The last-minute checks you need to do before moving home

This is a collaborative post

Moving home involves taking care of seemingly 1001 different tasks. Just when you think you’ve done it all, a new issue pops up, whether that’s having to redirect your post or give your neighbour's lawnmower back. 

There are a few basic last-minute checks that you can do to minimise the chances that you’ve forgotten something important. From checking the electricity and gas meters to making sure your new home has heating and power, these are a few of things to keep in mind.

Check the meters

As you leave your new home and enter your old one, check the water and electricity meters for both, and take dated pictures. On one side of things, utility providers can often ask for evidence at the end of tenancies, so that they can check if they’ve under- or overcharged you. 

On the other hand, you don’t want to inadvertently end up paying for the old tenant's bills in your new home. A simple check and a quick picture can make sure that this isn’t the case.

Check nothing is left behind

No matter how meticulous you’ve been with your packing, there’s a good chance that you’ll have forgotten something in a hidden nook or cranny. Make sure that you check in the attic, the eaves, the back of every cupboard and drawer and in the corners of the basement.

A short check now can save you plenty of hassle later on. You don’t want your slippers and towels to get mixed in with the new inhabitant’s belongings, and it’s an unnecessary faff to have to sort out. 

Photo credit Dina Badamshina

Check you’ve got the help you need

You’ll hopefully have organised some help for the day of your move. Whether that’s family, friends or a professional removals service like Bright Movers, it could be a good idea to double-check a few days before that everyone is set to help out. 

Make sure that they got the message, and that you didn’t give them the wrong date. It will only take a second, and you can avoid the ramifications of making a really annoying mistake.

Check the new house’s basics

Lastly, double check that the heating, water and electricity are all working in your new house, and ideally the wifi as well. You don’t want to find yourself moving into a cold, dark shell of a house, and it should be avoidable with just a quick phone call (although you may also have to check in person). 

If any of these basic necessities turn out to be an issue, you may have to find an alternative living situation for a couple of nights. Some issues might also be ok for a short while, but something like no heating in the middle of winter could be a health hazard.

Moving house is a hassle, but there are some simple strategies you can use to limit the chances of making some painful mistakes. By slowing down a little for a moment and doing some last-minute checks, you can make that breathing room to sort basic issues out before they’ve escalated into something more serious.

Tips for experiencing the best of Rome on a budget

This is a collaborative post

When you picture a trip to the Eternal City, you might imagine that the best experiences, such as grand monuments, mouth-watering food and vibrant piazzas, come with a certain price tag. But you don’t have to spend a fortune to enjoy everything a city break in Rome has to offer. 

With a little planning, you can make the most of your time in this timeless city while keeping your budget in check.

Walk to get around

One of the best ways to experience the Italian capital is on foot. Many of Rome's major landmarks, including the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, are all within walking distance of each other. Instead of relying on taxis or buses, stroll through cobbled streets and piazzas, letting the city's history unfold around you. 

Walking not only saves you money, but it also gives you the chance to uncover hidden corners of the capital – from small local shops to charming cafés where you can pause and enjoy a quick espresso. 

Visit free historical sites

Rome is steeped in history, and luckily, many of its most famous landmarks are free to visit. For example, the Pantheon is a remarkable second-century Roman temple turned Catholic church that you can enter at no cost. This stunning site offers visitors a glimpse into the city’s rich past with its awe-inspiring architecture. 

Photo credit Gabriella Clare Marino

Similarly, the Trevi Fountain (apart from the lower basin area), Piazza Navona and the Spanish Steps are all open to the public without any admission fee. These iconic spots are as central to the Roman experience as any paid attraction, so take your time exploring them – no ticket required!

Eat authentic Roman street food

If you're keen to try traditional Roman food without breaking the bank, make sure to sample the city's best street food markets. For just a few euros, you can grab a quick bite such as a supplì, a deep-fried rice ball stuffed with mozzarella, or a trapizzino, a pizza pocket filled with delicious fillings like braised beef or chicken cacciatore. 

