Moving to a new place can be great or disastrous, depending on your experience. While some people detest moving because of the work and time you need to put in, it’s just one of those activities you can’t escape at least once in your life.
Whether you’re making a move to college, a new city, state, or a few blocks down the street, the act of moving might be tedious and challenging, but it could be the beginning of something amazing. And while there’s no guarantee your moving process will be effortless as experiences differ depending on the circumstances, there are ways to ensure the task becomes more seamless and less stressful.
Knowing what to do and how to prepare can help you avoid making common mistakes and experiencing inconveniences that can ruin your experience. After all, a troublesome experience can alter your perception of the new place before you’ve even given it a chance.
With all that in mind, this article can be your ultimate guide as you plan for a move soon. Below are some tips and advice to help you get started.
1. Create A Moving Folder
It’s not too early to start getting all your paperwork in order. You can start by gathering your new address, rental or purchase papers for the new place, moving contracts, and any other documents you might need.
While you can utilize technology for this task, it can be useful to have and maintain a physical folder with all the necessary documents on top of a digital copy just in case your gadget or smartphone’s batteries get depleted when moving or you lose signal to access your files.
2. Ensure Your New Home Is Ready
As you finalize your relocation date, don’t forget to make the necessary arrangements for your new home and ensure it’s ready for occupancy. While your new place is already likely fully furnished and clean, take the time to check for possible elements that need to be added to make your home more livable. You can also inquire from your realtor or landlord about what needs to be installed.
For instance, you can start contacting internet service providers to ensure your new home has access to the internet once you move in. Moreover, you could also have home features like a water heater or smart systems installed before the big move. After all, it can be inconvenient to move into your new home or apartment, only to have it serviced weeks or even months later.
3. Book Moving Services Early
One of the critical decisions you have to make as you plan your move is to finalize the logistics or the process of packing and shipping or transferring your belongings from your current place to the new one.
Generally, there’s the question of whether or not to hire moving companies to help you or do the job all by yourself. Perhaps you have friends and family members who can help you move and transport your things, making it more ideal and cost-effective to opt to do it without professional assistance. But if you have a lot on your plate already and would prefer to avoid doing all of the hard work yourself, hiring a moving company can be your best bet.
You can start your research and consider the services that would be appropriate for you and suit your budget. Some moving companies offer services such as packing and loading a moving truck, which can go a long way in making the process more convenient and manageable. If possible, make the bookings early. This way, you can tick off that item from your list and focus on other aspects of your move.
4. Stock Up Supplies And Equipment
Ensure that you stock up on necessary supplies days or weeks before the scheduled move.
By stocking up early, you can avoid having to run to the retail store while the movers are loading the moving truck. This can also give you enough time to run and get anything that might have been forgotten. Some items that would be helpful when moving are boxes, box cutters, garbage bags, packing tape, and markers.
If you’re moving by yourself, consider renting moving equipment that’ll help with large items. Some equipment you might need is a furniture dolly, pads, or covers for protection. You can also get tie-down straps to help secure furniture during the move.
5. Declutter Your Things
Organizing your belongings and packing your home can be overwhelming if you’ve got a lot of things. And so, it’s recommended to declutter and remove things you don’t need to bring with you as you move to a new home.
While it’s understandable that it can be difficult to let go of some things, it can make the entire process easier. For one, by eliminating unused and unnecessary items, you’ll have fewer things to pack, move, and unpack at your new place. Moreover, without all the clutter, you can get a fresh start.
6. Pack Your Things Strategically
Packing your things is perhaps the most hectic activity in moving. In fact, it’s one of those tasks that make the process tedious and tiring, with some people tending to wait until the last minute to do this. However, this is a crucial mistake to avoid. Ideally, you shouldn’t rush the process to prevent forgetting things or accidentally damaging items.
With that, here are some pointers to help you pack your things strategically:
- Start with items you don’t usually use or need
Since you’re already aware of when you’ll be moving, you can begin with off-season items and those that aren’t frequently used. For instance, if you’re planning to move during summer, you can pack all your winter gear and clothes.
