Are you in the process of selling your home? Did you take a job in a new city? If so, that means you’ll soon become one of the around 40 million people who move each year.
While moving somewhere new can feel exciting, it’s also a process. It’s also not a process you can knock out over a weekend. Preparing for moves takes some time and definitely requires some planning. If there’s a move on your near horizon, keep reading for our guide on prepping for that move.
Make a Moving Checklist and Schedule
There are tons of moving parts in any move, which means ample opportunities to forget crucial details. That’s why you should start with a moving checklist and schedule. Making the checklist before the craziness really starts means you can approach calmly and make sure everything you need to do makes it onto the list.
Some things you’ll want on your list include:
- Banking
- Movers
- Inventory
- School selection and transcripts (if you have kids)
- Medical records
You’ll also want to break these tasks and packing down across a month or two, if possible. Spreading the tasks out makes them more manageable.
Make a Budget
One of the things that a lot of people forget about when moving to a new local house or making a long-distance move is making a budget for moving expenses. In all fairness, there is a lot going on but not having money set aside for the move can add stress to an already stressful situation.
Let’s assume that you plan on hiring moving services. The average cost for a local move runs around $1500. The cost for a cross-country move can run you twice or even triple that of a local move.
While prices will vary a bit based on your location, even socking away the average cost for a move will ease the way a lot when the time comes.
Move Packing Supplies
You’ll also need some move packing supplies. Some of the more common needs include:
- Boxes
- Bubble wrap
- Packing paper
- Packing tape
- Plastic wrap
- Moving blankets
- Markers
You may also want to look into specialty boxes for things like flatscreen televisions and dishes. You can also get wardrobe boxes that come with a hanger bar for clothing like suits, dresses, and coats that won’t tolerate folding well.
Professional Packing
Some moving services will also provide professional packing as an additional service. Using this kind of service can drive up the price, but take a lot of pressure off of the family in the lead up to the move.
Schedule the Movers
Many people are shocked to discover that professional movers are often booked solid months in advance. If you have a firm date in mind for your move, you should contact your preferred moving service as soon as possible. This helps ensure that you can book them for the right date and discuss any secondary services you might want from them, such as packing.
If you don’t schedule the movers well in advance, it can delay your move. Alternatively, it can make you wholly responsible for renting a truck, packing your belongings, loading the truck, and making the drive. While people do execute these self-directed moves, it’s often an unpleasant experience.
That becomes even more true if you plan on working right up until you move. That pushes all preparation into the evenings and weekends, which is like working two jobs. That can end up a grueling experience if you didn’t plan on it from the start.
Deal with Renovations
To add some confusion to barely controlled chaos, many homeowners undertake home renovations before selling. Some common home renovations include painting rooms, landscaping, and swapping out fixtures. If you have a move date but haven’t sold yet, those renovations can overlap with your move prep.
If you’re in the process of selling, you must deal with the home inspection process. Those inspections can often reveal problems a buyer wants fixed before they’ll sign on the dotted line. Those kinds of repairs and renovations will routinely overlap with your move prep.
You should factor in the possibility of contractors working in or around your home as part of your checklist and schedule.
Packing for Moves
You should approach packing for a move in big stages.
Downsize
Living anywhere means accumulating things for most families. A move is a perfect opportunity to downsize your total possessions. Start early with this, so you have time to sell, donate, or discard any items you decide won’t go with you to your new home.
Rare Use and Off-Season
Good candidates for early packing include rare-use items and off-season items. If you move in the summer, for example, no one will likely need a winter coat. The same goes for winter clothing.
Medium Term Items
Tackle the medium-term items that you live without for a few weeks next.
Immediate Need
The last things on your packing list should include immediate need items. These are the kinds of things you’d put in your open-first box, such as toiletries, bedding, and a change of clothes for everyone.
Other Considerations
If you let your movers do most of your packing, make sure that you pack sensitive documents and items yourself in advance. Think in terms of financial documents, medical records, and birth certificates. If you own valuable jewelry, make sure you pack that yourself as well.
These items should travel with you, if possible.
Preparing for Moves and You
Preparing for moves is always a stressful event. Fortunately, you can do things that will make the process less horrible.
Build a checklist and schedule very early on. That dramatically improves the chances that you’ll face less last-minute scrambling to get things done.
Get packing supplies and schedule the movers early. Start your packing early and deal with it in stages.
Facing an unexpected move and need to get rid of your house in a hurry?
Lisa Buys Austin Houses specialize in cash offers on homes of all kinds. Contact Lisa Buys Austin Houses today for questions or more information.