Moving to a New Home? Here's What to do First
From finding a starting point to hiring the right company moving to a new home can be a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. With the right planning, you can make your transition much smoother and less stressful.
Before you find yourself under a pile of newly made boxes, take a look at a few simple steps you should take in order to make your move a much easier process to handle:
1. Plan. Ahead.
Just like every major task in life the most important thing you can do when moving is to plan ahead. Begin by researching the area you’re moving to (schools, hospitals, traffic, etc.) and make sure you understand what the process of moving entails (types of services, amount of boxes needed, bubble wrap or cardboard, etc.). Once you know what you need to do, make a list of tasks and create a timeline for yourself. We recommend using free apps like Google Sheets or Notes to keep your lists up to date, organized, and accessible for anyone helping with the move. This will help you stay organized and on track for getting everything done in time and also help you focus more on the unforeseen tasks that can sprout up during the moving process.
2. De-Clutter.
Moving into a new home is a great opportunity to de-clutter your life, and possibly make a little money in the process. Take this time to go through all your belongings and decide what you really need and what you can get rid of.
If you're not moving immediately and you're planning proactively, you can start listing items with value on marketplaces or hold a yard sale as well. This is an easy way many families secure funds to help with the moving process. More Importantly, make sure to donate any items that are still in good condition and recycle or throw away any items that are too worn out. This will help you save time when it comes to packing and unpacking along with saving you money on the time allotted for moves if you hire a Moving Company.
3. Research Local Services.
When you move to a new area, there are a lot of services you may need to research. You may need to research local schools, healthcare providers, commute services, fire departments, and other important resources. One of the best things you can do is visit your potential hometown beforehand, especially if you are moving a far distance. Visit during a local event so you can get to know some of the locals and have a better feel of where you could be living. Along with researching local services, researching a moving service provider is just as important. If you are moving locally sometimes it is best to rent a truck from a local provider(u-haul, budget, etc.) and hire a labor service. If you are moving out of state, then a full service company may be more cost effective.
Take the time to research these services before you move so that you can make an informed decision about which ones you want to use or whether this is the place you would want to move to.
4. Pack Early.
Packing can take a long time, so it’s important to start early. Start by grabbing small, medium, and large boxes in bulk (some places have free boxes but be careful with the condition) along with cardboard box tape and begin packing up items that you don’t need now. This will help you avoid the last-minute rush of swooping everything up at once in one box and will help with the de-cluttering process as well. Make sure to label all your boxes clearly so that you can easily identify what’s in them when you unpack and write on the sides of the boxes as well so the label is visible during the unload. Packing can be the most tedious part for a lot of people so the sooner you start the process the easier it is to move when the big day comes.
5. Make Arrangements.
Like every other blog, we save the most important step for last. Before the big move date, make sure you made arrangements for things like utilities, mail forwarding, and storage. There's no worst feeling than getting all of your bills in a month late because you forgot to change your address with your mail carrier.
The more urgent tasks like changing school systems or registering licenses should be done a few months prior to moving, while smaller arrangements such as renting a storage unit or changing your internet provider should be done a month prior. So take the time to make all these arrangements before you move so that everything is already in place when you arrive to your new home.
Moving to a new home doesn’t have to be a stressful experience. With the right planning and preparation, you can make your move easier and make sure that everything goes smooth. Take your time, plan ahead, and start early so that you can have an easy transition into the next chapter of your life.