Recently my friend Jennifer got a job in Liverpool and she had to move from Warrington where she was staying with her family to Liverpool to be closer to her new job. Although commuting would have been an option, she felt it’s time to start a new life away from her parents.
The moving process was not easy. Those who have moved to a different city or just moved to a different house will attest to the fact that moving comes with a lot of challenges. However, when the only option you have is to move, you have to look for ways to maneuver and that’s what Jennifer did.
All this time she was planning to move, the day she moved and a few days in her new home in Liverpool I was with her. She is my childhood friend and I couldn’t let her go through that challenging moment all by herself. I assisted her to move and she was very grateful to have a helping hand.
Today, I write about her moving journey, the challenges she went through, how she was able to overcome them and how she finally settled in just to inspire someone else who may be planning to move soon. Knowing what to expect and making the necessary arrangements can be a game-changer.
How it all started
Convincing the parents
The first task my friend had was to convince her parents that she will be relocating to Liverpool. Of course, letting their ”little girl” go start a new life in a different city was not that easy. But because they wanted to see her happy and they were also happy she found a job, they had to release her with a promise she will be making time to go see them back in Warrington often.
Looking for a house
The next thing Jennifer did was to travel to Liverpool to try and get a place to live in. Since this was her first job and she had limited finances, she opted to look for an apartment to rent and probably in future, she can consider buying a house. We consulted with a few property agencies. She shared with them the kind of a house she is looking for plus her budget and after a visit to three different apartments; she found exactly what she was looking for. Jennifer wanted a house with a modern kitchen and the surrounding had to be super clean. Although it wasn’t easy getting an apartment Jennifer will love, I’m grateful we had a patient team that loves its job.
The moving process
Packing her belongings
This was the most challenging task for Jennifer and me. Just like me, she had not moved before. She didn’t have enough containers and suitcases enough to carry all her belongings. Remember this is a place she has lived for more than 30 years. That meant she had acquired lots of things including those sentimental items she has kept since her childhood years.
Packing breakable items and oddly shaped items were even more challenging. But in the process, we learnt a number of tips that greatly helped us and they include:
Reducing clutter
After Jennifer had found an apartment and we went back to Warrington to pack her belongings, we were super excited and we thought we’ll be through with packing within a few hours. What we didn’t know is that packing all your possessions into suitcases, bags and boxes without a plan can be very overwhelming. We tried that and within a short while we were all wondering if we are going to make it.
Thank heavens, we discovered about reducing clutter. Jennifer had a lot of items particularly shoes and clothes that she can’t even remember the last time she wore them. We had to remove all of them and only pack the ones she uses. This was very good because it meant we now had fewer items to pack, move and unpack.
Moving supplies
As mentioned earlier, Jennifer had a lot of items. She hadn’t moved before and so she didn’t have the necessary equipment to move all her belongings. It is only after we started packing that we realized we can’t do without packing boxes, packing tapes, permanent markers, box cutters and adhesive bandages. So, you can imagine we had to rush to the nearby store to buy them the last minute. The truth is, everything was very chaotic.
Delicate items
We had to be very careful with the breakable items such as her wine glasses, cups and plates. Thus we looked for bubble wrap and wrapped them nicely before putting them in carton boxes or plastic containers. When we run out of the bubble wraps, another friend to Jennifer who was also assisting us advised us to use old newspapers. After wrapping all the breakable items, we put them in some large plastic boxes ready to be moved.
Hiring a van
Being the first timers we were, we forgot to book the moving van in advance. We were so much into packing until the last bits when we realized we haven’t booked the moving van yet. Jennifer had to stop whatever she was doing and start making calls for a Warrington van hire. Which proved to be easy and pleasant with everything set as she planned for the move.
Labelling
Labelling the boxes was very important. Although we initially thought it’s a waste of time, it really helped us to identify the items when putting them in and out of the van and when unpacking them in her new house. Labelling also helped to identify the delicate items.
Finally…
Jennifer’s things were finally moved, I assisted her to unpack and set up her new home’s interior. As for the bulky and heavy items such as her queen size bed, the fridge, cooker, washing machine, cabinets and other furniture, we had to pay three strong individuals to help us out. Although most of her items arrived at their new home safely, a few got dents but they are still functional.
My friend is now living in Liverpool and enjoying herself to the fullest. The journey was not all that easy considering we didn’t know we could even hire professional movers to help us out. But all in all, we learnt our lessons and if any of us needs to move in future, we’ll do it like experts. It’s my hope you’ve also learnt some important facts and it won’t be difficult for you to move as it was to Jennifer.