These tasty snacks are easy to find in local markets or on street corners, and they’re often much cheaper than sit-down meals in tourist-heavy areas. Eating like a local not only saves you money, but it also gives you a true taste of Roman culinary culture.

Discover Rome’s charm without overspending

Visiting the Italian capital on a budget doesn’t mean sacrificing the quality of your experience. In fact, some of the most memorable moments don’t cost much.

So, take your time, explore off-the-beaten-path spots, and immerse yourself in the beauty of this fascinating city – all while keeping your wallet nice and plump.

An update on my January goals

At the beginning of the month I shared some of my January goals. As the month finally comes to an end, here's how I'm getting on with them!

The area that I have had most success in is improving my eating habits. I'm not dieting, but I've tried to be more conscious about what I'm eating. I'm especially interested in reducing ultra processed food, and I've made a big effort with that this month. I've also been making some food swaps, for example replacing white bread, pasta and rice with the wholemeal alternatives. I've been eating more fruit and vegetables and I've cut out almost all of the unhealthy snacks. 

I've also kept going with the exercise routine that was working well for me before Christmas. I've been planning my workouts for the week ahead and sticking to them really well. I'm basing my exercise on a great podcast that I listened to with Stacy Sims, and also from her book Next Level. I used to just run three times a week but instead I now do one workout with running sprints and then two workouts with weights for strength training. I also swim once a week and do regular stretches. If you are approaching or already in peri-menopause then she has a lot of great advice which is particularly aimed at women in this stage of life.

Photo credit Elena Kloppenburg via Unsplash

I'm doing very well at my decluttering challenge, working on removing five items a day from my home. It was easy at first as I had lots of random things lying around, but it began to get harder around the middle of the month once all the obvious areas had been tackled. That was when I moved on to hidden storage areas like the top of my wardrobe and my craft drawers and it has made a huge difference. I'll be sharing how I got on more fully in a few days, but I'm really pleased with myself.

Finally we have made a good start on our home project to renovate our bathrooms. The deposit is paid, and although we still have some final decisions to make the work is due to start in March. It's very exciting, and I'm really looking forward to updating these neglected areas of our home!

My goals for next month - looking at my garden and deciding what seeds to plant this year, and working on planning our holiday to Japan this summer. 

How did you get on with your new year goals?

How to choose a decluttering challenge that will work for you

I love decluttering, and I also love researching tips and tricks to help me keep my home decluttered and organised. I'm really motivated by a good declutter challenge.

Everyone is different, and something that works well for someone might not work for another person. I've gathered together some of the most popular decluttering challenges that you might find online, and thought about the advantages and disadvantages of each.

The 30-day Minimalism Game

Created by The Minimalists, the 30-day Minimalism game is my favourite decluttering challenge, and I've attempted it several times. Every day you declutter a certain number of items, based on the day of the month. One item the first day, two the next, and son on all the way to 30 or 31. Easy to start with, but by the time you get to the middle of the month it's definitely becoming a challenge!

Advantages - It's perfect for people that like to make lists and want a clear structure. At least in the early stages it doesn't take up too much time, and by the end you'll be able to see clear results. 

Disadvantages - If you miss a day it can be hard to get back on track, and it get overwhelming as you approach the end of the month (one way to avoid this is to do it in reverse). It requires a daily commitment. 

You can see how I got on with this challenge here - Playing the #minsgame 

Project 333

Project 333 was developed by Courtney Carver and it's a way of reducing clutter and stress by limiting the number of clothing items in your wardrobe. All you need to do is choose 33 items for 3 months, including clothing, accessories, jewellery, outerwear and shoes. Some categories are excluded, for example sleepwear, underwear and gym clothes (as long as you are actually wearing them to work out!)

