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Did you know that the average American will move 11 times over their lifetime? If you’re currently undergoing a chaotic move, you’re far from alone.
However, there are some tried and true ways that you can make relocating easier on yourself and your family.
Here, we’re going to give you some of the best moving tips for a smooth transition.
Read on to begin preparing for a big transition so that you can start feeling excited instead of stressed.
1. Research Your New Hometown
When you get to your new location, you don’t want to be out of place. Do a little bit of research on your new hometown. This is especially important if you’ve never been there before.
You can look at pictures of the location online to get a feel for where you’ll be living.
You can also learn facts like how many people live there, what the city’s overall values are, and how you can get by during your daily life there.
2. Make a Moving Checklist
Once you have a general idea of the place that you’re moving to, you can create a comprehensive moving checklist.
Record everything you need to do in a Word Doc that you can edit easily. This ensures that you won’t forget anything and that you can add new items to the list as you think of them.
A moving checklist is highly individual. However, some things that you should include are:
- Your budget for moving expenses
- Items that you need to pack up
- How you’re going about changing/transferring employment (if your reason for moving isn’t to work relocation)
- Putting in a notice at work
- Enlisting friends and family to help you pack
- Purchasing new clothing appropriate for the weather in your new location
- Hiring a moving company to assist you with hauling items to your new home
The possibilities are limitless, so be careful in your considerations.
3. Donate Unwanted Items
Once you have a checklist, it’s time to begin going through your things. Get a box and decide on items to donate.
A good rule of thumb is to get rid of an item if you haven’t used it at any time in the past year.
You also may want to donate things that are large and easily/inexpensively replaceable like microwaves and old TVs.
You can replace these in your new location more cheaply and easily than you can move them.
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4. Pack Your Things Correctly
Items that you do decide you want to keep need to be packed up in a specific way that keeps them compact and safe.
Clothes should be boxed up using the Marie Kondo method where you fold items in thirds before folding them in half.
This will save you a ton of space and give you fewer boxes to haul to your new location.
Breakable items like mugs, vases, and lamps can be wrapped in large packing blankets.
Make sure that you space them apart to pad them. You want to keep one item in each blanket so they don’t knock together in the back of a moving van.
You can wrap computers, monitors, TVs, and gaming consoles in the same blankets as other breakables.
Cords corresponding to your electronics need to be wound up and placed in their own box that includes spacers.
This will prevent them from tangling together and creating a huge hassle later.
5. Make Preparations for the Journey
Many people make their moves a road trip since they need to transport their car to the new location.
You need to book hotels along the road to ensure that you have a place to stay (for a longer move). You also need to budget for gas.
Create a realistic timeframe for your move and prepare for the journey ahead. Get some snacks for the car so you don’t need to stop a lot.
Make sure you’re stocked up on water bottles so you don’t get dehydrated and Dramamine so you don’t get car sick.
6. Hire a Professional Moving Company
Even if you’ll be trekking to a new city or state on your own, all of your items won’t be.
You need to hire a professional moving company to get your things to the new location. These people can help you pack and lift all of your items into a truck.
They also will ensure that they’re placed in the truck in such a way that they don’t knock together, fall over, or break.
Research moving companies and find someone who’s willing to take you from point A to point B.
Some only operate within specific regions or do local moves while others are happy to move you out of state.
Make sure that you ask your movers where they’ll take you, what their credentials are, and how much experience they have before proceeding.
7. Unpack the Right Way
When you get to your new place, it’s easy to feel burnt out and not want to unpack anything.
If you’re a different kind of person, it’s also easy to get really caught up in the move and try to unpack everything at once. Both of these impulses are unrealistic and can cause you stress.
Get the things that you absolutely need to be unpacked ASAP when you get to your new place.
This usually means bedding and personal items like shampoo and soap. Try to unpack for 2-3 hours every day after that until your home is completely put together.
8. Explore and Meet People
Even before you’re done unpacking, it’s important that you get out and explore your new home.
Try some local restaurants and go to a beautiful park or beach. Wander around and look at the many shops that you can go to.
This will help you to better understand the place that you live in and feel like a local.
You also need to meet people and make friends so you aren’t totally alone in a new place. Join a club that you’ll enjoy like a book club or a pottery group.
Go to a bar and interact with those around you if that’s your scene. The bottom line is that you need to find people who make you feel at home.
Get Excited for Moving Day
Now that you have some basic moving tips to make your journey a smooth one, it’s time to get started.
Check out the ‘home improvement’ tab on our home page for some ideas on how to spice up your new home.
Here, you’ll find tons of articles on decorating your home in a style that matches your tastes.
You’ll also learn how you can incorporate your existing furniture into an all-new interior decor scheme. Have fun with your move!
