Moving Tips to Organize Your Move

The moving tips for each stage will allow you to enjoy the entire moving process! Take full advantage of moving by lightening your load, enjoying the transition, and make moving into your new home a snap.

Stage 1: Moving Tips for Planning

So, you know you are moving in a few short months and you want to start taking action NOW. However, you will find a lot of things can only be done a few weeks, or even days before the actual move. Should you just wait until the last minute to prepare for your move? Not if you want it to go smoothly and be stress-free! Two months before your move is a crucial time to turn your move into a great experience.

Get a moving notebook to store all the information needed for this move. I think Moleskin Journals makes a great moving book because they are small and portable.
Organize your stacks of paper. Reduces the chance of things getting lost and creating a bigger mess in your new home.
Lighten your load by going room by room and organizing clutter. Remember the less you have the less you have to pack and unpack. (wink)
Create Lists to keep it out of your head! Checklist suggestions
Decide if you are moving yourself or hiring a moving company.
If using a moving company, get bids for their services.
Estimate weight of household goods (1000 lbs per room excluding bathroom and closets + estimated weight of appliances & stored items).
Decide if you want a Moving Sale.
Moving with a pet? Find out the requirements needed for your pet to travel. Check out these sites for pet friendly moving tips and resources.
Determine Staging area for Yard Sale/Donation Items (garage, guest bedroom, storage unit, closet, The Mobile Attic portable storage, etc.)
Save all your mail. This gives you a great resource to know who needs your new address.
Research utility & services to start in your new home.
Get estimates for cleaning services to know if you want to clean yourself or hire it done.
Start using up supplies--food, detergent, etc.
Search for recipes for specific foods in your pantry or frig.
See all doctors
Pick up records--medical, school, vet, etc.
Video household inventory
Moving to another country? Get your passports and International Driver's License.
Think about how you can make this an eco-friendly move. Check out EarthFriendlyMoving.com for reasons and ideas.
Research eco-friendly ways to recycle unwanted electronics, paint, and other household items in your area. Earth911

Stage 2: Moving Tips for Action

This stage allows you to get into more of the moving nitty-gritty.

Things to consider...

Update auto insurance
Update personal property insurance
Gather recipes for remaining food items you can’t take with you. Search for recipes for specific foods in your pantry or frig.
Moving Sale Prep
Determine staging areas for Go To Storage, Take with us in the car, etc.
Drain water from garden hose
Drain gasoline from equipment
Address Labels--preprint and leave some for next residents to forward mail
Create "Move File" and include receipts, hotel & travel info, dimensions for furniture, paperwork to buy a home, etc.
Make labels for boxes: Open Me First, Kitchen, Bathroom, Office, etc.
TWO DAYS BEFORE: defrost and drain refrigerator
Household cleaners. PLEASE DO NOT FLUSH DOWN TOILET OR SINK OR THROW AWAY! Donate/sell/give away/leave for next residents. When you repurchase cleaners consider more greener options such as Seventh Generation or Method products.
Pre-load cars to make sure everything you want to take with you fits in the car! Use your cars to store these items when movers are packing.

Stage 3: Moving Tips for Packing

You will begin feeling the benefits from the previous moving tips during this stage. Play some fun music and enjoy this stage that would have normally been crazy!

Use 2 gallon bags to keep utensils & other items together.
Use smaller ziplocks for toys, cosmetics, hair stuff, and kitchen stuff.
Snacks
Supervise Movers
Have pets and kids someplace else--child care, neighbors, etc.
Clean House
Label boxes on three sides with room it belongs. List items in box on top.
Make sure you have packing tape, boxes, big sharpies.
Survival Kit
Place Open Me First stickers on the Pack Me Last-Open Me First boxes
"Take Me With You" Items

Stage 4: Moving Tips for Unpacking

This is where the true fun begins! You are creating a new life in your new space. It will be worth your time to think about how each room will function so you can move in faster and with purpose from the get-go!

Set up Bed with sheets first
Draw floor plans with furniture placement and tape to the doors. Identify zones for different activities in each room to have an established home for things as you unpack them.
One Room Rule--set up one room that is done
Function before form--furniture, then decorations
Create staging areas for yard sale, donate, and storage. You will be surprised how many things you can now let go of that you couldn't before.
Utility & Services to start
Change locks on external doors
Knock on 3 neighbor’s doors and introduce yourself
Make List of Phone # for Fire, Hospital, Police, Ambulance, and Poison Control
Recycle packing paper and boxes.

Moving Tips to Make Moving FUN!

Weekend sleep-over with friends as a “Packing Party”
Place surprises in the packed boxes to make the unpacking more enjoyable.
Throw a going away party
Turn travel to your next home into a vacation
Create time capsule with hopes and dreams for new home and what you appreciated about your current home. Send the time capsule to your new home with treats to celebrate your new adventure.
Take a fun/goofy family photo with in front of your new home and turn it into a postcard or greeting card letting family and friends know your new address and phone numbers.

Let's stay connected!

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