Other items that are hardly used, like books, can also be considered for early packing. And so, when the time to move comes, you’ll realize that only a few items are left to pack.
- Master the art and science of packing
Another tip to help you pack is to find suitable and sturdy boxes to store and carry your items. The placement of your things inside is also equally important. For instance, if you’ve got heavy and light items, you can balance them in the boxes by placing the heavy ones on the bottom and the light ones on top.
Balancing the boxes can help reduce the chance of them falling and breaking. Additionally, ensure that there’s no space left in the boxes to secure your items carefully when in transit. You can fill the empty spaces with towels and packing papers.
- Pack by room
To help you be more organized, it would be best to pack in order of rooms by ensuring you finish packing for one room before moving to the next. Moreover, it can help to pack items by function and avoid mixing them to prevent confusion when sorting them once you move into your new place.
For instance, when packing the kitchen, ensure items, such as pots, pans, utensils, and plates, among others, are stored in the same box. As much as possible, avoid putting other kitchen essentials inside boxes meant for the living room or bedroom.
7. Organize And Label The Items Properly
With the number of things you have, it can be confusing and overwhelming to pack and unpack them, especially when you’re looking for a specific item, and this is where proper labeling comes in.
Make use of the markers and label each box properly, indicating what the box contains and whether or not there are fragile items inside. During labeling, you can also consider numbering each item and recording them in an inventory to help keep track.
8. Seal The Boxes Properly
Adding a layer of adhesive tape may not be sufficient to seal your boxes properly. To ensure that the boxes are adequately secured, you might have to be more generous and place several layers of tape on the bottom side of the boxes. You can also note the areas that seem like pressure points and add more tape for firmness.
9. Pack Fragile Items Carefully
The kitchen has a lot of fragile items, such as breakable plates, dishes, and cups, and knowing how to pack them can help ensure they’ll be secured while in transit.
One of the best techniques is to individually wrap each item, such as a plate or dish, then stack around five or six of them and wrap them together. Once done, you can place them on their sides in a box that has padding on the sides, bottom, and on top. As for cups and bowls, you can pack them inside each other but ensure that there’s paper in between. If you’re packing glasses, find boxes with cardboard dividers, then wrap each in a lot of paper.
10. Have An Essentials Bag
One of the essential pieces of advice to keep in mind is that not everything needs to be packed in a box and loaded at the back of the truck. And so, on the eve of the moving day, find an essentials bag and pack some things that you might need during the move, such as an extra pair of clothes, medications, and a toothbrush. On the other hand, if you have children, you can pack their stuffed animals or toys for quick access.
There’s a chance that you’ll be using most of these items, and so, by having an essentials bag prepared, you get to lessen the chance of sorting through multiple boxes just to find them.
Who You Work With Counts
Unless you want to handle the move all by yourself, this is another piece of advice you can’t ignore. When you schedule a local removal service, you get a whole crew helping you take out your belongings, load them on a transport service, take them to your destination, and unload them with as little scuffing as possible.
To ensure you work with the right people for this job, you should take the following steps:
- Research the company’s standing by reading online reviews and checking ratings on platforms like Google, Yelp, or the Better Business Bureau. Positive reviews and a history of satisfied customers are strong indicators of reliability.
- Verify that the removal service is licensed and insured. This ensures your belongings are protected in case of damage, loss, or accidents during the move.
- Determine the range of services offered. Some removal services provide packing, loading, transportation, unloading, and unpacking, while others may offer more limited assistance.
- Request detailed quotes from multiple removal companies. A reputable service should provide a clear and transparent estimate that outlines all costs, including potential additional fees for special services or extra hours.
- Inquire about the company’s safety protocols and measures to protect your belongings during the move. This includes proper handling techniques, secure packing, and the use of protective materials.
- Request detailed quotes from multiple removal companies. A reputable service should provide a clear and transparent estimate that outlines all costs, including potential additional fees for special services or extra hours.
Conclusion
Moving to a new place can mark the beginning of a new adventure. While it can be a tedious and overwhelming process to go through, there are things you can do to ensure a smoother and more manageable move.
Hopefully, with the insights above, you can be guided as you plan and prepare for a move.