Advantages - There is a great community around this challenge, so it's perfect for people that like to share their progress on social media. If you feel overwhelmed by deciding what to wear everyday then it removes that layer of stress from your life, and it's a great way to experiment with making the most of the things that you already own. Although it's focussed on clothing, it can help you to think about other areas of your life where you could simplify - for example in the kitchen or hobby supplies.

Disadvantages - It doesn't suit people that enjoy creating their daily outfits, or who use their clothing as a form of self expression. It's also a little tricky if you live somewhere with a changing climate or if your social or work life requires you to switch between different types of outfit.

Photo credit Sarah Brown via Unsplash

One in one out

This challenge is just what it sounds like - every time you bring something new into the house you must choose something to leave, ideally in the same category.

Advantages - It works well if you have already done a big declutter and you are looking to maintain your space. It also helps you to think about what you are buying if you know that you will need to choose something to replace. It works well for families that have a constant flow of things coming into the house.

Disadvantages - It's not really a method of decluttering, more about stopping things getting worse. There won't be any impact on the total number of items that you own.

Declutter X items per day

This challenge works really well for me and I've done it several times. I go with 5 items every day for a month.

Advantages - It's a slow method, but enough to make a big difference. If you miss a day it's easy to catch up the next day and it's simple to keep track of. It doesn't require any major disruption to your home.

Disadvantages - You might become discouraged if you miss a day or two. It can also mean that you declutter more obvious things without tackling hidden areas.

The Marie Kondo method

Based on the bestselling book The Life Changing Method of Tidying Up, the key behind this method is to sort by category, and the categories are worked through in a particular order which helps you to practice making decisions about your items. 

Advantages - If you follow the method correctly then you shouldn't need to declutter again. There is a logical order to follow and it makes a lot of sense. For example, if you gather together a certain item like pens in one place you can really see when you have too many.

Disadvantages - It takes time, and depending on the level of clutter in your home it can be disruptive. Ideally you need to have space for a staging area where you can gather your categories of items together, and it can be overwhelming to see everything laid out together at once. 

Here you can read about how I used the Marie Kondo method to declutter an older child or teenager's room

The area by area challenge

This challenge is almost opposite to the Marie Kondo method. Instead of grouping by category, instead you concentrate on one area, for example a drawer or cupboard, at a time. There are many different lists that you can follow to give you some areas to work on within a certain time frame, for example this 30 day declutter challenge.

Advantages - Because you are only working in a small area each time, mess is kept to a minimum. It works well if you can dedicate a small amount of time each day to decluttering, and you can choose your area based on how much time you have that day.

Disadvantages - It doesn't give you a full overview of your clutter - you might still end up with a spare pair of scissors in every drawer. You might feel the pressure of having to work on the particular area in the challenge list.

The packing party or box method

This is another decluttering method championed by The Minimalists. It's a great way to get a fast result, you just pack up everything that you own into boxes and then you spend a month or so only unpacking things as you need them. In theory you can then get rid of everything else!

Advantages - It's an extreme method, so it's perfect for people that want to have a huge clear out. It's particularly suitable for people going through some kind of home transition, maybe moving house or doing renovations. 

Disadvantages - This doesn't work well well for everyone, for example if you have a large family, as it's very disruptive. You need a lot of time and energy to pack everything up, as well as a large supply of boxes and bags. Because the challenge takes place over a short period of time, it doesn't account for seasonal items or special occasion clothing.

Photo credit Brett Jordan via Unsplash

My thoughts

I personally find a decluttering challenge a powerful way of motivating myself to make some space in my home. Throughout January I've been removing 5 items per day, and I'm definitely noticing and appreciating the results. 

All of these challenges can be adapted to make them easier or more realistic for you, and because they are all popular challenges there is plenty of advice and guidance online from people that have found what works for them. 

Good luck if you are attempting a decluttering challenge this year!

The books that I want to read this year

I've done very well recently working my way through my "to be read" pile which puts me in a position that I've not been in for many years - looking for some new books to read! I have some Christmas money to spend, so I'm going to be treating myself to some new books, both brand new and second-hand.

