The PAC Guide to… Moving house


Moving house is an exciting time, but it’s also a stressful one. You’ve got to deal with unpacking, packing, arranging furniture, meeting the new neighbours. But then on top of that there’s the mortgage application, transferring bills, changing your address at the post office, finding all those dusty documents… it’s a lot.

Why not take a bit of the stress out of the house move process? Use the Personal Archive system for organisation and admin, so you can focus on the physical move. We can’t help you unpack boxes, but we can help the process a little bit smoother.

Make a packing list

Packing up a whole house can seem like a daunting task, but unpacking one is even worse. Keeping a list of all your belongings – and which room they belong in – can make a big job seem a little less challenging.

Spend a bit of time archiving the big items, the valuable items and the items you’ll absolutely need within the first weeks in your new home. Keep a document with headings for each room, and list the contents. Then, add in details about where they’re packed – labelling boxes with different coloured tape is a great idea. You don’t need to catalogue each and every small item if you don’t want to, but having a general idea of where things go can save a lot of time (and arguments) when it comes to unpacking and settling in.

Get your paperwork in order

There are all kinds of policies and processes you’ll need to figure out when you’re moving. There’s the mortgage or rental agreement, home insurance, contents insurance, electricity bills, water meters and more. Plus, if you’re selling your home to move, you’ll have double the solicitor papers, searches, surveys and other paperwork to deal with.

Instead of sorting through piles of paperwork over and over again, simply set aside an afternoon to get out all the relevant paperwork and find the logins to your various accounts. Then add them to your Personal Archive account and add tags to sort everything. Perhaps #insurance, or the relevant addresses, or whatever helps you stay organised.

Get up and running

Once you’re in the house, it’s tempting to sit back and take a well earned break. Pull the dust sheet off a chair and prop your feet up on an unopened cardboard box, and just admire your new home. Well, it’s a lot easier to do that if you don’t need to run around finding copies of your ID, bank statements and other documentation to set up all your new accounts.

For switching insurance policies (don’t forget to update the address your car is registered to) and setting up new direct debits and accounts, you may need a host of evidence and paperwork. Figuring out which box they’re all in, and then finding the relevant ones, can be a bit of a downer on your first few days in the new home. But, if you’ve got copies of everything safely encrypted and online, sending away for a new licence or setting up an insurance policy is a breeze. Finally – time to crack open that champagne!

 

There are so many ways to use your Personal Archive account to make document storage and life admin that much easier. Learn more about our plans here.