“I’ll never move again — it’s such a pain!”
Ask anyone who has moved a household multiple times and you’re likely to hear a similar response. The sheer effort required to move is overwhelming, from determining what to move and what to sell to researching tips for planning your move. Then there’s boxing everything up, coordinating logistics with movers, and dealing with the aftermath of unboxing and settling into a new place. Put simply, moving can turn even the calmest person into an anxious wreck.
Plan Then Plan Some More
To keep things on track, be sure to create a moving checklist well before the move occurs to ensure that you’ve done everything possible on your end to make it all go a little smoother. As you’re creating this list, however, keep in mind these often-forgotten steps that should be added:
- Research cable and internet providers available in the area of your new address and schedule an installation appointment. These appointment slots are often hard to get and can be scheduled weeks in advance.
- Request for your vet to give you copies of your pet’s records, along with any medication your pet may need in the near future.
- Request transcripts from your kids’ current school for their new school.
- Plan a yard sale or garage sale. This puts extra money in your pocket for the move and gives you fewer things to pack up. You can also choose to donate any items that don’t sell.
- Donate any frozen foods, perishable items, or bleach and aerosol cans that you won’t be able to pack.
- Make sure all your financial, legal, and medical records are easily accessible in one location.
- Collect socks, T-shirts, linens, blankets, and towels to use for packing. This will save money that would otherwise be spent on bubble wrap and other costly packing supplies.
- Measure all of the doorways, stairways, and elevators that furniture and appliances will need to be moved through to make sure everything will fit. Do this in your current residence, as well as in the one you are moving to.
- Return any borrowed items you might have around your home, such as library books or tools loaned to you from friends.
- If you’re moving out of town or to a different area of town, find a new doctor, dentist, and vet near your new location.
- Update your voter registration, along with the registration for your automobile if moving to a new county or state.
- For long-distance moves, plan the route you will be taking and research hotels along the way.
- Make sure your pets have ID tags that reflect the new address you will be moving them to.
- Create an organized file (this can be digital) to organize your move-related receipts and paperwork. If you are keeping a digital file, take photos of the paperwork and receipts or scan them with your printer.
- Recycle or dispose of corrosives, flammables, and poisonous items that cannot be transported in a move.
- Back up your computer.
- Schedule trash removal and recycling for your new home. You’ll need it after unpacking!
- Ensure your pets have a sitter or are kenneled during your move.
- Donate unopened food or find a moving company that works with Move for Hunger.
- Pack an essentials box that contains everything you and your family will need when you first arrive in your new home.
Also read: Which Internet Connection is Best For Home?
Remember: Although a move will likely always be chaotic, knowing how to plan a move is half the battle. Thorough planning will help keep the chaos at a minimum. Good luck!