I hate moving. It’s one of the hardest things. But it’s so very important and sometimes you even have to do it in a hurry! If you are getting ready to move, here are 10 things you will want to consider BEFORE you start packing.
- Make A List! Start with all the utilities you need to turn off–and back on in the new location: electric, gas, water, telephone, satellite or cable, security. This printable Moving Checklist and Planner is a good place to start.
- Go to your local dollar store and stock up on magic markers. Get at least one for every room in your house and place them strategically in each room. That way, you won’t be running from room to room looking for a marker to write on those boxes.
- Write on those boxes! What good is a box if you don’t know what’s in it? Also, write which room the box should go to in the new house. This will help to simplify the un-loading process.
- Purchase GOOD packing tape. If you buy the cheap stuff, that’s just what you’ll get. Then, you’ll get frustrated, because the tape won’t stick, or stay stuck, to the boxes.
- If you’re going to do your own packing, and want to save some moo-lah (and trees), recycle some boxes. Check out your local hospital. Hospitals open a lot of boxes, every day, and they usually put them in a recycle bin. AND the boxes are almost always clean!
- DON’T use all your linens for packing materials. Pack at least one box of bedding and bath linens that you can use until you get all those other boxes unpacked.
- Make an appointment with your family doctor to get new prescriptions for any maintenance meds you or your family take. This will allow you some time to find another doctor in your new location.
- Purchase a plastic (waterproof and not easily damaged), brightly colored (easy to spot) file box for important papers and things you may need access to during the move. Because my hubby and I both work from home, I bought two boxes–one hot pink, the other bright green.
- Take those precious, irreplaceable items in the car with you, put them in a climate-controlled storage unit, and they will be safe until all the moving is done. An alternative to a storage unit is asking a friend or family member to store some of these things in their home for you.
- DON’T try to move everything by your self. Call some local folks and get a quote on loading a truck for you, and find another local team (in the new location) to un-load that truck and help set up furniture. It’s well worth the money!