How to Prepare for a Move
I get it, moving is hard work, and we want to pack up everything we own and throw it on a truck about as much as we want to go to the dentist. Moving is a daunting task, but when you plan and take the steps outlined below, you may successfully reach moving day with your sanity fully intact.
I have moved twice in the past seven years, once across county from Florida to Northern California and then again to the Bay Area. I have learned a lot along the way (read: ‘learn from my mistakes”) and I would love to help you ensure your moving day goes well.
If you are even considering moving in the next six months, the following 10 steps will help you stay on track and be ready well ahead of your actual moving date.
Purge baby, purge. Yes, we all like our stuff, but the time before you begin packing is when the magic happens. The less you have, the less you must pack. Let this be your motivation, and the fact that you will have less to unpack and organize upon arrival at your new home. If you haven’t used something in six months or more, consider selling it on Marketplace, gifting, recycling, or donating it.
Start early. It is beyond tempting to avoid preparing to move, but it takes far more time than you ever think it will. You also have your daily life to contend with so you will need to start as early as possible.
Make it a point to pack daily. It sometimes even helps to set a timer and pack. If you can pack even only 30 minutes to an hour a day, you will be surprised at the progress you will make. Once you get started, you will find that you will often spend longer than the 30 minutes you expected to spend.
Say yes when friends and family offer to help you pack. We all don’t want to put anyone out, but here’s the thing, the people that know and love you want to help you. It’s also a great way to spend time with the people you may not get to see as often when you do move. I had people descend on my home when I moved to the Bay, and seriously, if it wasn’t for them, I would have never made it out of my home in time for the new buyers to take occupancy.
Clean as you go. It may be tempting to wait to clean your home once everything is packed away. However, once the movers come and move out your furniture, or you move that washing machine, you will quickly realize how much cleaning will be required of you the day you move out of your house.
Schedule your moving truck. If you ask my husband, this is where I fell hard during our last move. It ended up taking us 3, yes 3, U-Haul trucks to move us. I should have listened to my real estate agent and husband when they said one 20-foot truck would not cut it. I will never live this one down, I assure you. In our case, the local moving companies did not have any trucks available. If this happens to you, remember that you can call companies outside of your local area, obtain a quote, and use them.
Look for packing materials on Marketplace or Next Door. Packing materials are expensive such as boxes and bubble wrap. Just check out your local hardware store, and you’ll get my drift. Many people just want to get rid of their packing supplies asap post move and they often offer them for free or low cost online.
Look for a qualified real estate agent now if you need to sell your home. They will help you begin the process of listing your home and will help you determine what you may need to do to ready your house for sale including additional decluttering, staging and repairs as needed to ensure your home is ready for a quick sale.
Make a list of your utility companies. One thing that can easily be missed is all the needed calls to utility companies to cancel/move service. Make a list of all the companies you will need to reach out to prior to moving so it will be easy to make those calls soon.
Start eating the food in your pantry and freezer now. Rather than pack food, it is good to start getting creative now to create meals with the food you have. You and your family can make it a game to see how you can use all your food. I know we challenged ourselves to eat everything we had in the refrigerator and literally all that was left in the freezer was zoodles. We considered this a win.
Yes, moving is stressful and a lot of work, however, it is a lot easier on you and your family if you employ the above steps and start early. Don’t forget to take breaks, rest as you go, and accept those offers for help along the way. You are worth the time investment by others and I’m sure you’ll pay it back to them along the way.
Happy packing! 📦
