Preparing A Home To Move
Preparing A Home To Move
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Preparing a Home to Move
If you’re like most Americans, moving is a daunting prospect. Even if you remove the process of home buying itself, the idea of packing up everything you own and sending it to an unfamiliar house is scary. According to Sparefoot.com, 58 percent of Americans believe moving is more challenging than planning a wedding.
Luckily, with a little preparation, the moving process can be easier. Here’s a short guide to ease your tension about moving to a new home.
Step 1: Sit down and write a plan
Before you even begin packing, have a planning session. Take 30 minutes or so to write out everything that needs to be done. You’ll want to consider any factors that could come into play. Here are some ideas:
- How much time do you have before the moving date? A couple weeks or several months?
- What’s your budget? Are you planning on hiring help? Do you need to rent any trucks or equipment?
- Who will be helping? Will you be by yourself, or will you have helpers? Think about friends, family, neighbors, etc. If you have children, how can you involve them?
- Where do you begin? It’s easiest to go room-by-room throughout your house. Plan on a starting point and go from there.
- Do you need to do anything to your current home? Plan things like routine cleaning, deep cleaning, replacing hardware in the house, servicing your HVAC or touching up paint.
Next, write out a schedule. If you have more than a month, you can go a little at a time. Start early and set aside time each week for decluttering and packing. The earlier you can start on these tasks, the less stress you will have on moving day.
Step 2: Get rid of as much as possible
This can be the hardest part for a lot of people, but it’s also the most important. Go through your home and declutter. Get rid of as much stuff as possible! The more you remove, the easier the process becomes. It also gives you the freedom to arrange your new home in an open, creative way.
The easiest way to start is room-by-room, as outlined in your plan and gather everything together. Take everything out of the closet, remove your clothes from dressers, and move things out from under beds. Use a larger space, like a living room, if needed.
Once you’re looking at everything, sort them into piles based on their purpose (such as clothing, accessories, utensils, decor, etc.). Then, sort through each pile. Throw away anything that is broken or no longer useful. After that, get pickier about what you’ll keep. Anything left over must be useful and serve a specific purpose. Here are some questions to ask as you declutter:
- Do I foresee using this item within the year?
- Will I miss it if it’s gone?
- If it disappeared one day, would I notice it was gone?
If any of these questions result in a no, you might not need that item. Try to sell or donate those gently-used possessions, and you’ll feel better about what you take with you.
Step 3: Box it up and get it out!
At this point, you’ve decided which items you’re bringing to the new house. Start packing things into boxes as soon as possible. Trust me; your friends and family will thank you when they come to help load up the moving truck.
As you fill boxes with items bound for your new home, store them in a garage or shed. Avoid using the attic or basement, because it will make the boxes more difficult to access and carry on moving day.
Step 4: Finish up
Finally, complete any extra tasks that need to be done. These can vary depending on your situation but usually include cleaning or maintenance. Start with the most visible projects. For example, people may not notice the dust on your baseboards, but they’ll definitely notice marker on the walls.
Once you’re at this point, the hard parts are over. All that’s left is packing it in the truck and heading out.
Moving may not be the easiest but it’s often the start of a new adventure. A new home often represents new memories to be made! When you’re not stressed over the moving process you can focus on the adventure aspect of the process.