Here are some of the books that I want to read this year:

1Q84 by Haruki Murakami - I've read several books by Murakami and I really like his writing style and the surreal, magic realism elements in his stories. I've had 1Q84 in mind for a while, and when I recently found out that it's set in Tokyo I thought that it would be a good one to read in the first half of this year, before we visit Tokyo in the summer.

Everest, Inc.: The Renegades and Rogues Who Built an Industry at the Top of the World by Will Cockrell - I've shared that I want to indulge my interest in Everest this year, and this book seems like a highly recommended place to start when it comes to learning about the commercialisation of climbing the mountain.

Other Everest books - I've been doing some research and I'm slowly building up a list of books about Everest that I want to read. Some of these aren't available new, and I'm also conscious of my book buying budget, so I have put together an order of second hand books from World of Books. I always order books from there in groups of four as they are usually buy three get one free! So the ones that I'm starting with are Dark Summit by Nick Heil, No Shortcuts to the Top by Ed Viesturs, Left for Dead by Beck Weathers and The Other Side of Everest by Matt Dickinson. These books may well get a bit samey after a while, so I will probably spread them out over the year!

Photo credit Lauren Gray via Unsplash

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy - I've had this on my shelf for a while, but I moved it from the "to be read" shelf to my main bookshelf so that I didn't feel the pressure to read it! But I keep hearing about how good it is and I definitely want to give it a go. Just so that I can say I've read it!

The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt - I've been hearing a lot about this book recently. Although it's a couple of years old now, I think that people are talking about it at the moment because the government has been discussing banning social media for under 16s. I'm really interested in social media and the effect that it has on people, especially children, and obviously having teenagers of my own it's an issue that I want to learn more about.

Finally I want to get back to the library! I've not been for months because I've had such a huge pile of books to be read beside my bed. But now that it's feeling more manageable I want to go and have a good browse in the large library near my daughter's school, and come home with a pile of new books to try.

Do you have any reading plans this year?

A weekend away in Bath

I've been wanting to visit Bath for many years, and last weekend we were able to make it happen! My husband and I managed a night away, with my Mum staying overnight to watch the teenagers. 

We chose to travel by train because Bath is very walkable and our hotel was close to the station. My son loves trains and was jealous of our journey so I took a photo of each train that we travelled on for him! We only needed to change once and it was a smooth journey, it took us about three hours and I spent most of the journey just looking out of the window. I love train journeys too!

 

Bath is such a lovely city, all the architecture is so beautiful. I loved how even on the main shopping streets all the shops were in keeping with the setting, there weren't any garish shop signs and they were all tucked away behind decorative pillars. It felt as though a lot of effort has gone into making it an attractive place to visit and spend time.

The one thing that I definitely wanted to visit in Bath was The Roman Baths. I've heard of them of course, but I had no idea that the baths were actually fed by a hot spring! There was also a lot more to see than just the main bath area which was familiar to me from photographs. The whole museum was fascinating. I was particularly taken with the Bath curse tablets which are small sheets of metal inscribed with curses against a specific person, usually for something like a theft, and thrown into the spring for the attention of the goddess Sulis so that she could identify the culprit and punish accordingly.

There is an enormous bath complex to explore and it's brought to life really well with projections and large screens. The audioguide was also very good with lots of really interesting information.

We stayed in a very nice spa hotel, which came with some extra benefits because we booked using our credit card. We had use of the spa all day, which was lovely, and we also received a generous credit towards a treatment. I had an upper body massage and facial treatment which was amazing, the massage was very firm and left tears in my eyes but I felt so good afterwards and my skin was really soft. The spa area had warm and hot pools with a sauna and steam room, and the waters in the hotel spa are supplied by one of the hot springs.

Our rate included a cooked breakfast and so in addition to the continental breakfast offerings I opted for pancakes with thick cream and strawberries. Delicious!

