly the decision-making we are rubbish at - Putting the ideas into practice is easier. 

I will blog again tomorrow with an update of the kitchen. It's now finished other than changing up the handles and putting in new flooring!

- Em

Kitchen Tile Paint Before & After

It's time to update you on our first exciting little decorating project - The kitchen.

There is a pretty good base to be going along with. The cupboards are white, clean and modern, and not too far from what we would've chosen ourselves. They do seem to have been incorrectly fitted though, with the worktops not connecting correctly and a few dodgy doors, but it's nothing we can't fix. The glaringly obvious problem was the burnt orange tiling... 

*shield your eyes now*

We looked at Pinterest for some style inspiration and came up with these few images that we really liked. We are gray superfans and tend to plaster it everywhere, but I think it looks particularly scrumptious in a kitchen. I've just noticed that all of the images have subway tiles! Sadly, for anyone that has just decked out their entire kitchen/bathroom with them, I think they might have already had their moment in the sun and are on the way out of fashion. I'm still mourning the retirement of the chevron *sob* and am currently in denial about my chevron bedding and cushions...

My parents recently revamped their shower room, which involved painting the tiles. Now, I know I'm a mere decorating amateur, but I didn't even know tile paint was a thing - Apparently it is! So we thought we'd give it a try. At least as a temporary measure, until such time as we are ready to replace the tiles altogether. 

So, without further ado... Here is the first coat finished! 

The room looks cleaner and more modern already. We found that the key was to scrub the tiles thoroughly with a rough brush before we started, so that the paint was being laid onto a clean, flat surface. Nobody wants crusty old toast crumbs poking out from their freshly painted tiles, do they?!

We're really impressed with the paint (I'll add the brand here later for anyone interested) and happy with the results in general. I'll be sure to do an update once we've finished the whole room.

Before I sign off - Can we briefly talk about the incredible cuteness of our teapot kettle?! It's an electric kettle housed within a proper ceramic teapot, so it keeps the warmth in and looks bloody adorable too! I'd never seen one before so I had to snap it up. You can find them here from B&M home department.

That's all for now, I'm already planning our next post which will be about our last home, the apartment. Thanks for reading!

You Had Me At 'Fixer-Upper'

To set the scene, it was a lovely sunny Saturday, and our fourth weekend of house hunting. We already had a full day of house viewings booked, but noticed the listing of a rather scruffy little house on Rightmove. I grimaced at the decor but it was in a nice neighbourhood, so we thought we might as well have a quick peek, just in case. 

We rang the agent who said there hadn't been much interest in the scruffy house, and that we could view in the next hour or so if we liked. When we arrived, the estate agent unlocked the door, turned to us and said, "it's a bit of a fixer-upper..." and as we walked in, our hearts were won. Any home owners reading that last sentence will know exactly what I mean. It's the little flip your stomach does when you walk through the door and, no matter how bland and dark the colour scheme, you can imagine your life there in full technicolour.

Despite the imperfections and it being a 'project house' (or maybe because of that!) we hurriedly made an offer. It has two big bedrooms, two garages, plenty of quirky storage cupboards - and the important part - it's homely. When we found out it had been accepted, we spent the afternoon in an excited, shocked little bubble, and pretty much stayed that way until moving day (22/09/2014).

So here we are - Just about finished with unpacking having been in it for a week - Only one or two suitcases of clothes left to hang in the wardrobe tonight. Once that's done we can start with our plan of attack for the renovation! 

I hope you enjoyed this introductory post, I've got another post up my sleeve tomorrow with the to-do list of all the work that needs to be done... Follow us on Bloglovin or on your Google feed to stay in the loop with the updates!

- Em