If you’re going to be moving to a new home, there are all kinds of things you’re going to have to take care of. There are a lot of things you’ll need to do, and there’s a lot that can go wrong. These tips for moving to a new home will help to keep you — and your move — on the right track.
Clear Out Your Closets
If you’re going to be packing up everything you own, you should make sure that you own less. Now is the ideal time for you to clean out your closets, go through your basement and attic, and get rid of everything you don’t want to hold onto.
You don’t have to get rid of things you use regularly, but you should donate or sell items that you’ve been holding onto for no good reason. If you do a clear out now, you’ll feel like you have a fresh start when you move into your new place.
Work With Movers
People often try to handle moves themselves because they want to save money. Unfortunately, this is something that can wind up creating significant issues for people later down the road. Movers are experienced professionals that know what they’re doing, and if possible, you’ll want to partner with movers ahead of your move.
Don’t try to handle everything yourself if you don’t have to. Check out the list of reputed movers at 9Kilo, where you can find a moving company as per your budget and requirement. Talk to moving companies so that you can get a better sense of what hiring movers would cost you. If you contact moving companies early on, you may be able to lock in a better deal.
Take Photographs of Your Valuables
If some of your valuable belongings are damaged during your move, you’re going to want to make an insurance claim. You can make things much easier for yourself by photographing these valuables ahead of your move. That way, you can include photographs that show the original condition of the items when you submit your claim.
If you don’t take photos now, there’s a higher chance that your claim will be denied. You won’t be able to prove that the damage was caused during the move. Snapping a few photos now could protect you later on.
Stay Organized While Packing
Packing can be stressful, which is why people often rush to get it over with. Unfortunately, tossing things into boxes can cause big problems when it comes time for you to unpack later on. Work hard to make sure that you stay organized when you’re packing.
You should box items that belong in the same room together. For example, a box might exclusively hold kitchen or bathroom items. When possible, try to store items of the same type together, such as a kitchen utensils box. Label every box so that you know where your things are.
Find the Best Way to Store Clothes
You’ll want to avoid putting your clothing into cardboard boxes. This can be damaging, especially if the clothing is made from more delicate materials. Instead, you may want to keep clothes on their hangers and cover them with garbage bags. You should be able to fit at least a dozen pieces into a garbage bag.
This method will protect your clothes and make it easy for you to hang everything up when you move into your new place. Best of all, you can re-use the garbage bags after you’re done packing. This trick can save you time and stress.
Use a Moving Checklist
Because there are so many things that need to be done before you move, it’s easy for important tasks to be overlooked. If you rely on a moving checklist, you’ll be able to stay on top of things.
A checklist can be a fantastic reference if you’re not sure what you should be doing. Go over the checklist, consult it periodically, and mark tasks off when you’re complete. The right checklist can keep you from forgetting to do something crucial.
Don’t Forget to Update Your Address and Utilities
You won’t want to forget to fill out a change of address form! If you do, you could wind up missing out on important mail. You’ll also want to change your utilities ahead of time. Call companies and let them know about your move.
Make sure that the utilities will be on when you move into your new house. Living without power can be a massive headache, even if it’s just for a few days, which is why you won’t want to forget about this vital task.
Pack Suitcases
You shouldn’t just be packing your things up into cardboard boxes. It will likely take at least a day or two to unpack your things. When you initially arrive at your new home, you might be too tired to do a lot of work. That’s why it’s a good idea to pack up suitcases for every member of your household.
The suitcase should contain the items each person will need over the next few days, such as clothing, toiletries, snacks, and entertainment items. Using a suitcase also means that you won’t have to worry about packing up toiletries until the last possible minute.
Leave Time to Clean Your Old Home
Even if there isn’t a security deposit that you need to get back, you’ll want to make sure you set aside plenty of time to clean your old place after it’s empty. You’ll want to leave a clean property behind for the new people that are moving in.
The best way to ensure that you have plenty of time for cleaning is to avoid leaving tasks until the last minute. Start packing up things weeks before you move. Wake up bright and early on moving day. Do that, and you’ll have more than enough time leftover for this task.
Moving to a new home can be a lot of fun. However, all of the work that you’ll have to do to get there can be frustrating. Follow this advice so that you can minimize the stress of your move.
I really liked your suggestion of using suitcases to pack things like snacks, clothing, and entertainment items. Cardboard boxes are always a pain to haul around the house, which is why I’ve been thinking up ways to make the job easier for me and my family. We do have some leftover suitcases that we no longer use since we don’t travel as often anymore, so I’ll utilize them and pack some of our more essential belongings in them before finding a residential moving company that can assist us.