6 Tips to Simplify Your Move
Are you about to move to another place for the first time? Don’t worry—most people go through this at least once.
While it may seem overwhelming to deal with moving companies, car shipping companies, and realtors, among many others, these tips can help you minimize the stress of the experience.
Time Your Move
Moving company rates tend to be higher during certain days like the beginning of the month, weekends, and holidays. Try to schedule a trusted moving company during the middle of the month to move your stuff to get the best rates..
Do You Need That?
Take the opportunity to get rid of some of your clutter. Do you need to take all your items to your next home? That can also be an opportunity to replace your older or outdated furniture.
But don’t just throw away the items you no longer want. You can try to take some of your money back with a garage sale. Clothes, old furniture, toys, and knickknacks can sell and help pay for your move—or that new table lamp you have always wanted.
For the items that didn’t get sold during your garage sale, you can try donating them to charity.
Get Organized
Now it is time for the real work to begin, organizing all the details of your moving day. It may seem a lot to take in, but that is the purpose of getting organized.
- Create a documents folder that includes all your important papers such as social security cards, driver’s licenses, and other records for you and your family. Save yourself the headache of misplacing a valuable document after moving professionals by having all of them close to you.
- Make a separate documents folder for everything that involves the moving day, such as details of your moving company, your car shipping company, rental agreement, etc. This folder should easily be accessible to you right before and during the move.
- Put together a moving checklist that will serve as your main battle plan. Either make your own or find a template online. Having this ensures that you don’t miss anything.
- Label your boxes as you pack them. More than that, have a system. Box similar things together. For example, have one for winter clothes, another for your office clothes, etc.
Have a bag for all your valuable documents close to you during the move. That can prevent potential hassles and problems finding something you need during an already stressful day.
Smart Packing
Smart packing does not mean you can ask Siri to do all the work for you. That means you need to have a process or system when putting away your things.
Ideally, you would want to pack your items by room. Throwing random things into boxes without any label is a surefire way to forget, leave, or misplace something. That can also cause several problems when unpacking in your new place.
Not only should you pack by room in your current house, but you should also do so for your new one. Put a label on each box based on what room they will go to and not where they have been. That will make unpacking easier.
Start by packing non-essential items first. These are the things you do not need daily. As moving day gets closer, that’s where you pack your essential items.
Another great tip is to pack heavy items in small boxes. Do you have a lot of books? Don’t pile them all in one box, making it too heavy to move around. Divide and conquer your heavy items.
Use your pillows, blankets, and bedsheets to protect fragile items. That can save you space and money. Not to mention, Mother Earth will thank you for lessening your plastic bubble wraps.
Notify of Your Change in Address
Most likely, you have already told your family and friends of your move even before you plan and pack. But several other important people need to know about this, such as:
- Your work or office
- Utility providers
- Internet provider
Give them advanced notice on the date of your move to get things settled quickly.
Get Some Help
Don’t do this entire process alone. There is a lot to take care of and pack, making it easy to miss things out.
Ask family or friends to lend you a hand when packing and even on your moving day. If you don’t have much stuff or are moving close by, you may be able to do everything with one or two friends helping you.
Otherwise, it is a good idea to get help from professional movers. They know what they are doing and can get things done very efficiently. You can get their help to bring your things to the new house or have them do your packing for you as well.
While the latter option is appealing, it can get expensive. And it is usually better for you to pack your things to make sure everything is done according to your needs or wants.
Moving can be difficult at times. But with the right people and proper planning, you can get through this with as little stress as possible.
