Whether you’ve recently purchased a new home or are relocating to a new rental property, moving is a significant moment in your life that can be both exciting and stressful.
There are countless things you need to plan and organize beforehand to avoid a hassle on moving day. Aside from packing and unpacking, you must ensure that the old home is in perfect condition, utility bills are paid, paperwork is completed, and your new home is ready to move into.
With so much going on, it’s easy to become overwhelmed and unsure where to begin, resulting in mayhem. Here are 7 easy tips you can follow for a smooth and stress-free move:
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Figure Out Your Move Strategy
When it comes to packing for a move, it’s best to figure out an entire moving strategy well in time instead of stressing yourself out at the last minute.
Start by planning when and where to start your packing, choosing the right option for logistics, and planning your move dates.
If you’re planning a short-distance move, you can choose between professional movers and a DIY move. For long-distance moves, there are many things you need to consider. You may have to stay in temporary accommodation on your arrival to a new city, town, or state until you find a new home.
In most cases, you may need to move your belongings to temporary storage for a few months. Open and covered storage spaces are now available in nearly all cities and towns across the country.
Even if you’re moving in or out of small towns such as Louisville, TN, storage facilities like Topside Storage will have you covered. These state-of-the-art Louisville storage units come in a variety of sizes and types.
You can be confident that your belongings will be safe and properly stored with 24-hour security surveillance, easy access, and paramount customer service.
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Create a Moving Checklist
Once you decide on your moving and storage facilities, it’s time to plan everything that needs to be done before, during, and after the move.
Make a moving folder and create a list of tasks to kick off the packing process. Place all documents related to your old home and contract documents related to moving, rental property, and storage facility into the folder.
As a rule of thumb, make a list of items that are of utmost importance and make sure they are the ones you pack last and unpack first.
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Start Organizing Things Early
To make things easier and less stressful on a moving day, you should start packing and organizing things as soon as possible.
Prioritize your tasks and set aside a couple of hours each day to pack items you won’t need right away. This will assist you in determining how much time you will need to pack everything. Make a packing schedule for each room, and make sure to complete each task within the set timeframe.
Start by packing any off-season clothing and items you rarely use. Separate important paperwork and essential items you need for the first few days in your new home.
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Plan Home Improvement Before Moving In
Making improvements in your new home is something you should do before moving in.
Whether your new home needs minor repairs and touchups or requires extensive renovations, it’s always a good idea to do the repairs and remodeling while you’re still residing in your old home.
An empty house allows for more space and mobility during renovations without disrupting your daily routine.
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Purge While You Can
Moving is a perfect time to get rid of all the useless stuff you’ve been holding on to for years.
Make a list of items that are no longer usable or won’t fit inside your new house. Donate, sell, or give these items away to reduce your packing list as much as possible.
Remember, the more items you pack, the more space you’ll need in the storage unit or moving truck which means additional moving and storing expenses. Compare the cost of moving bigger items with purchasing new ones and choose the most cost-effective option.
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Label Boxes for Each Room Separately
When you move into your new house, nothing can be more stressful than failing to figure out which box goes where.
If you want to stay away from the hassle of opening each box and looking through the items individually, it’s always a better idea to label each box separately or paste a list of items that are packed inside on top of the box.
Give a separate color to boxes of each room or mark them in bold so you can move boxes directly to the appropriate room on moving day instead of piling them up in one place.
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Pack Smart
Packing smart can not only save your packing time but also keep costs down. Ask your friend and family for extra packing materials and boxes.
Check your neighborhood to see if someone is donating old boxes and packing materials. Set up a packing area and keep the packing supplies in one place. Use towels, linens, quilts, old shirts, fabrics, and used paper to pack your belongings instead of buying expensive materials.
Make use of suitcases, bags, plastic storage boxes, and baskets to pack your stuff. Mark boxes ‘fragile’ that contain delicate or precious items to make the job easier for movers. Pack the packing materials, hardware, and essential tools at the end and store them with the essential items.
Final Thoughts
Moving in and getting used to a new place isn’t easy, but following the tips above can help ease the transition.
Before moving day arrives, it’s best to be prepared by packing all of your belongings, arranging for some ready-made food, water, and beverages, and planning activities for younger children and pets.
To avoid clogging up space in your new home, unpack only the necessary items first and try not to open all of the boxes at once. We hope the tips above will assist you in moving to your new home smoothly and comfortably.
