12 Moving Tips
Moving is a stressful, chaotic process that can take a toll on your mind and overwhelm you entirely, making you much less excited about your upcoming move than you should be. However, there are a few moving tips that will make your move much easier and more organized, enabling you to relax instead of stress about your move before it takes place. Here are 12 moving tips from our moving experts, that are bound to make your experience much more pleasant and smooth:
- Look up movers
When searching for ‘movers near me’, it is important to find movers that are reliable and offer the moving services that fit your needs. It might seem tempting to hire the cheapest movers on the market, but hiring a shady moving company can result in your move being conduced by unlicensed movers without insurance. This means that your movers most likely won’t care about the safety of your belongings, both your old and new home, and your experience overall. Finding reliable, reputable movers and hiring them for your upcoming relocation can make your move an enjoyable experience during which you won’t have to worry.
- Buy packing supplies
You’ll be needing packing supplies, and you’ll be needing a lot of them, which is why you should start hunting for good deals. Consider visiting your local liquor store for a chance of scoring some free, quality boxes, or look online for some cheap packing supplies. There are also quite a few alternatives to boxes, including suitcases, totes, plastic containers and trash bags, that can also be used to pack up your items. If you run out of boxes in the middle of your packing endeavor, this is a good tip to save some time and money.
- Find your tv box
When packing your electronics, it is important to pack them properly and ensure their safety during their handling and transit. Finding your tv box, along with the boxes of your other electronics will provide these items with the best possible protection. If you can’t find your tv box, or simply don’t have it anymore, consider giving your movers a call and asking them to bring one.
- Declutter
It might be tempting to start packing and finish as soon as possible, but this is a unique opportunity to assess your entire collection of belongings and decluttering your home. Not only will this result in less items that you will be moving, packing and unpacking, but also in the number of unwanted items that you will be bringing into your new home. Consider donating some of your belongings that are still intact, selling some items to find your move, or completely throwing away items that no one can no longer use.
- Inventory
When packing your belongings, it will be extremely important to keep track of every item you are relocating and having an inventory on hand once your movers arrive. Checking the list of items as your movers load them onto their truck, and unload them at your destination, will diminish the risk of anything getting lost or being forgotten during the process. Make sure to note every item you have, every box you have packed, etc. It will make the world of a difference.
- Pack for an hour a day
If you are thinking about when you should start packing, it might be smart to start at least three weeks ahead and pack every day, little by little. This will result in a much more organized packing process, and a stress-free project as well. You won’t have to disrupt your busy schedule, drain your energy levels, or worry about whether you will finish on time, as you will have the luxury of taking your time with this process.
- Calendar
Keeping track of what you need to do by the time your move takes place by marking everything in your calendar can result in a much less chaotic process and a much easier one. You can map out your entire packing project, mark when you need to cancel your utilities at your old home, and set them up at your new one, and any other task you need to complete before your move. This will help you stay on track and worry much less about your move overall.
- Don’t pack essentials
When you arrive at your new home, unpacking most likely won’t be the first thing you will want to do. You will most likely be exhausted from your move, and save unpacking for another day. This is why you should have your essentials by your side, unpacked, so you can have access to them as soon as you set foot in your new home, and during the first night. Medication, a tooth brush, a change of clothing, box cutter, and coffee can be some of the moving essentials that you should have by your side, however, this is completely unique to each individual.
- Label boxes in detail
When having to unpack everything at your new home, you will probably want to ease the entire process as much as possible while doing so. Labeling your boxes with the rooms they should be going to, if they consist of fragile items and the contents of the boxes are vital when you are tackling the process of labeling each individual box. Once you arrive at your new home and start unpacking, you will know where everything is and won’t need to play guessing games with your family.
- Communicate with your movers
When your movers arrive, it is important to let them know about your moving needs and wishes, and how you expect the entire process to go. You are free to give them instructions, let them know about any specific requests you may be having, and work together as a team to ensure a moving experience that is enjoyable on both ends.
- Food
Make a note to yourself to stop replenishing your food source around a week before your move takes place, so you don’t waste food and so you have enough time to defrost your fridge in time before your movers arrive. If you do have some food left over, consider donating some of it to your local food bank, or simply purchase non-perishable foods that you can easily transport.
- Unpack as soon as possible
You probably won’t want to unpack as soon as you arrive, but it is important to tackle the unpacking process at least during the first week living in your new home. Putting it off for more than a week will result in having boxes around the house after months of moving in, as it will get more and more tedious to unpack and handle the entire process. The sooner you start, the sooner you will get it done.