I hate moving. When I was younger, I once clocked in at 18 different places to live in under 2 years. I’ve moved cross country three times and no matter how much I prepare for it, I am filled with panic whenever I think about it. When you buy your new home or sell your old home, you know the countdown is on to moving day and soon your place will be filled with boxes and you’ll be looking at a lot of hard work ahead of you. Making the move is exciting, so knowing some of the secrets to a successful move can help. We thought we’d take a look at some moving advice culled from some of our agents and clients over the years.
Moving Basics
Dedicate a space in the house for important papers and valuable items. There are items that you will need when you move. Everyone has different “must have” items, but we recommend you keep IDs, wallets, keys, documents about your home, garage door openers – anything you can imagine you might need and won’t want to dig through boxes trying to find – all of these items should be placed in a safe place in your home that you designate as a no go zone. Tell the movers to not move it, tell your family to not pack it, just pick a place and make it known that no matter what, the items there are not to be touched. A kitchen or bathroom drawer often makes a good storage spot. Just don’t forget to grab it all as you make your final walk through of the house and walk out the door.
Keep things compartmentalized. Packing always starts the same. Careful labeling, specific items from specific rooms separated by box. Similar items packed together. As the time begins to approach, the packing begins to shift and before you know it, you have a box that contains a waffle iron, your underwear, a bottle of ketchup, and a few candles. Keeping order to the boxes and compartmentalizing your home as you pack will save you hours of digging through boxes later to find a spoon to stir your coffee with in the morning.
Use strong boxes. This might seem a little obvious, but there’s nothing worse than picking up a cheap box and watching as the bottom gives way. When it comes to glassware, dishes, or that heirloom china, make sure you use the best boxes you have. Now might even be a good time to invest a few dollars in some boxes for these delicate items.
Don’t be afraid of bubblewrap. Newspaper works great for a lot of things, but if you really worry about an item and its safety as it bounces up and down in the back of a moving truck a couple of miles across town, step up your wrapping and purchase some bubblewrap. There’s a reason you always find it in packages shipped to your home. You can find it at most big box stores and office supply stores. It’ll cost you a few bucks, but it’s better to spend a few now than to open a box of tiny fragments of something you value.
Hire someone to do the heavy lifting. While you can save money by moving on your own, some times it just makes sense to bite the bullet and pay a company to do the work for you. Not only can you hire companies that will physically move the items, but there are plenty of companies that offer packing services. We’d recommend you buy insurance as well, as it can cover any items that do get damaged in the move. Just be sure to read all of the fine print before signing on the dotted line. Ask friends for recommendations – there are a lot of fly by night, inexpensive companies out there that are not worth the money you will spend and you’ll wind up with more headaches than wanted.
image courtesy of C1ssou
