After days and weeks of searching for your new place, you’ve finally found an excellent home or apartment for you and your family! Now that you’ve settled and sealed the important documents regarding your new house, it’s time to prepare yourself for one of the biggest tasks you’ll need to tackle before moving to your new home – preparing for the move.
Moving to a new place is perhaps one of the most exciting yet overwhelming life transitions you and your family may go through. Moving to a new place signifies a fresh start, a new environment, new neighbors, and new life experiences.
However, it’s inevitable to feel nervous and stress as you need to start planning, packing, and preparing for the big move. You might not even know how and where to start.
Before you overwhelm yourself, keep reading to know the seven ways you need to do to prepare for a seamless first-time move.
1. Create A Moving Checklist With Timeframe
Before you start packing right away, it’s a good idea to create a moving checklist first, which consists of all the tasks you need to complete before the actual moving day. Moreover, it’s also recommended to set a timeframe for each task to avoid procrastination. Having a timeframe will help you stay on track and keep up with everything you need to do from your checklist.
If your moving checklist seems too long for you, you can break it down into daily and weekly goals with corresponding timeframes to avoid feeling overwhelmed and make them more realistic to achieve.
2. Declutter
Now that you have a checklist, begin your preparation by decluttering your entire house first. Decluttering will help lessen the items you’ll need to pack. Evaluate every item you own and decide whether you’ll bring them with you to the new house or not.
Moreover, the lesser things you own, the easier and quicker it’ll be for you to pack and move your things. For the items you won’t need anymore, you may choose to resell them, donate them, or have them picked up by rubbish removal companies such as Same-Day Rubbish Removal services, and they’ll dispose of them for good. Once you’re free of clutter, this may be a good time to start packing.
3. Pack Smart
The best time to start packing is around 7-8 weeks before your moving day. The earlier you start packing, the less likely you’re going to miss or forget anything. Before packing up, create an inventory list and list down all the items which you must bring with you during the move.
You may categorize your inventory list according to rooms (e.g., bedroom items, kitchen tools), uses, or type of materials (e.g., glassware).
Moreover, to make the packing process smoother and faster, gather first all the packing supplies you’ll need and put them in one large container for easier access. Some of the essential packing supplies to have in hand include boxes, tapes, plenty of bubble wraps, old shirts (for glassware), old newspapers, and markers.
Most importantly, after packing each box, never forget to label each of them for easier recognition. If possible, you can even use color-coded boxes to help you identify the items quickly.
4. Pack ‘The Essentials’ Box
Aside from all the boxes you’ve packed, it’s also smart to pack a separate box intended for all the essential things you’ll need to use during the first days of your stay in your newly bought home. Some of the essential items to pack in this box shall include:
- Toiletries
- Towels
- Bedsheets and blankets
- Food and water
- First aid kits
- Clothes
- Phone chargers, batteries, flashlights, candles
Having the ‘essentials’ box will help you save time from opening each box when searching for toilet paper or a blanket.
5. Book A Moving Company
While some people are fine with moving things independently, it’s still recommended if you hire a moving company, especially as this is your first moving experience.
These professional movers will help transport your boxes safely and securely towards your destination at a scheduled time. Moreover, you need not worry about lifting heavy boxes and furniture as the movers will do it for you.
To help you save money from hiring moving services, it’s best to book a moving company as early as you can. Some moving companies offer discounts and promo rates to clients who book their services in advance.
6. Update Your Important Documents
Before your moving day, don’t forget to go over all your important documents and identification cards and update your address details. Some of these documents may include:
- Driver’s license
- Insurance providers
- Postal service address
- Bank or credit card statements
- Internet provider
- Tax Agencies
- Utility companies
- Your employer and your children’s school
It’s better to update your addresses as early as possible to avoid potential problems like service lases or missed bills.
7. Keep Your Pets And Children Safe
The moving day is expected to be a hectic day, even for your pets and children. As part of your pre-moving preparation, plan on how to keep your children and pets safe during moving day. You may opt to take your pets to daycare and the kids to your babysitter while the move is ongoing and come back to them once everything’s done.
Finishing Up
The moving day can be hectic and stressful. Thus, it’s crucial to plan to ensure everything will go smoothly and you won’t miss anything. If things become too overwhelming for you during the pre-moving preparation, take a short break and remind yourself that you’re doing all these for a better future.
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