Making the move

Clear the clutter!

Have a clear out before you move. It will reduce the packing boxes you’ll need, which cuts down on the time it takes to move.
A simple repair could give an item a new lease of life and save you money too, consider this before disposing of items. Visit our Repair Café page for more information.
Donate items to your local charity shop, Freegle or Freecycle.
You could make some money by selling your unwanted items online on sites such as Facebook Marketplace, Preloved, Ebay, Gumtree or Amazon.
Or why not invite your friends round to see if they want any of your unwanted belongings?

Make sure you eat up the food you have hidden away at the back of the cupboard, and the freezer. This will mean fewer boxes to pack, less waste and saves you money.
Preparing some meals in advance so that you won’t be tempted to spend money on a takeaway when you first move in.
If you really can’t eat all that food, make sure it doesn’t go to waste by using OLIO, an app that helps people give away food or donate to your local Community Fridge and/or Larder.

Instead of buying removal boxes use second-hand ones or even rent or borrow them! Some supermarkets give away their cardboard boxes for free.
Don’t just rely on packing boxes. Laundry baskets, rubbish bins and suitcases can all serve equally well.
Protect your items with soft furnishings, sheets, towels, clothing, and any other materials. Why waste money on lots of bubble wrap that you’ll throw away later?