While the pandemic threw just about everything in modern life into disarray, one thing didn’t change. People still moved. In fact, around 27 million Americans moved in 2021 alone.
The reasons for those moves remain largely the same as well. People move for jobs, for school, or they get a better place.
Of course, once you commit to a move, you’re stuck with planning a move. It’s often a stressful process that you must work in around other responsibilities, such as your job and family obligations.
If you have a residential move coming up, keep reading for five moving tips that can make things go a little smoother.
1. Make an Actual Plan
It might feel like overkill as you know you’re moving, but making an actual plan with a moving checklist can make your life a lot easier. The first thing you need for your plan is a master list of the tasks you must accomplish between now and when you must leave forever.
Detailing all of the tasks will often make you feel briefly overwhelmed, but don’t despair just yet. Like most lists, you’ll tackle that master list one item at a time.
Once you have the master list, you can also break it down into a schedule of weekly or even daily to-do items. Make sure that you set firm to-do-by dates for the tasks.
For example, setting up turn-on times for utilities at your new address is something you want to do at least a month in advance. That ensures that you’ll arrive at your new home and find the power and heat available.
If you plan on doing a garage sale for some of your things, you’ll want that scheduled closer to the time you’ll leave.
2. Start With Off-Season Items
Most people can separate their belongings into at least two “seasons” of stuff: warm and cold. Starting with your off-season belongings is one of the easiest things you can do to make moving less of a chore.
For one, odds are good that a lot of it is already in boxes. For example, let’s say that you’re moving in August.
You probably already have all of those holiday decorations for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas neatly packed and stored. You might not have your off-season clothing in boxes, but you probably separated it out.
You can take those decorations and, assuming you store them in sturdy boxes, simply close them up and label them. You can also pack up those off-season clothes without a twinge of regret since you won’t need them.
Once you finish with off-season items, you can move on to infrequent use items. Do you have small kitchen appliances you only use a few times a year? Box them up.
3. Schedule Your Movers Immediately
Scheduling movers may not feel like a high priority, but it’s something you should take care of as soon as you know you will move. While it’s usually possible to lock in movers during the winter off-season, finding movers during the busy season can often prove all but impossible.
Many moving companies are completely booked up for the busy season months in advance. It’s even more important that you find a mover if you’re planning a long-distance move out of the state. You should reach out to long-distance movers, such as longdistanceoutofstatemoving.com, and find out what their schedules look like.
Don’t forget about specialty movers as well. If you have a piano, for example, or you need your vehicles moved, you must often work with separate moving companies that specialize in those kinds of items.
The sooner you look for movers, the better your odds of finding a company with an open slot in their schedule that matches your leave date. The longer you wait, the more likely it is that the schedules won’t line up. That can cause all kinds of headaches you’d rather avoid.
4. Paperwork
There is always more paperwork involved with a move than people expect. It’s best that you get a jump on that paperwork early in the process.
For example, you’ll want copies of all of your family’s medical records to take with you. While your doctor will provide them, it can take them a little while to actually produce the copies for you.
If you have kids, you’ll also need copies of their school records. Again, the school or schools won’t object, but it doesn’t mean you can get them immediately.
You must also make sure you gather up critical documents, such as:
- Birth certificates
- Social Security cards
- Insurance policies
- Vehicle titles
You must also decide if you’ll keep your current bank or switch to a bank at your destination. If you work with a local bank, it’s often more practical to switch. If you use a national chain bank, it’s typically easier to stay with your current bank.
5. Get Moving Supplies
Even if you hire movers to do the bulk of your packing, there are still some things that you should pack yourself. You should pack up any valuables, such as jewelry and stock certificates, and any fragile items that you care about. You should also handle all of your own paperwork.
There are some basic moving supplies that everyone finds useful, such as packing tape, scissors, and padding materials. Depending on your needs, you may also want specialty boxes, such as:
- Artwork boxes
- TV boxes
- Wardrobe boxes
- Glasses boxes
Having these supplies on hand can simplify your household move more than you might expect.
Planning a Move and You
Moving is one of the most stressful events in a person’s life. Planning a move can help you keep that stress more manageable.
Start with an actual plan that includes a master list of tasks. Break those tasks down into a schedule with do-by dates.
Focus on off-season items first and leave current-use items for last. Schedule your movers as far in advance as you can. Don’t leave the paperwork to the last minute.
Pick up some packing supplies to be on the safe side.
Looking for more moving tips? Check out our Travel and Business sections for more posts.
