Have a Less Stressful and Easier Move With These Tips
Are you looking for some of the best moving tips? Moving from one home to another is a necessity that we eventually all have to go through when buying or selling a house. It’s stressful, can get quite complicated, and will be annoying at times. But wouldn’t it be great if you could make your moving experience go smoothly?
Fortunately, there are many things you can do to make it an easier process. We have put together the top moving tips to give you a better chance at a stress-free move.
The Planning Stage of Moving
One of the best pieces of moving advice you can follow is to plan and prepare. This should help you to avoid many of the problems that will come your way and stop you from rushing to meet the moving day deadline.
Most folks in the moving industry recommend creating a moving checklist as it will help keep you on track. As you complete tasks, scratch them off of your list.
Getting your house de-cluttered before you pack will make the move a lot easier. If you have spoken with a real estate agent they have probably already stressed how vital the appearance of your home is anyways.
Make your home sparkle and you’ll be two steps ahead of the game.
Packing Supplies are Essential
One of the best moving tips is getting all of your moving boxes and packing supplies in advance. It is good moving advice to make sure you have the packing materials ready before you need them. This is particularly important if you are hoping to save money by using free boxes.
Due Diligence on Picking a Mover
If you are going to be using professionals to move your possessions, you need to start getting quotes as soon as you know the moving day. Aim to get at least three quotes so that you can compare what is available. Then check online for what other customers have said about the movers.
Here is an excellent guide showcasing some of the best movers. Each of these professional moving companies are some of the most well known in the country with years of experience behind them.
If you are considering making a do it yourself move and getting your own moving truck, it will also be essential for doing proper due diligence on picking the best company. I would suggest looking into renting a U-haul truck in your area, as the company is highly reputable.
Remember that picking the right moving time frame can affect your wallet. Moving in the Spring and Summer which are considered peak season is typically more expensive.
Questions to Ask a Mover (Video)
To ensure you pick the right moving company make sure you ask these vital questions found in the video provided by Updater.
Take Care of Changing Your Address and Forwarding Mail
One of the most vital tasks when moving is to get your address changed with the post office and have your mail forwarded to your new address. Not doing this early on could cause a delay in getting essential mail down the road. Who would want that? Can you imagine not getting an important bill that causes a ding in your credit? It can certainly happen if you don’t plan ahead properly.
There are a ton of people, companies, and organizations to let know you’re moving. Take a look at this extremely detailed list of who to notify of your impending move. Getting your mail and moving notifications squared away early is one of the best moving tips bar none!
Get Utilities in Order
You will need to tell your utility providers about your move in advance. They may need at least a couple of weeks’ notice if you expect to have your utilities up and running when you move in.
If you are selling a house, you’ll need to call in for final readings a week or two in advance of the closing and either pay the bill or ask for it to be put on the HUD settlement statement.
Budgeting is Vital
Moving from one home to another is an expensive process, and you need to have a budget set aside to cover your costs. You don’t want to find that you lack the money to cover the bills when they arrive.
For example, will you have a temporary storage unit that will be in use prior to getting to your final destination? Budgeting for such expenditures is sound advice as costs can add up quickly.
Depending on where you are located, the season, and the current demand, prices can vary dramatically on the cost of storage. Make sure you pick climate-controlled storage for your valuables and other items that could spoil.
If you will need access to your things at odd hours, you might also want to consider picking a company that offers 24-hour storage.
Donating is Worth Considering
If you know you have too much stuff, or there is some furniture you don’t want to bring to your new place, you can donate to good causes. They will normally collect items from you, but you will need to book this for a convenient time. This may mean you need to arrange this, weeks in advance, however.
Donating is an excellent way of getting rid of unwanted things both before you sell your home and also before moving into your next place. It can be a real win-win because you are not only making your home look much better for potential buyers but also helping someone in need.
There are also businesses that specifically will pick up unwanted clothing and furniture.
Get Rid of Unwanted Junk
Another crucial aspect of moving is getting rid of unwanted junk. Most real estate agents will recommend you do this before putting your home on the market. Again, it is all about making the presentation of your home the best it possibly can be.
One of the more well-known and reputable junk removal companies is 1-800-Got-Junk. They are usually a bit more expensive than local companies but tend to be very responsive.
Get Rid of Excess Food
It is better to reduce the amount of food you have in your refrigerator before you move. You don’t want to have too much food to move in cool boxes, leaving you to throw some of it away. Plan to have the minimum amount of food by the time you come to moving day so that this isn’t a concern.
Packing Up Your Things
There are plenty of moving tips to help you save time and money when packing your stuff. Taking heed of these things will make loading and unloading your moving truck easier as well.
Let’s take a look.
Hangers Are Essential
Instead of removing your clothes from their hangers and folding them to box up, use a wardrobe box. Even if you don’t have a wardrobe box, you could put them together in a large plastic bag. A wardrobe box will keep your items in much better shape than folding them up.
Dresser Drawers
Unpacking your dresser drawers is likely to be a lot of work. You could leave things in the drawers, remove them from the dresser, and tape them up in bubble wrap.
If they don’t weigh too much, you could even leave them in the dresser, taping the drawers shut. Lots of people prefer this moving method than trying to box the contents.
