Storage, services and getting settled

Store less than you think

Storage is useful as a bridge, for the weeks between selling one home and settling into another. It is less useful as a place to keep things you have not decided about. If something has been in storage for a year and you have not missed it, ask why it is there.

If you do store things, choose a space that suits what you are keeping, insure the contents, and keep a list of what is in each box. Nothing wrecks a fresh start like a monthly bill for furniture you no longer want.

Decide what the new place really needs

Measure the rooms before you pack the furniture. Plan where the big pieces will go, and be honest about what will not fit. It is easier to leave the sideboard behind at the start than to store it for three years.

Line up the services early

A short list of jobs is worth doing before you arrive: internet, phone and utilities switched on for the day you move in, your pharmacy transferred, and your address changed with the people who need it. Then the practical ones: who clears the snow, who cuts the grass, and who you call when something breaks.

The best guide to local tradespeople and services is a neighbour. Ask people on your street who they use, and note the names that come up more than once.

Local favourites

There are no local listings on this site yet, so we cannot point you to specific businesses, and we will not invent any. Until there are, use word of mouth and your own judgement, and check anyone you hire for insurance and references.

Give yourself a few weeks

A new place takes time to feel like yours. Unpack the essentials first, hang a few pictures early, and keep the rest for the weekends. Find your regular café, pharmacy and walk, and let the rest of the settling in happen at a normal pace.