We had a lovely weekend away, it was so nice not to have to worry too much about the children (my Mum didn't stay for the whole weekend and I'm not sure they really saw her even when she was there!) My husband is already eyeing up the next weekend away!

What I've been up to lately - January 2026

I've taken a bit of a break from the blog for the start of the year, so here's what I've been up to!

Reading

I've done a very good job of working through my to be read piles, both physical and Kindle books, and so I'm now getting to some books that I've been wanting to read for a little while. I have just finished Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver which was excellent. That's three of her books now which I've loved, so I'm definitely going to be finding some more. The book is a modern (ish) retelling of David Copperfield. I've never really got on with Dickens, but I may give it a go.

Next up is the new Philip Pullman book, The Rose Field which is the third book in the Book of Dust Series. Before I start it I've been re-reading the first two books in the trilogy, as it has been a while since I last read them. I don't find this series as compelling as the original His Dark Materials trilogy, but I am fascinated by the world in which they are set and I'm eager to see how the trilogy concludes.

Watching

I enjoyed watching the finale of Stranger Things. Maybe the ending was a little too cheesy but I quite liked that. It felt as though everything tied up nicely although I know that there is some dispute among the fan base! 

Harry and I watched a couple of lovely shows over Christmas that were about train rides - Nordic Train at Christmas and Alpine Train at Christmas. Each one followed a train taking a scenic journey, with some stops along the way to explore local businesses. They were really slow and festive and I really enjoyed them, I hope they repeat them next year.

On Black Friday we treated ourselves to a three month unlimited card at Cineworld. My husband and I went to see The Housemaid over Christmas which is based on a book which I enjoyed. It was a great film, not too long, paced really well and it kept you guessing. We also went as a family to watch Avatar: Fire and Ash. I enjoyed it although I'm not sure what to say other than that it was very long (3 hours 17 mins) and there was just a lot of it! It was quite watchable but I'm not really sure it had the same plot development or interest as the first film. 

This weekend we are really getting our money's worth from the card with three consecutive evenings watching The Lord of The Rings films extended editions. With running times of 3 hours 48 mins, 3 hours 55 mins and 4 hours 23 minutes we are definitely going to need to bring the snacks!

Crafting

I've been working on my small, vaguely Christmas themed cross stitch. It's a fun one to do, with some gorgeous colours. There's lots of variety, with a mixture of full and half stitches and different numbers of strands to add some texture.

Listening

I'm back on the school run so it's back to Spotify. I started off the year listening to the new album from Suede - Antidepressants, which is very good. I've listened to Suede for years, and thought of them again when I found out that apparently Suede have become popular in K-Pop circles - my daughter was singing a song about having Suede on the vinyl which amused me!

I'm also back to my podcasts, I've been listening to Cal Newport The Deep Life, I especially enjoy episodes about AI and finding alternatives to social media. I also follow Feel Better, Live More by Dr Rangan Chatterjee, especially episodes about nutrition and improving daily habits.

Organising

One of my January goals was to declutter five items a day. It's going very well, in addition to tidying up some more visible areas of the home I've also been delving into cupboards and getting rid of some things that should have been moved on years ago. I'm only halfway through the month but I'm not struggling to find things, and I've done two runs to the charity shop so far.

Eating

Another new year goal was to get my eating back on track with some healthier habits. I've enjoyed a few meals out with large desserts, but in between I've been cutting back and upping my fruit and vegetable intake. It's not about losing weight (although a little bit would be nice!) but just aiming for an improvement in my health and wellbeing.

Looking forward to

Harry starts learning to drive next week which is very exciting, both for him and us. I'm looking forward to sending him out on errands!

I'm really ready for spring now, although I know there's still a little time to wait. I want to see what happens to my garden when the weather turns warmer, whether all the bulbs that I planted appear and which plants have made it through the winter. I'm also deciding which seeds to plant to fill my garden with flowers for the summer.