Planning & Organizing Your Move
BEFORE YOU PACK
Planning out your move, and creating a system for organizing your belongings, will make your move a lot smoother. The first thing to do, before you ever even pack, is to make a “To-Do List.” Your list should layout important dates and deadlines for your move. Some of these will have a general timeframe (e.g. packing), but can keep you, and other who help you move, on track and all on the same page.
ORGANIZE YOUR BELONGINGS
Once it is time to start organizing your belongings, you will need to first think about where everything will be going in the new home. Draw up a diagram of the new house and figure out where you will be placing your furniture and other belongings. This will help you to start determining what you will and will not be taking to the new house. When you have either donated or sold what you do not want, you will be able to pack and label your moving boxes according to which room you want them in.
TAKE, SELL, DONATE, OR TRASH
To determine which things you will take, and which need to be sold or donated, you will need to go through them. If you are short on time try to enlist friends or family to help you go through everything. This process can take quite a bit of time so plan ahead as much as possible. Try to first divide things into 5 categories: Take, Sell, Donate, Trash, and Needs A Second Look. When you come across things you forgot you had, and cannot see yourself using/enjoying in the near future, be ruthless and make the decision to keep it or get rid of it before you lose it again in the new house. You will be surprised at how much stuff you will find tucked away in your current home, so decide if each thing is a benefit or a burden to you. Only keep things that will benefit you in your new home, and remember that whatever you determine to be an excess burden can be donated or sold to those who can benefit from it.
Holding a garage sale for the items you’ve decided to sell can generate more cash for your move, and can lighten the load for your moving truck. The less you have to pack, move, and unpack the easier it will be on you!
When you have a good idea of what will be going to the new house (even if you still have things to get rid of), start taking an inventory of the items you are taking and make sure to group them based on which room they are going into on your diagram.
CLEAN BELONGINGS WHILE IN TRANSITION
Clean as much of your furniture and belongings as possible while they are in transition. Some items, such as rugs, curtains, or couch covers, are not easily moved and cleaned otherwise, so now they have a chance to be since they are already being transported. Trust us, you will love having freshly cleaned rugs and curtains to accompany your new home!
STARTING YOUR MOVE
No one should ever move alone. Not only would it take much longer, but there are also safety concerns involved when moving large objects by yourself. You should either hire movers or find friends and family who can help you. If you have enlisted friends and family to help you then moving on a weekend will usually be better for those who work during the week. Make sure you have decided what each person will be doing, or which room they should focus on, before they arrive. With more people organization can suffer if they are not informed properly, so make sure everyone understands your system. After their job is done be sure to reward the friends and family who helped you. We recommend inviting them to a barbeque or house warming at your new home. This is a great way to say thank you and for them to see the product of their hard work.
Remember to contact your utilities company and inform them that you are moving. You will also need to contact the post office and submit a change of address.
LOADING THE TRUCK
When loading your moving vehicle it’s important to load the heavier/larger items on the bottom. This ensures that they will not crush any smaller/lighter items. You should also try to load the lighter items toward the back (so packing them first) since they will be the last things pulled out. Unpacking the heavier items first at the new house will leave the lighter items for later in the day when everyone is tired. We also recommend that you get insurance on the moving truck you use. Yes this will increase the cost, but it’s better than paying high damage prices or replacing the truck.
Planning a move takes time, and it’s hard to fight the urge to jump right in, but having a plan in place can speed up the process and make it a lot less stressful for everyone. You want to make your move as smooth and quick as possible so you can start enjoying your new home!
