12 Things You Need For Your Next Move
“Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.” -Brian Tracy
“Happiness doesn’t have just one address.” -Anonymous
These are just a couple of quotes that embrace change and movement.
Whether we like it or not we all typically move at least once or twice in our lives. Moving is a sign of a new beginnings and a fresh start.
You may be looking for a bigger space to accommodate your growing family or downsizing from your empty nest.
Regardless of your specific situation moving is no easy task.
Here are the 12 things you need to know for your next move to have most successful yet.
Before The Move
De-clutter
This is THE most common tip when it comes to moving. As people we naturally collect items over time that clutter our homes.
When preparing to move it is important to take inventory and purge things that are not valuable or have no intention of actually using. This is a moment to be honest with ourselves.
A key for clothing is if “I have not worn this in the last year, it may time to get rid of it”.
Obviously this does not include sentimental pieces of clothing or important documents.
I want to think is this something I can donate, sell, or discard?
Set Up Utilities
Once you have your move – in date, set up your utilities to be transferred on that date.
The last thing you want is to get to your new place and you don’t have power set up.
Get Supplies
You’ll want to obtain as many boxes as you possibly can and don’t pay for boxes.
Personally I have worked at restaurants, grocery stores and retail showrooms where packages were received daily and I could snag boxes when I needed them.
Even if you don’t work in one of those places reach out and ask for boxes. These establishments are constantly unloading boxes and they would love to get rid of some.
Hire Movers
One thing you’re going to have to decide is whether to hire movers or not.
If you are moving out of a one bedroom apartment you may not have a ton of items, call up a
couple of willing friends (pay them a little something for their time- even if it’s in pizza)
Let’s say that you live in a 5 bedroom two story home- it takes a lot of furniture to fill a space of that size, you want to hire a mover!
Hiring movers will save so much time and effort.
Make sure to ask questions regarding the supplies they will bring. Ask if the movers will have a hand truck, loading ramp, furniture pads, etc.
My recommendation is to hire a mover as soon as you have a move in date so that you can lock in the date.
Clean Out Your Fridge
Once you are 1 to 2 weeks away from moving, start to clean out your refrigerator. Eat the things that are still good and chuck anything expired.
The idea is to limit the amount of unnecessary items being taken to the new place. This does not only apply to the fridge, clean out the pantry too and throw out those stale chips…. it’s time.
Clean Your Linens
I love this tip.
Before you move, wash your bed linens and towels then pack them up.
Moving with clean linens will allow you to make your bed and take a shower with clean towels on the first night.
Moving is a challenge so being able to sleep in your own bed and take a shower will feel amazing after a long day.
Take Photos
If there are certain vignettes in your home that you would like to duplicate in your next place, take a photo and recreate it in your new home.
Obviously a new place will encourage you to move furniture and art around but if there is a set up you really love take a photo.
The same idea stands for organizational set ups that have worked in your home, if you love the way bathroom sink cabinet is organized take a photo and recreate it.
During The Move
Label, LABEL, LABELLL!
I cannot stress this enough – please label all of your boxes as detailed as you can.
Don’t just say “kitchen”, try labeling a box as “kitchen, pots, pans and cooking utensils”
Labeling with detail will help you to easily locate the items you need.
I would also recommend creating a color coded system. Example: If the living room is coded green, place a green piece of tape on any boxes meant for the living room.
Keep Rooms Together
In addition to labeling the boxes, make sure to box things up room by room. Meaning keep all of the kitchen items in the kitchen boxes. The last thing you want is to find a roll of toilet paper is your
dining room boxes.
Grouping rooms together will make the unpacking process much smoother!
Tape Screws to Hanging Items
As you are packing up, there are items that will require screws for assembly or hanging.
Bag up the screws and tape the coordinating screws to that item so that there is no confusion of what screws go with what.
Create an Essentials Box/Suitcase
An essentials box will save you so much time and headache on the first night in your new place.
You want to box up all of the items that you use on a daily basis in their own box or suitcase so that you can easily access things like toothbrushes, face creams, or deodorant.
I would also make sure to include clothes that you can wear for the next week. As you unpack everything, it can take time to get the closet put together.
Pack Your Cleaning Supplies Last and Unpack Them First
Once you are all packed up from your old place, you will want to clean the space.
This is not a requirement but this is your mess that you are leaving behind. Take a little of time and clean before hitting the road.
The same is true when you get to the new home. Hopefully the previous tenant cleaned after themselves but you still want to go over everything yourself and make sure your space is nice and fresh.
Honorable Mentions:
-Pack lighter items (pillows, blanket, linens) in larger boxes and pack heavier items (small appliances, pots, pans) in a smaller boxes. Your back will thank you!
-Wrap furniture legs in newspaper to avoid scratching your new floors and the furniture will be easier to move from room to room.
-Order dinner or a meal delivery service for the first week in the new place.
Moving is hard so I hope you find these tips helpful.
What is your biggest moving tip?