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4 Tips on Preparing for a Move to a New Home
Moving can be one of the most stressful things anyone can do, you always end up finding things you didn’t even know you still owned and the piles of your belongings seem to grow bigger and bigger. It doesn’t always have to be. Selling and buying a house is stressful enough. It possible to deal with the actual move and have it be a smooth transition. Here are 4 tips to use when preparing for a move.
Get Rid of Things You Don’t Need
First of all make sure to go through all of your belongings. Don’t leave any room, nook or corner of your home unexplored. Once you have gone through everything, decide what can be trashed, donated and sold. Ask yourself, “Do I need this and will this even fit in my new home?” Asking yourself that question will help you to quickly eliminate any junk you should probably get rid of. Another detail you should think of is your groceries/fridge. Make sure to clean out your fridge. Throw away food that has been sitting in there forever. The few weeks prior to the move grocery shop strategically. Buy groceries you know you will finish quickly and that way you will avoid having to clean out a bunch of junk and throwing away food. Getting rid of unnecessary items will help you haul only the items necessary for your new home and will definitely lighten your load.
Pack Strategically
You should start packing weeks in advance before the big move but make sure you pack things that you know you won’t need. Packing strategically will most likely take longer than just throwing everything into boxes but it will be worth it and will make the transition so much easier. Think about how many cardboard boxes you think you will need; ok now add more to that. You will always need more than you need. Label all your boxes correctly and put the stuff in them that belongs in there. A good strategy to use when packing is to pack according to room. For example: have an office box in which you store all your books, notebooks, office supplies etc. Make sure you have a box that’s designated for things you will need immediately after your move like your toiletries and stuff like that. Important paperwork should be packed in a way that can be found easily. Paperwork having to do with the sale of your home and the purchase of your new one should be immediately accessible in case of an emergency.
Ask Your Good Friends for Help
Do you have lost of friends that drive trucks? Ask them to help and avoid spending money on expensive movers. There are two ways you can go about asking your friends to help you move: you could bribe them with pastries, a meal or even alcohol. Make it towards where they get something out of it. Your other option is just guilt tripping them. Ask them to prove to you how much they love you by helping you pack and move.
Cancel/Set Up Utilities
Make sure to cancel the utilities to your old home the day or so after your move. You don’t want to be moving without utilities. Set up the utilities in your new home a day or two before you move in. The most important ones are electricity, gas and water. If those aren’t connected once you move, it will make for an unpleasant start to your move. All the other stuff like cable and Internet can be set up later.
Preparing for a move should not be stressful. If you start preparing in a timely manner, you should be good to go. Make sure to follow these tips and the transition from your old home to the new one should go seamlessly.
