Sometimes, circumstances can change in the blink of an eye. It doesn’t matter whether you are renting a property or whether you own one, there is always something that could happen which could see you moving in a hurry. A landlord could decide not to renew your tenancy, you might need to move for work or you might even need to move out temporarily through no fault of your own – and need to take all of your stuff with you!

It can be tough knowing you have so little time to get everything sorted, but it is important not to panic. Take some time to think and use your time as wisely as you can.

Here are some top tips for moving house on short notice.

How long do you have? If you are aware of the amount of time you have, you can plan accordingly and ensure nothing is missed. You don’t want to be leaving anything until the last minute unless you relish absolute chaos. Leaving things to the last minute can be very expensive too!

You will want to make sure that the services you require are all available too – this doesn’t just mean removal firms but utility companies too so things can be quickly processed.

It can often be tough to find a removal company on short notice but you should be able to if you do the research. They will be able to offer more manpower than moving on your own and may even be able to provide a packing service too. They can also help you to organise your moving day and the moving time efficiently to ensure the move goes as smoothly as possible.

Try to opt for a day when movers won’t be as busy; however, this obviously may not be possible when moving on such a strict schedule. If you cannot find a removal company on time, it’s worth asking your family and friends for some help.

As soon as you know that you are moving, you will need to pick up some packing supplies. This includes boxes, tape, and even bubble wrap to protect your more fragile possessions. You should be able to pick up some free sturdy boxes from local shops as they will only be getting rid of them. Pop in and ask them to put some aside for you. Use bubble wrap to wrap your possessions and use newspaper, too – this is great for filling in any gaps in the box around your possessions.

The last thing you want to be moving is items you don’t even want anymore! A move is very stressful, so why not get rid of the stuff you no longer want or need? Decluttering is the answer. Make a list of all of the items you have and see which ones you no longer want.

You can sell some items to make some cash for the move or you could offer them up for free on freecycle websites such as Freegle or Facebook reuse groups. The less you have to move with you, the better.

These are all easy tips for if you are renting but what about if you need to move quickly and you need to sell? That can be much more difficult. Not only do you need to find a buyer but there is all the paperwork to consider too. You can make good use of your time however – there are a number of quick sale solutions that you can use but these may not offer you as much money as selling your house in a traditional way.

If you can, use a local estate agent with a great reputation and plenty of experience. They will know the best ways to attract buyers to your home and may even have potential buyers in mind before they even get around to marketing it online. They should be able to help you every step of the way and get everything done in a timely manner, providing everything goes smoothly.