Moving into a new home involves several emotional stages starting with the joyous fantasies of a new place and a fresh start. The joy usually becomes stressful hopelessness in a sea of messiness trying to get everything organized, packed and cleaned. Moving experts rely on simple tricks to make getting out of one place and then into a new one much less stressful. Here are 5 tips to make moving a breeze in Garner.
Donate and Dump First
Don’t take trash to a fresh start. Take the time to sort clothing, kitchen and other household items. Make three sections: keep, donate, trash. Whether it’s the old wardrobe that hasn’t fit in 10 years or an old kitchen mixer, go through things and make honest assessments of what you need and don’t need.
Go through paperwork like old files and artwork from the kids. Reducing paper can greatly reduce the number of boxes you pack and move. Shred person data on old paperwork that isn’t needed. For files you want to keep, scan them to flash drives. Take pictures of the bulk of kids’ artwork just sitting in a drawer and not displayed. This way you have the items for memory-sake but don’t have the bulk of paper everywhere.
Pre-Print Labels
Make pre-printed labels for packing. Use large Avery labels that you can slap onto taped boxes. Pre-print the main rooms of the home: Master, Kitchen, Bath, etc…. Put the labels in a “packing kit” that includes packing tape, box cutters, and permanent markers. Keep the kit with you as you work. When a box is packed, grab a label and circle the room it goes to. Highlighter colors are also another way to organize packing. Use different colors to coordinate with different rooms.
Make a List
There are a lot of things to do when moving. Packing is just the beginning. Make a list to stay organized. Some professional organizers recommend going a step further and using a day planner or calendar to set tasks for certain days as the moving date approaches.
Detail when to call utility companies to start and stop service. Note when deposits or escrow deadlines must be met. Set a schedule for packing boxes to break it down into smaller, manageable chunks.
Hire Professionals
Everyone finds certain moving tasks more tolerable than others. Some people will hire a moving company to pack and move everything so they never need to even touch a roll of tape. Other people like to organize their own boxes but may hire movers to transport.
One area to consider getting help is cleaning. By the time the move itself is done, the thought of scrubbing kitchens and bathrooms is overwhelming. There are cleaning companies that specialize in move-outs and even move-ins, preparing your new place before you get there. Other professionals to consider include carpet cleaners.
Change of Address
The number of places to notify of a change of address seems never-ending. Start with utilities a couple of weeks before the move, setting both cancelations of existing utilities and set-up of new ones. Don’t get caught without hot water on the first night in your new place because the gas, electricity or water hasn’t been turned on yet. Many utility companies have a waiting period for service appointments.
Go the Post Office and get a moving kit. Or go through the process online. Doing this ahead of time not only gives you adequate time to notify the Post Office of your forwarding address, it provides coupons you can use during the move for things like cable, moving trucks, storage units and other services associated with moving.