Don’t drown in cardboard boxes and packing tape when it’s time to move to your new home. You can follow some great strategies to reduce your stress and the time it takes to pack up and go.
Here is a guide that will definitely smooth your move.
- Make a to-do list – Tasks always feel a little more under control when they’re written down. And moving house involves a lot of steps. Perhaps start making your list by walking through your home and jotting down what you see that needs to be done. Do this is a structured way. Maybe start in the bedrooms, go to the bathrooms and so on.
- Sort out your suppliers – An essential element in your list is to contact all the companies that supply services to your house. These will include utility companies, your internet provider and the U.S. Mail to arrange a forwarding address. With suppliers, let them know in advance of your departure, and ask that they end the billing period and service on a specific date.
- Time for a clear-out – Minimize the items that you need to pack. Decide what you don’t use, need or want. Can you give it away, sell it or leave it with a charity? Use this as an opportunity to get all the junk out of your life.
- Pack one room at a time – This is easier said than done. But be ruthless. Work out which rooms can be completed first. Never move from a room until it has been completed, otherwise the magnitude of the task will overwhelm you.
- Be prepared – Buy quality boxes, bubble wrap and a tape dispenser. Make the purchase from a storage business and ask if you can return any unused boxes. That way, you can over-order and know you’ll get your cash back for what isn’t used. Also, ensure the boxes are all the same size. It makes it easier to pack on to the truck. And that tape dispenser? Get a good one. You won’t regret it.
- Think ahead – Make sure you book your removals van in good time. Double-check the transport will do the removal in one run. If not, get a bigger vehicle. Consider the obstacles at your destination. How easy will it be to park the van? If you’re moving into a unit, ask about a service lift. Make sure you know how you’re going to get all your furniture up to your new place.
- Label everything – This is essential when the time comes to unpack. If you’re really on top of your game, then you can plan how the truck should be packed, so essential boxes go on last and come off first. For rooms such as the kitchen, write an inventory of what is in the box so you don’t spend two days looking for the coffee and sugar.
- Make a checklist – Before the truck moves off, just go through a list of critical items that you either wanted packed or kept with you. Make sure you have your keys for your next home, your wallet and ID. If you have kids, are there teddy bears, dolls or sporting equipment that they can’t live without? If so, make sure they’re not in the van.
- Make an overnight bag – Sleeping arrangements are one of the first tasks to sort out at the other end. You don’t want to rummage through boxes seeking out toothbrushes and paste, hairbrushes and pyjamas when you least feel like it. Consider packing a suitcase for this task.
At the other end…
- Deliver boxes to their rooms – A common error when unpacking the truck is to drop all the boxes in the hallway or living area. If you’ve marked a box “Katie’s bedroom” then make sure it goes there.
- Look after yourself – Moving day is full-on. Have food handy as moving boxes for hours on end can fry the nerves and ignite the appetite. Some people try to turn the work into a game, making the day a fitness challenge rather than just drudgery.
- Don’t forget the kids – They’ll need to be entertained and, funnily enough, unpacking boxes isn’t going to do it for them. Have games, computers and iPads handy to keep them quiet if they really can’t bring themselves to help mom and dad, or ask friends if they can stay for a playdate.
- And breathe – Yes, moving house is hard work, but having a new home is exciting and so take time to celebrate and enjoy the latest chapter in your life.