The Ups and Downs When Moving From a House to an Apartment in London

Moving from a big house in the suburbs to a trendy apartment in the heart of London can be a bit overwhelming and exhausting for the entire family. Here are some things you should be aware of when downsizing to make the most of this opportunity.

The Things You Will Miss the Most After Your Home Relocation

Let’s be honest there will be a lot of things you are going to miss in your new place. But there are still ways to improve your way of living and ensure you and your family have everything you could possibly need.

• The yard – If you have a garden or a yard, it will be significantly smaller than what you’re used to. You may be unable to grow vegetables or play ball with your kids in the backyard. It is alright, you live in the middle of London now. The Old Capital is famous for its parks and playgrounds, so you can easily go to one of the Royal Parks and enjoy some family time. A big plus is you no longer have to mow the lawn.
• Not enough storage space – You will have to say goodbye to the big basement, vast attic and the bottomless pantry. In your new apartment, there won’t be any. And that is actually really good. Why do you have to be buried under so many things? You don’t know what is half of the stuff locked in the attic, but if it is in a box it must be important, right? Wrong, get rid of all the rubbish you hoarded throughout the years. Free your life, and we guarantee you, you will feel much better.

From Big to Small, Is It Really That Bad?

Nowadays everybody is crazy about the simple and minimalistic design. If you want to have a trendy, stylish home, keep it plain and modern. The good news is that relocating to an apartment in London is all about keeping it small. You have to be inventive. Here a couple of positive sides of living the simple life:

• Energy-efficient – Modern apartments are made with materials that prevent the heat from going out. Most have some sort of a smart building system already installed, so you don’t have to do anything.
• Great for all shopaholics – You will have to change your heavy furniture for something more compact, thus it is time for a shopping spree.
• Declutter – Use the relocation as an excuse to get rid of all the things you don’t need – clothes, books, electronics. If you haven’t used it in the past three years, you are never going to. Remember, the less you pack, the less you will pay your moving company.
• Save money – Your utility bills will become smaller. When you don’t have to heat up a two-story house and water a large yard, your bank account will feel much better.
• Easy to reach – Everything is located closer, and public transport is sufficient. You don’t need to rely on your car as often which means more money for you and less CO2 in the air.

Still not ready to say goodbye to your house, let us help you with that. Here are some apartment bonuses you didn’t think about:

• Amenities – Most apartment complexes have everything you will ever need to live a comfortable and healthy life. We are talking about a fitness room, pool, relax rooms, even a barbeque. Community amenities are there to help you adjust to the busy city life and get to know your new neighbours.
• New friendships – If you ever felt alone in your previous house, in your new apartment, this will be much harder. Your neighbours will be closer, and you will have a lot of opportunities to meet new people and start some interesting friendships.
• Safe and Secure – Statistically speaking, you are in a much more dangerous and exposed position living in your big house surrounded by your spacious yard. Most apartment complexes have 24/7 security and even if they don’t, Mrs Harris from the 4th floor will know in detail the whos, the whats and the wheres in your building.
• Stay connected – The moving force of the world – the internet will no longer be a problem. Houses tend to have a slower speed, and customer service is not always great. In apartments, the situation is much different. The internet providers have a more solid network, and the services are a lot cheaper than those in the suburbs.
• Having a good time – This is one of the best perks of having a family home moving to London. There is so much to be done and seen here. You no longer have to spend your Saturday night at home playing cards, you can visit one (or two) of London’s remarkable bars and pubs. Do you want to spend time with your kids? Perfect, go to a museum, the zoo, or an amusement park. Discover the magic that is living in an apartment in London.

How to Downsize?

We’ve marked all of the hidden and obvious benefits of leaving your house and moving into a cosy apartment. Now, let’s discuss how exactly to do it.

1. Plan everything

Go around your house and mark everything you can’t bring to the new place. There are a lot of options for what to do with unwanted stuff. Check our ultimate house moving guide for ideas on where to sell or donate your belongings.

2. Map your new home

We literally mean make a map of your apartment and see which item goes where. Then pack the things you really need. To save time and money, we advise you to use the services of professional packers.

3. Use what you have

You can maximise your existing storage space in various ways. For your bathrooms and kitchen, you can invest in drawer organisers and cupboards so that the versatility of those existing storage spaces can be further improved. After all, dressers and wardrobes are some of those common areas, which may get disorganised and overstuffed. When you opt for a few fixes, you can create a makeover to provide you with more free space. In case there is a built-in wardrobe in your house, you can get a drawer unit installed inside to keep your accessories or extra shoes. It is also possible to place additional shelves to stack more items or clothing in organiser boxes.

4. Create new possibilities

Don’t underestimate the potential of vertical space at your home. Many people make the blunder of using the entire floor area and simply overlook the space that can be used on their walls. For instance, you can install large shelves or built-in wardrobes on your walls to add more storage. Another stylish way is to install floating shelves that can use vertical space effectively. Feel free to think creatively while utilising your vertical space in the best possible way.

5. Be imaginative

You can hang your tools on a utensil rack on the walls of your kitchen. Alternatively, you may use the ceiling to create a rack for your pans. This way, your cupboard and drawer space can be freed from bulky items. Instead, you can store your more important kitchen gadgets there.
In fact, vertical space is also useful for storing your electronic items. So, mount your TV set on one of the walls when moving into your new house. You can also put your stereo or music system on a wall shelf. Go for wall-mounted lighting systems instead of table or floor lamps.

Stay positive, change is a good thing. How was your downsizing experience? Did we miss something? Share what pros and cons did you discover when you moved from a house to an apartment.

Stephanie Cooper

Stephanie is a content marketing specialist for Top Removals for the past several years. She has extensive experience working with moving companies and knows her audience. Stephanie creates engaging and useful content helping the customers of Top Removals with their struggles and providing them with the most accurate insight.