How To Make A Moving Process Seamless

There are many reasons why people move. Changing jobs, downsizing to a smaller home, going off to college, wanting to be closer to work, wanting to be closer to their children, whichever reason will be a stressful time – sorry to say.  But to make the process easier, I hope to help make your moving process seamless.

Let’s start by getting rid of anything you haven’t used in a year.  Yes, I know that may be a lot to handle.  Start with the storage areas of your home.  We usually don’t look in these areas more than a few times a year so easing into getting rid of stuff from these areas will give you the motivation to work on more difficult areas when this area is completed. Try it and see.  Start boxing up stuff you plan on keeping.  Keep a log of what is in each box.  Create a sheet that has numbers going down the page and space to write what is in each box as well as a location on where the box needs to go in the new place. Feel free to print this one out.

Pack a week’s worth of clothes in a smaller bag for each family member.  So just in case, you can’t get to put the clothes away, you have them easily accessible.

Pack a box with only kitchen essentials in it.  A frying pan, saucepan, plates, forks, bowls, spoons. This will be your go-to stuff if you don’t have time to take care of the kitchen.

Go through your papers that have been stored away.  Those papers that are in boxes from previous tax years, previous paperwork from different jobs, papers from your kids who no longer want them.  Get rid of any papers that you will most likely not look at in the immediate moment when you move.

Pack a box of important papers and your computer in a portable carrying bin so you can have everything with you.  Some items to keep with you: credit cards, bank paperwork, laptops, legal documents, insurance policies, a printed list of your passwords,  and any private paperwork.

Plan out your activities.  Create a moving calendar. Start with your move date and then go back and decide what you want to do before your move date.  It can be something like this. Then make a to-do list for a month ahead of the move, two weeks ahead, a week ahead, the day before, the day of the move and the week after the move. There will most likely be tasks that need to be done when you are at your new place too so keeping a running list will remind you what needs to be done and when. Feel free to print this one for your preliminary planning.

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Schedule the movers as early as you can.  They book up fast, especially the good ones.  Doing the above tasks before scheduling an appointment with a moving company is a good idea.  Some moving companies go by weight when determining the cost so hailing stuff you don’t want in your new place is a waste of money. If you have specialty items, like a piano.  Not all moving companies will move these bigger items.  Be sure to ask the movers about these items or ask them if they know of someone who will move them for you.

When you get your date to move, schedule the utility hook-ups like cable, telephone, gas/electric, etc… They may need some time to schedule these hook ups so be sure to contact them way in advance of your move-in date.

Get rid of as much food as possible before you move.  It’s best to start off fresh in your new home. So for a week or two prior to your move, eat everything that is in your current house. If you have a lot of food, try having a party and invite your friends over to help you chow down. Also, consider donating nonperishable items to the nearby food bank. Best of all, no wasted food!

Get rid of your toxic items before moving. In a home, there at things like paint, oil, and other items that need to be removed in an environmentally-friendly way.  You can hire a company to take them all, like 1-800-GOT-JUNK? or you can find recycling centers near you on Earth 911.

That wasn’t too bad, was it?  I hope not. Now that you are all packed up and about to move, let’s review what you need to do when you get to your new home.

When you get to the other home, remember to pace yourself and get as much done as you can without stressing yourself out.  Starting with the essential areas like the bedroom and kitchen areas work great.  If you can’t get to the other areas for a while, that’s OK.  It will eventually get done.  Working on one room at a time really helps you get to know your new place and really decide on where things will go.  If you only have time on weekends, schedule time in 4-hour time blocks.  This way you won’t be too overwhelmed and you will be able to see the transformation.

Well, that’s it for now.  I hope this helps you make your moving process more seamless.

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