Making an efficient move

Last week, I moved out of my office. Five straightforward rooms, pretty basically appointed and without all the extra stuff and clutter associated with a private residence - or so I believed. I thought it would take a day and a half at most to empty and clean it... Well, ha ha! I was at it solidly for four days, the latter two starting respectively at 6 and 3 o'clock in the morning. Packing, sorting, taking things to the dump, taking down pictures, unscrewing flat-pack shelves and so on and so on - you know what it's like.

In case it might be of any help to anyone about to embark on a move, I'll make a few notes of the lessons I learnt.

1. Start early. This is not the first move I've ever made, of course, but I always make this mistake. I want the place to look normal until the last minute and I just don't allow enough time to organise myself easily. If you can begin putting a few things in boxes - and, ideally, taking them to wherever you're going - a week plus before your moving date, this will save you agro later on. It will also give you enough time to sort stuff and chuck out what you don't need. If you're packing at the last minute, you just have to pack everything and you end up bringing a load of stuff you would have thrown away if you'd had time.

2. Plan carefully. Along with starting early, think about what moving involves and make sure you do big things well in time. I mean things like arranging storage, booking someone with a van to help you carry your stuff, selling anything you want to sell. Leaving this sort of planning too late usually lets you in for additional expense as well as stress. Think also about how much notice you need to give to cancel contracts such as your telephone and internet. And don't forget to defrost the fridge.

3. Keep yourself motivated. Moving house with minimal or no help is absolutely exhausting!! It's easy to feel you need a rest every quarter of an hour, but that only serves to prolong the job. What made all the difference to me was having the radio on. I had three sets, in different parts of the building, so I could hear it wherever I was, and the slight distraction of what I was listening to allowed me to forget how tired I was and keep on working.

4. If at all possible, get people to help you.

5. Leave yourself a few days blank to recover afterwards! Don't be too ambitious about what you're going to achieve in the next place, or anywhere else. You need to rest before you can face the next challenge.