Moving to a new home is exciting. You’ve spent months searching for a new place, negotiating with the seller, and waiting for your finances to clear. When it’s finally time to move, the anticipation is palpable.
However, it’s important to take steps beforehand to make sure your move goes off without a hitch. Don’t allow yourself to leave everything until the last minute. Otherwise, you’ll end up scrambling around trying to get everything packed up and taken care of.
We’re here to help you make sure your moving day goes smoothly. Keep reading for our top seven moving tips.
1. Use This Time to Declutter Your Life
One of the most important moving tips is to use this transitional period of your life to start fresh. We’re not suggesting you get rid of everything you own and spring for an entirely new house full of possessions. However, this is an ideal time to declutter your life and purge unnecessary stuff.
Use the traditional decluttering motto – if you don’t love it, need it, or use it, it needs to go. Most people have way more stuff than they need anyway. Did you know the average person generally only uses about 20% of their wardrobe?
It will be much easier to pack and keep your new home clean and organized if you have less clutter. Consider hosting a garage sale, listing valuable items online, or donating your unwanted stuff to charity before the move.
2. Make Multiple Moving Checklists
Before moving into a new apartment or house, you need to make a couple of moving checklists. Obviously, the first checklist should be a list of everything you need to pack, organized based on how you want to pack. This should also include a list of all the packing equipment you need, such as:
- Boxes
- Bags
- Totes
- Packing material (packing peanuts, bubble wrap, packing paper, etc.)
- Packing tape
- Labels and markers
Your next moving checklist should include all of the logistics you need to take care of before leaving your current home. This includes:
- Hiring movers
- Changing your mailing address
- Turning off your current utilities and services
- Setting up your new address’s utilities and services
- Notifying your children’s current school/registering them at their new school
- Notifying your friends and family
- And more
Plan ahead and write everything down to make sure nothing slips through the cracks.
3. Start Packing Sooner Rather Than Later
Whether you hiring movers or doing the entire move yourself, one of the best moving tips is to start packing weeks (if not months) in advance. The sooner you start packing, the less of a hassle it will be. Start with the non-essentials.
These include spare bedrooms, extra bathrooms, out-of-season clothing, storage items, sentimental items, decor, etc. You don’t need to make your home feel bare and cold for the last few weeks you live there, but the more you can get done in advance, the easier moving day will be.
The only exception is if you decide to hire movers whose services include packing up your home.
4. Hire a Professional Moving or Shipping Company
Now it’s time to decide if you want to hire a moving company. On the one hand, you can save some money by doing the entire move yourself. However, it will certainly take you much more time and effort.
Additionally, without the proper moving equipment, transportation, and manpower, you risk damaging your possessions. Finally, you may not have the physical ability to move heavy items like dressers, beds, pianos, furniture, and appliances. Attempting to do so could lead to injuries.
Some moving companies also offer temporary storage. This can be helpful if you need to move into a temporary living space before selling your current home and moving into your next.
We recommend looking into your local moving companies. If you’re planning a longer move, you may need to look at freight shipping. Do some research to find out what your best option is.
5. Organize Your Boxes Based on Your New Home
One of the most overlooked moving tips centers around how to pack up your current home. Most people simply go from room to room and organize their boxes as such.
However, the layout and design of your next home may be quite different. This can make the unpacking process complicated and disorganized.
Instead, organize your moving boxes based on your new home. Pack items in labeled boxes for each room in the new house or apartment. When you get to your new home and start unpacking, it will be much easier.
6. Take Pictures or Note for Complicated Setups
One of the biggest mistakes people make is assuming they’ll know how to put things back together at their new home. Before moving into a new apartment or house, it’s only practical to disassemble large items and furniture to make moving easier. Some items won’t fit through doors or hallways without being taken apart.
However, you need to make sure you take pictures and make notes of the assembly of these items. Otherwise, it’s likely that you won’t remember how it all goes back together. Additionally, make sure you bag and label all the pieces, such as nuts, bolts, screws, and other hardware.
We recommend using a similar tactic with complicated electronics with various wires. This includes speaker systems, entertainment devices, and more.
7. Pack an Essentials Bag for Moving Day
Regardless of if you’re renting a moving truck or hauling everything yourself, you need to set aside a day bag. This is one of the most important moving tips, especially if you’re moving to another city or state. Pack a bag or box of essentials in case there are delays or other interruptions in your move.
If you need to stay overnight at a hotel or something happens to your stuff during the move, you’ll be prepared. Your overnight bag should include:
- A few extra pairs of clothes
- Hygiene essentials
- Multiple forms of money and your driver’s license
- Food and water
- Pet food and dishes (if you have pets)
- And whatever else you deem necessary
Odds are, you won’t need this bag. However, it’s always better to be prepared.
Looking for More Moving Tips or Apartment Leads?
We hope you enjoyed and found value in our top moving tips. If you’re looking for more moving advice, homeownership tips, or decor ideas, Don’t forget to check the rest of our blog for more ideas
Good luck with your move!
