This is a collaborative post: With the SOLD sign is pegged into the front yard and your signature on the dotted line, moving homes is a time filled with excitement and anticipation.
But while the joys of your new house await you, there is so much you need to get done!
Keep things as stress-free as possible with our top tips for getting ready for a move, and you’ll be enjoying a well-earned cuppa or glass of wine in no time!
Make a plan
According to AnxietyUK, two-thirds of people claim “moving house” triggers more anxiety than relationship breakdowns, starting a new job, or even divorce!
Keep things as straightforward as possible by creating a detailed plan as soon as you sign the contracts.
Use a ring binder or notepad dedicated to the move (and nothing else) to plan out things like what is going where, to-do-lists, expenses, receipts, etc., with colored labels to identify crucial sections.
Label your boxes
Clearly label every box to help you remember where things are packed and where they should go.
On moving day, put anything labeled ‘kitchen’ straight into the kitchen and so on. This way, you won’t get bogged down looking for the kettle for a coffee when you take a break, and the bedding won’t turn up in the bathroom!
For extra organization points, you could also include a content list on the side of the box. It might seem excessive, but a few extra seconds creating an easily accessible inventory will save you hours on the other side!
Declutter as you go
Packing up your home gives you the perfect opportunity to go through your belongings and figure out what you no longer need (or what you need to invest in). You could even go full Marie Kondo: only taking items that bring you joy to your new home.
There’s no point in carting around that dress you haven’t worn in 10 years or the hand towels that are falling apart.
As you pack, create separate piles for things you want to keep, throw, or donate and dispose of anything you’re not keeping regularly to avoid clutter.
Enlist help (with incentives!)
If your family and friends offer to help, let them! Accepting any offer of help will keep the packing, preparing, and moving flowing.
Think about the strengths of the people who have offered to help… Use this to plan for who is going to help with what and when. This could include:
- Lifting heavy boxes or furniture
- Patching up holes from screws or nails
- Painting or cleaning
- Watching the kids or pets (trust us, moving house is much easier without little ones running around!)
- Taking donations or trash
- Disassembling or reassembling furniture
Planning the move on a weekend gives you the highest chance of people being available to help. Agreeing on a date ahead of time means your friends are less likely to “forget” their kind offer.
Don’t forget to show your helpers how much they’re appreciated. Beers and pizza are always well received. Hosting a BBQ offers a double reward: incentivizing your helpers and emptying your refrigerator!
Pack essentials separately
Packing an essentials box allows you to keep the things you need easily accessible, so you don’t need to worry about how you’re going to make coffee, wash your hands, or eat dinner.
Keep your essentials box separate from everything else and take it in the car with you when you drive to the new house. It should be the last thing to leave and the first thing to be unpacked.
Some of the things we include in our essentials box are as follows:
- Kettle, coffee, sugar, and any other hot-drink supplies
- Basic toiletries (particularly toilet roll, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and soap)
- A change of clothes and underwear
- ID, wallet, keys, mask
- Moving contracts, bills, and other necessary paperwork
- Phones, tablets, and their chargers
- Snacks
- Dinner and a way of preparing/eating it (we use our Uno Casa Dutch oven for cooking on the first night as it’s easy to prepare food… The oven also doubles as storage for smaller items in the ‘essentials’ box)
- Pet and/or child necessities
- A first aid kit
- Tools for immediate furniture assembly
Contact your companies
Add a list in your moving plan of all the companies and services you’ll need to update/cancel as part of the move.
To give you a starting point, don’t forget to…
- Change your address with the post office and set up forwarding mail.
- Contact your gas, electricity, garbage, water, internet, and cable companies at the old and new house.
- Update your online shopping accounts (Amazon, eBay, etc.)
- Update the DMV
- Notify your insurance companies and bank account
- Check for any company that sends you bills (electronic or physical)
- Cancel your gym in person (trust us!)
Moving day
With these top tips, moving day doesn’t need to be a hassle, and you can enter it feeling calm and in control! Clear labels, a detailed plan, and an ‘essentials’ box will make the day hassle-free, while being sure to have closed or updated the relevant service providers ahead of time means you can relax in your new home as swiftly as possible!