Pity our poor forebears who had to move house without the benefit of the internet and modern technology. The house-mover of today enjoys all kinds of technological developments that their ancestors, even those from very recent history, would find impossible to conceive of; improvements such as better vehicles and more up-to-date devices for dealing with difficult objects like pianos that need to come out of second-floor windows. But it’s not just on moving day that the latest in technology comes into play – there’s a range of apps that can help improve your moving experience from the very moment you start the planning and strategising process right through to the settling-in period in your new domain. Here are some of the apps that are helping to make moving more streamlined and less arduous, more a pleasure than an ordeal.
Content
- Sortly
- Google Keep
- Measure/Google Measure
- Dulux Visualiser
- Around Me
- Tody
Sortly (iOS/Android)
Though it was originally conceived as an inventory-management app for businesses, more and more people have discovered that Sortly is immensely useful for domestic applications, including getting ready to move property. The app, free but with in-app purchases to unlock all features or take out a full subscription, enables you to create, organise and then manage and track your belongings. This can come in useful at several points in your move; for example, you can use it to give your chosen moving company an idea of the size of your move. Then, when you’re beginning to pack up your home, Sortly lets you create a folder for each cardboard box, and add photographs of the items it contains. If, when you’re unpacking, you find you unexpectedly need an item, there won’t be any worries about where to find it. You’ll know exactly which box to go to. And once you’re well into the swing of things in your new place, Sortly can continue to be useful, helping you keep track of where everything is.
Google Keep (iOS, Android)
Note-taking apps are, of course, two a penny – and it’s hard working out why you might favour one over any other. In its favour, Google Keep is free and a good choice if you’re already au fait with other Google tools, such as Docs or Sheets, because you’ll be familiar with the clear, uncluttered approach to the app’s design and layout. But it’s secret weapon is that it’s actually much more than a note-taking app; there’s a lot it can do for you in the moving process. Think how easy it is, during an undertaking as vast as moving house, to think of something and then forget it seconds later. Google Keep is like the perfect back-stop to the failings of our memories. You can make a record of anything that occurs to you, whether in the form of ordinary notes, voice notes, handwritten notes (using fingers or digital pen), photo notes, checklists and so on, and then arrange for Google Keep to remind you of them at the most opportune time. For example, you can set a location-based reminder so that the list you made of moving equipment pops up at the very moment you arrive at the hardware shop. Everything is easily shareable with the other people involved in your move and the app has plenty of scope for collaboration. Where some note apps just leave you with more things to potentially forget about, Google Keep makes sure nothing gets lost.
Measure (iOS) / Google Measure (Android)
Measuring apps are a godsend to a move – especially because one app can often take the place of several chunky physical devices we might once have had to rely on and which can, so often, get lost at the back of cramped desk drawers. How much easier it can be, for example, just to whip out your phone and turn it into a spirit level compared to actually finding that spirit level you remember having about three years ago and which might necessitate a half-hour searching expedition. Apple’s Measure app lets you determine the dimensions of everything from a rectangular object to an actual person and includes a function that turns your phone into a spirit level. Google’s Measure app serves much the same purpose, minus the spirit level. For that, you could turn to the Bubble Level app (iOS/Android).
Dulux Visualiser (iOS/Android)
Design and interiors goals are easier to realise now that we can do some of the dreaming in the digital domain. Once it would have been the case of getting plenty of paint samples, trying them out, letting them dry, and then going back and getting full-size cans. Now, the testing process can begin just by reaching into your pocket. With Dulux Visualiser, you can photograph a room and then try out all your colour-scheme ideas. The app also enables you to take a colour from an existing piece of furniture and then try out paint matches that might work well with it. Naturally, the ultimate goal of the app is to lead you towards buying Dulux paint (there is an in-app ordering system for that), and you may end up wanting to try out testing samples, the old-fashioned way, anyway, but it’s a good starting point in the redecorating process.
Around Me (iOS/Android)
The move is done and dusted so what now? Well, if you’ve moved to a new area, you’ll be spending time getting to know it. Even if it’s an area you already visited a lot (which, of course, might be what prompted you to move there), getting to know somewhere as an inhabitant is a very different thing. The Around Me app makes acclimatising all the easier – at a single click, you can see local amenities including hospitals, restaurants, petrol stations, banks, cinemas, theatres, taxi companies, hotels and more. Around Me can interact with mapping apps, including Google Maps, to make it even simply to find your way to where you want to be. Before no time, you’ll have a sense of your bearings in a way that would once have taken several excursions and hours of walking. Around Me is free but with in-app purchases
Tody (iOS/Android)
Once you’ve gone through the process of packing up an old home and everything it entails, from decluttering years of accumulated possessions to cleaning to inventory-taking to packing and unpacking boxes, surely the last thing you want is to gradually create a new environment that could end up being potentially every bit as unwieldy and chaotic. It’s the perfect opportunity to turn over a new leaf and never let disorder overwhelm you again. And a good place to start is with this cleaning app (free, but with in-app purchase to unlock all features). The Tody app breaks down cleaning/tidying into manageable tasks. So, say you only have 10 minutes to spare, you can still open it up and tick off a couple of tidiness-related tasks whether that be cleaning a bathroom mirror or changing the bath mat. This straightforward motivational app is a great way of starting as you mean to go on in your new place.