Get Some Plastic Containers
If you have some small pots and other containers to pack, you could use them to keep smaller things safe. This should also save you some space as well. Lots of folks are using plastic containers rather than boxes because of their durability.
Towels Can Be Handy
Towels and other linen could take up a lot of space when you move, it is better to put them to some use. They can save you some packing materials when you use your linen to protect some of your breakables. You could use this in addition to bubble wrap or instead, and it is particularly useful for larger items like lamps.
Dish Towels For Wrapping
You can use dish towels to wrap sharp knives, that would otherwise cut through your packaging. Then tie them up with string or use rubber bands to avoid the knives becoming unwrapped.
Avoiding Spills
Many types of containers could spill or leak during your move. Put some plastic wrap or tape on containers that may not stay upright during transportation. Shampoo, soap, and cleaning products, among others, can be prone to leaking in your cardboard boxes.
Suitcases Can Be Useful
If you have some suitcases, use them to help you move. They are designed to make it easy to carry things anyway, so make the most of their wheels to move heavier items.
Label Your Things
Remember to label your boxes, so you know which room they should go in. Color coding is an option, as long as you can remember which room the color refers to.
Taking Pictures is Smart
Taking pictures of the contents of your boxes will help you locate items if you need to find them later. Though you won’t be able to photograph everything, it should give you some clues as to which box to look in. Take pictures of the back of your electronics, like PCs and TVs, so you can put the cables back with the least trouble.
When disassembling electronics, it’s helpful to take a photo of the back configuration so you’ll know where how to easily put back together. Also, take photographs of any furniture taken apart to assist in putting it back the way it was. Additionally, make sure you label anything else you take apart.
A Moving Day Bag
Not everything should be packed away, there are things you will need on and around the day that you move. This will include any meds, a toothbrush, documents, chargers, and some fresh clothes. Each person in the home needs a bag like this that doesn’t get packed away with the other boxes.
See more great tips for packing your house for a move here.
On Moving Day Advice
When you get to moving day, you should have almost everything ready. Don’t leave any packing to the day of the move if possible to avoid stress. You will be running around like a mad-man as it is already.
Cooler
If you have a cooler for drinks and snacks, it will make things easier. Keep it in your car so that you get to it when you need something to eat or drink.
Pets and Kids
You will need to have a plan for your pets and younger children. This might mean having friends or family take care of them for the day. If your kids stay with you, they could add to your stress. Though if you can plan ways to keep them entertained on the day, you should be able to reduce this.
Here are some great tips on how to move with pets. You can also glean some excellent advice on making selling your home with kids far more manageable with these tips as well.
Give The Movers a Gratuity
Your movers are part of the service industry and as such are going to expert you’ll provide them with a gratuity if they do an excellent job. Lots of folks have no idea what they should tip a mover. Use this handy guide and you’ll see what is common for tipping a mover. The movers will no doubt appreciate your kindness of providing a gratuity.
Unpacking Your Stuff
Kitchen
It is normally going to be more important to unpack the kitchen boxes first. There will be a lot of items to put away, but it gets a big part of the unpacking done first. The kitchen is the heart of the home and where you’ll be spending most of your time. It makes sense to tackle this area immediately when moving in.
Taking Your Time
Not everything needs to be unpacked immediately. You will have many boxes that you can unpack in your own time when you are less stressed.
Deadlines
Having said that, leaving boxes unpacked can be a problem. It is a chore that you can all too easily put off, so try giving yourself a deadline to get everything done. You can give yourself a couple of weeks, perhaps plan a house warming party as an incentive.
Recycle
When you’ve emptied your boxes recycle them. You could find someone else who needs packing boxes online or take them to a recycling center. Public Goods has some excellent tips for recycling your moving boxes – be sure to check them out.
Final Thoughts on The Best Moving Tips
For most people moving is one of the most dreadful life events. There are probably only a few other things in life that cause more stress. One of the most valuable takeaways is planning well in advance for all of the stages of moving.
Hopefully, you have found many of these moving tips to be useful.
About the author: The above Real Estate information on the best moving tips for a less stressful and easier move was provided by Bill Gassett, a Nationally recognized leader in his field. Bill can be reached via email at billgassett@remaxexec.com or by phone at 508-625-0191. Bill has helped people move in and out of many Metrowest towns for the last 33+ years.
Are you thinking of selling your home? I have a passion for Real Estate and love to share my marketing expertise!
I service Real Estate Sales in the following Metrowest MA towns: Ashland, Bellingham, Douglas, Framingham, Franklin, Grafton, Holliston, Hopkinton, Hopedale, Medway, Mendon, Milford, Millbury, Millville, Natick, Northborough, Northbridge, Shrewsbury, Southborough, Sutton, Wayland, Westborough, Whitinsville, Worcester, Upton, and Uxbridge MA.
Hi Bill,
Nice piece of information on moving. It is really descriptive. I am planning to move soon and your tips really will help me. Thanks for sharing it!
Sarah, I am glad you enjoyed the moving tips.
Great article. Moving is a really stressful activity for so many people so having helpful tips like these really does make things easier.
I would really like to move by the end of this winter. I want to get into a house that is closer to my parents since they are getting older. Thanks for explaining that it would be smart for me to consider labeling things really well. Personally, I would like to get professional movers to help me move everything.