Moving Tips
Moving to a new place is exciting, but also is a lot of work. It is easy to oversee some important things and make some common mistakes when moving. Check out these common slips, and how to avoid them.
Packing Plan
You need Packing Plan. You have more things than you think. Yes, you’ve read it right, you always have more things than you think you do. So do not leave your packing for the last day or even week. Start way ahead of time with things you won’t need until you move – your next season clothes, the top shelve of the wardrobe, the pantry or the back of the kitchen cabinets.
Decide on what to toss and what to bring with you while packing. Do not just pack everything, thinking that you will go through things while unpacking. If not sure about something – make a separate ‘questionable box’, and give yourself a timeframe. If upon moving you find yourself not using anything from it – toss the whole box.
Make sure you have enough packing supplies, do not rely on the few boxes and wrapping blankets you have. Again, people always have more things than they anticipate. And you don’t want to run around the neighborhood the night before moving to look for a roll of bubble wrap or extra boxes.
On the other note, if you hired full-service movers, keep in mind, that they will pack things as they find them and will label the boxes as ‘tv stand, lower shelf’, so you might want to rearrange your belongings into more clear categories.
Packing list
The day of the moving will be full of surprises, trust us. Can’t find the keys to the old place to lock up? Keys to the new place got accidentally packed in some box? A new house has electricity, but you can’t charge your devices because you forgot where all the cables are? Or everything went nicely and smoothly, you even took a shower at a new place, but can’t find any towels?
All this is easily fixed. While packing, make a packing list of all the things you will need on a moving day and right after. IDs, insurance papers, credit cards, chargers, makeup and medicine, flashlight, toilet paper – anything you can think of. If you have kids – pack some of their favorite toys, books, and snacks. For pets, include their bowls, food, and toys.
Asking for help on moving day
It doesn’t matter if you hired professional movers to pack and/or transport your belongings to your new home, or you are doing it yourself. It is still a good idea to ask a friend or relative to be with you on the day of the move. Having a second set of hands and eyes is immensely helpful on what is without a question a very stressful day. Furthermore, if you have little kids or pets – family member or a friend is your life savior on this day. Regardless of how prepared you are, you cannot predict how babies and pets will handle the moving, so your best bet is leaving the little ones with them.
Not preparing the new home to be moved into
Make sure you transfer all your bills and forward the mail to the new place. Call the electricity company, gas, water, phone, TV, and internet companies, and confirm that you will actually have all the utilities on the day you move. Some companies require at least three-day notice for transferring the service, and some companies – it is common for internet and TV providers, will require a week notice to schedule an appointment for a technician to come in.
In addition to utilities, take care of the cleanliness of the house. You can hire a team of cleaners, or come up to the new home yourself and make sure it’s clean enough to move in into. There’s nothing worse than spending the first hours in the new place cleaning the bathroom so you can wash up.
Moving sure is stressful, but we hope that our tips will help you avoid some common mistakes, and make your day easier.
