To facilitate an easy move, do first things first. The most critical is getting organized and systematic. You wouldn’t need something extravagant like crane services hopefully! You’ll need to be methodical in approaching moving, whether doing it on your own or through a moving company. You’ll need several services before moving, such as a dumpster rental, as there will be lots of waste during the decluttering phase. Anyway, here’s a detailed guide on how to prepare for your first move. One thing is certain: you’re in for an adventure like no other!
1. Get a Binder or Notebook
First, for an easy move, find a binder or notebook and label it “moving.” It’s in the binder where you’ll store your moving paperwork, organize your timeline, and file copies of your checklist. The folder should contain receipts, contracts, crucial personal documents such as social security cards and passports, and all financial documents related to your new home, such as a lease agreement or mortgage.
Everything you do from here on will have a record in this binder. It’s the key to having a seamless, organized move. So, take your time and ensure the binder is structured appropriately before moving on to the next step.
2. Prepare a Moving Checklist
A move, even for perennial movers, is hectic. You’ll be groping in the dark if you don’t have a checklist. The good thing is that you can download a moving checklist online to facilitate an easy move.
Having a moving checklist helps you get organized. This is crucial to avoid forgetting stuff. A checklist also helps you manage time by allocating time to every task, so you don’t feel overwhelmed or rushed. You’ll also save money by being organized since you’ll avoid last-minute and other unplanned expenses.
A checklist will also help you minimize stress, giving you a clear road for what needs to be done and when. Another thing a checklist does is to help you prioritize tasks based on approaching deadlines and their importance, so you can focus on what’s most critical and avoid unnecessary delays.
Other benefits of a checklist include transparency in communication and collaboration, as everyone is aware of what the move entails, the targets, and the deadlines to be met. A checklist also ensures that nothing is overlooked, and the good thing is that you can customize it based on your circumstances. Finally, a checklist gives you peace of mind, which is critical in lowering anxiety and ensuring an easy move.
3. Do an Inventory
Just as a checklist is essential, an inventory of everything you’ll be moving with is even more critical. An inventory acts as a record of everything you brought with you to your new home. This is critical if you’ll be using a moving company and want to be sure everything that left your former home arrived intact and in the exact condition they were in.
To create a comprehensive home inventory needs work, not just a walk around your home, with pen and paper. Take time to record everything you own and its estimated value. Also, indicate where it’ll go in your new home, and don’t forget to describe its current state, mentioning existing damage, if any.
The first thing you must do before creating an inventory is declutter your home. Get rid of everything you’re not planning to bring along. Once you get everything you don’t need out of the way, walk into every room and space in your home and document or record valuables such as electronics, fragile items, etc. Take pictures of essential receipts and files, then store them in a folder for easy retrieval later.
At a minimum, an inventory list should be dated and have a column for Item, Value, and Room. Record the estimated or appraised value of every item in your inventory. This is critical, especially if you must make a claim later. Indicating the room an item will go into makes the process of unpacking them in the new home easy since you know exactly where each item belongs. To ensure your list is organized, deal with one room at a time, and be thorough to ensure everything in a room is entered into the inventory.
4. Making Critical Decisions
There are several considerations before executing an easy move, such as if the area you’re moving into has the necessary amenities, such as a restaurant and elementary schools. One of the most crucial decisions you’ll need to make is if you’ll be executing the move yourself or hiring a moving company. This is essential since each of these paths will follow a different trajectory. Let’s look at each.
If, after weighing your options, you decide to move yourself, start buying packing materials as soon as possible. You’ll need boxes, packing tape, and bubble wrap to safely pack and transport your precious cargo. Other decisions you’ll need to make include furniture insurance, what to unload first, and whether you’ll need a dolly or a ramp to streamline the movement of bulky and heavy items. You’ll also need to factor in the cost of gas, and since you’re unlikely to carry everything in one trip, the cost of gas will add up.
If you choose to hire a moving company, the most critical thing to concern yourself with is the moving fees. In this case, you’ll pay them to move your stuff, including packing and unpacking them. Beware of trailer repairs too! You may incur upcharges, the cost of moving items several flights of stairs, generator sets, or difficult-to-access locations. It’s essential to select a company that doesn’t slap upcharges onto your moving fee.
Once the movers are done helping you move, don’t dismiss them without appreciation. You are expected to tip them or buy them lunch, courtesy costs that quickly add up. Consider these costs when deciding to hire professional movers.
5. Draft a Moving Timeline
An easy move has three components: budget, organize, and pack. Under normal circumstances, the actual move takes one day, but the planning process takes longer. Many moving parts affect the moving timeline. You may even need to contact a decorative stamped concrete contractor or a precast concrete company!
The packing process, for instance, could take weeks. The planning stage mainly focuses on organizing and packing your stuff. To decide when to start planning for a move, calculate how much time you’ll need to declutter every room in your home. You may even need time to remodel and time to contact a kitchen cabinet company.
The practice is to set aside one day to declutter one room, and if you only have the weekend for this task, the process could run into several weeks. Set a tentative timeline once everything is organized and ready to start packing. If the decluttering process involves eliminating metallic waste, check out your local metal recycling companies and ask them for quotes.