This Checklist Will Help!
Preparing makes all the difference when the big day finally arrives.
After all the hard work of searching for your new home and finishing all the paperwork, it’s finally time to move! Now, this step can be smooth or stressful depending on how you get ready, so read on for some proven tips that will get you settled in before you know it.
1. Box Everything!
It may seem silly at first, but yes, even those odd-shaped pieces of art should go in a box. The beauty of boxes is that since they are squares and rectangles, they fit neatly in a moving van or truck and use every available bit of space as efficiently as possible. Plus, movers can stack two or three boxes in their arms at once, speeding up the process. Loose objects, however, actually take up more of the volume of the vehicle, without allowing as much to be packed, and carrying loose objects means more trips, causing a slowdown that costs you time and money.
2. Label Everything, Tool!
Once you’ve packed and bubble wrapped the perfect box, all you want to do is move on to the next one. Avoid this temptation! Taking a few seconds to label the box now will save you hours of work later when you’re unpacking in your new home. Make sure each box is marked with its eventual destination room and a brief list of contents (just enough to help you remember, such as, “Grandma’s Dishes” or “Mom’s Comic Books”). This will get your stuff to the right spot and you’ll have an easier time prioritizing what to unpack first.
3. Toss the Non-Essentials
When you’re settled in a space it’s easy to collect things you don’t need (or even want!) because you have room for it all. Got an extra cheese plate for your birthday? Just toss it in the attic – you might need it later. Well, Moving Day is all about reducing so you save money and stress on the transport. So, as you pack, make an honest assessment of each thing you haven’t used in a while. Does it have sentimental value? Are you likely to use it again soon? Is it outdated or a duplicate of something else? Whatever doesn’t pass this test should go into a donation bin. You’ll breathe easier as you see the pile of things to pack get smaller!
4. Take Apart Your Furniture
This doesn’t apply to those gorgeous antiques, but most of us live with modern furniture that originally came to us flat-packed from the store, and there’s a reason for it – it’s easier and cheaper to ship things in flat rectangular boxes. The same goes for Moving Day! If you’ve saved your assembly instructions (or can download them from the manufacturer’s website), take apart your furniture and either tape up the pieces in square-shaped bundles or pack them in a box. That couch now magically fits at the bottom of a van’s cargo space instead of taking up the whole van by itself! As a bonus, this greatly reduces the risk of movers damaging your furniture in transit.
5. Get Some Help!
You may have noticed that each of these tips have one thing in common: movers! Moving by yourself can make a daunting task nearly impossible, and professional movers take that chore out of your hands entirely. You’ll want to get recommendations from trusted sources and negotiate a flat rate (or verifiable hourly rate) in advance, including any taxes and gratuities. Once those details are sorted and you’ve packed appropriately, let the professionals do their work and let your stress disappear. If professional help isn’t in the budget, gather a reliable group of friends and family instead. Set up a chain of helpers, where one person is stationed at each point in the house (first floor, staircase, second floor, etc.) handing boxes down the line; if people remain mostly stationary they can do more work for a longer time. When it’s all done, your pals will need some pizza, but that’s the fun part!
Do you want to make your home-buying experience go as smoothly as possible? Get in touch so we can help!
