Moving is never easy. Furniture, accessories and clothing accumulated throughout the years can surprise and overwhelm even the most organized of people. Here’s a handful of tips and advice we’ve picked up along the way that might help you when it’s your turn for a big move.
The most important thing when moving is planning. A move should be treated as a long-term project; create lists of things to do and schedule major events well in advance of the moving date. Not leaving things to the last minute will also ensure that the process is as smooth and stress-free as it can be. Most people should allocate from 6-8 weeks for the entire process.
Step one is to decide what major items (furniture, large electronics, appliances, etc.) will be coming with you to your new home and which will be left behind. Remember, your things may not fit or match with your new space, so take that into account when making your decisions. Once you’ve made these choices, you have to decide how to dispose of other large items you won’t be taking. Consider including them in your listing, giving them to friends/family or even donating them to a worthwhile cause. You could also hold a garage sale or even consider listing them for sale on a local site such as Craiglist or Kijiji. Remember it can take weeks to get rid of some of the bulkier items, so start sooner rather than later!
The next step is to co-ordinate arrangements for the actual move. Hiring a moving company, contacting your utility and insurance companies and arranging school transfers for your kids can take quite a few phone calls. Also consider contacting your medical practitioners, banks and local post office informing them of the upcoming change of address.
Next it’s time to start packing. You may have already started this process when you initially put your home up for sale. Your Realtor most likely told you to clear up the clutter and pack away anything that you weren’t using and that wasn’t going to help sell the home. Even packing just a box a day should assure that everything is done by the deadline and by spreading it out, it won’t even really feel like an inconvenience.
Another key point is to make sure that your utilities are up and running at your new house once you move in. People always remember to disconnect everything before moving out, yet often fail to confirm that everything is up and running for their arrival at the new place.
Remember, moving doesn’t have to be a grand ordeal if you spread tasks out things out and plan ahead. The better organized you are, the more seamless the process will be. Good luck!