Moving home is a very polarising experience. On the one hand, you're wiping the slate clean, and with a fresh start comes fresh possibilities and new experiences which could enrich your life. But on the other hand, compounding the stress of a move with an unfamiliar and potentially daunting new location is a recipe for an unhappy time. But don't worry, both of these negatives can be watered down by taking precautions. Such as hiring a professional mover and doing research into your new area. Here are my tips for doing so.

Depending on the area of Wimbledon you're moving to, you could be near to the site of the British Open Tennis championships, Aoringi Park, or near to the New Theatre situated on The Broadway. So whether you're a sports fan or a fan of the performing arts, there's plenty to do in this part of London. By looking over Google Maps, you can see what is  unique to your area!

The good professional movers are trained to move your goods from place to place without doing any damage. They have your best interests in mind, because after all, they're being paid by you. Be aware of cowboys, however – those who will happily take your money but without the proper care and attention. Look around on the web and through other directories for a list of local movers, then, once you've created a short list, go and look for customer feedback. Feedback on the company's official website, while most likely genuine, shouldn't be all you look for. Websites exist out there that are an outlet for customers to show their opinions, so they can alert others to good business practices, and to bad ones. Just be savvy, and you won't fall into a customer trap.

Once you've found a local and trustworthy mover, it's time to start the process. Even though they're professionals, there's still some things you can do to make their job easier, and your move smoother as a result. For example, have appliances like your cooker and shower be disconnected by a heating engineer of their respective field, movers are not qualified to do such things, and if they roll up and your stove is still hooked up to the gas, it'll just be another inconvenience. Do some planning as to the exact location of your house, too. How easy is it to access, for example? If it's on a tight street, let the movers know, so they know to stop in a less obtrusive place. Perhaps a different entrance is more convenient, you will only know this by doing the relevant research.

With the disassembly, packing and loading in the hands of the pros, that gives you free time on the moving day to say your goodbyes, tie up the loose ends that might end up bothering you during the move, or you could just use the time to unwind. You might as well, because with the piece of mind that your goods are in safe and trained hands, there's less to worry about. You can focus on the positives rather than the negatives. You can also focus on the family, and try to avert their worries too. These are just a few of the advantages of hiring outside help. Have a smooth move.