8 TIPS for an EASIER move!!!
After having moved numerous times in my adult life, I can actually say moving should really be a four-letter word. It’s time-consuming, stressful and just all around tough! Here are a few tips to help get you focused so your move is a bit easier and hopefully less stressful!
Create a moving checklist. From personal experience, keeping a list that I can add to and check items off of helps eliminate some of the brain clutter and stress often associated with a large task like moving your entire house (and life) to a new address. Don’t underestimate the value of using a checklist!
Start packing well in advance. I’m not talking a week or two, I’m talking months, yes, months before your move date. When you start with plenty of time, you can actually declutter and purge as you go. This takes extra time, thought and mental bandwidth to make all the decisions necessary to decide whether or not to take certain items. If you don’t think it’s worth your time to have to pack it up and unpack it, toss or donate it! You will thank yourself later when you have half as many boxes and can unload and set up much quicker at the new place.
When packing, pack strategically. Start with items you rarely use and make sure to label all boxes with what room the items will go in. You could also go hi-tech and use bar codes for each box (check out what Amazon has to offer), and get more detailed with what items are in each box.
Get all of your bills set up to pay automatically, or at least, to receive them via email. This way, you don’t accidentally overlook paying something because you forgot to change the mailing address and now you’re in panic mode!
Call your future utility companies in advance and find out if there’s anything they will need from you to get the utilities in your name and on, when it’s time. I would also call and set up an internet/cable appointment well in advance because if you wait until the week of the move, they might not have any appointments until days after you’ve moved in…been there done that…Not fun!
Notify the Post Office of your Change of Address and effective date for the change to take place.
Hire movers if at all possible! Even if it’s an in-town or local move, most people can benefit from at least having movers handle just the heavy pieces. They bill by the hour and usually by how many movers there will be. If it’s a long distance move and you will need a moving company that costs thousands of dollars, seriously consider selling all of your furniture and buying new when you get there. The cost of the move could actually be MORE than the cost of new furniture, so, do the Math!
Use a POD to get ahead of the move. Renting a POD or similar storage unit that can be dropped in your driveway ahead of time can help you load at your own pace and eliminate the need to move what feels like a million boxes on moving day. When you’re ready, the POD can be picked up and moved to your new place. You can decide how long to rent it so you can load and unload at your leisure.
With a little preplanning on your part and starting well in advance, the move might not be so bad!