There are so many things to do before moving that you are likely to feel quite overwhelmed. It is a common opinion that relocation has to be stressful. However, it doesn’t have to be that way. When you get ready for it, even a long-distance move can be a breeze. Proper organization and careful planning keep the stress and pressure at bay, and that’s when you can actually focus on all the good sides of changing your living environment.
We understand that it seems easier said than done. You’re supposed to pack everything in your home, take care of utilities, find a job and a new home in your chosen city, perhaps put your current house on the market for sale. What about your kids? They’ll need a new school, the best one you can find. And your pets? What documents should you bring with you?
The list goes on and on, and you slowly begin to panic as you lose track of everything that has to be taken care of. But there should be no room for panic – we are here to provide you with the ultimate checklist of tasks to handle and even ways to have fun while you prepare for the journey. Keep these tips in mind to sail through the process.
Once you pick the perfect city to live in, you should decide on the particular neighborhood that will meet your expectations. At this point, you should check how safe your neighborhood is. When this part, too, is done, you should find a house or an apartment. When it comes to finding a home, remember that the golden rule is the sooner, the better.
If you’re relocating during summer, housing prices are likely to increase, so it’s not a good idea to wait until the last moment to look for a new home. Find house hunting tips to guide you through the process. Leave enough time to check out a couple of houses before you reach your final decision. Bring your friends or family members with you and have some fun exploring different options.
For some reason, some of the most commonly forgotten things to pack are often the most important ones. These include various documents required when relocating. To avoid this, it’s advisable to collect all the necessary records and other documents early enough and pack them first. It would be best to write down everything and create a checklist. If you’re moving with kids, keep in mind that you should retrieve their medical and school records, too. Other documents you should put on the checklist include these:
To ease your move, you shouldn’t leave anything for the last minute, including taking care of utilities. So, make sure you contact your service providers in advance and let them know you’ll be relocating soon. Inform them of the exact relocation date to have the utilities disconnected on the day after you leave the place.
When you cancel the utilities in your current home, remember to contact your new service providers, too. You can’t do without water, gas, and electricity when you get there.
Another crucial step to take is to change your address when you move, as well as notify various institutions that you did so. As previously mentioned, you should notify your service providers. But they’re not the only ones to know about this change. You should also notify your bank and credit card company, the insurance company, the Internal Revenue Service, and any other institutions you have dealings with.
Do you want to ease the packing process and have some fun along the way? If you have some extra items that you don’t know what to do with, one of the best tips is to sell them. You can have a successful garage sale – get rid of the extra stuff and earn some extra cash. After that, the entire process will be smooth sailing. Decluttering is particularly important if you’re moving to a smaller home. And if you’re wondering when to start packing for a move, the answer is simple – start as early as possible.
Do you think that organizing the relocation is too much for you? If you can’t manage everything on your own, you can always hire professional movers to save you the trouble. They can provide you with packing services, which will give you more free time to run some errands or relax with your friends. If you have a car, they can also offer auto transport and car shipping services and take care of your vehicle, too. And if you’re looking for storage, they’ve got you covered there, too.
To make everything run smoothly, it is essential to think about finances. Whether you choose to hire movers for the job or not, relocation will probably incur some additional costs and affect your budget. Thus, you should plan how much money you’ll spend on this endeavor to start saving up in advance if needed.
When you start putting stuff in boxes, keep in mind that you won’t need everything right away. Think about priorities and pack each box accordingly. How to handle this? Here’s a useful tip – create a checklist of moving essentials, including a wide range of items, from cleaning supplies to tools.
No matter how much you plan and organize, there’s always something more that would be good to think about. So, to cover every aspect of your upcoming move, we’d like to mention a few more steps to take.
For those of you moving with pets, it is crucial to find out whether there are certain specific requirements to be met. There are various rules and regulations for relocation with animals. These might differ from state to state, so it’s up to you to learn what needs to be done to get to your chosen destination with an animal companion without any hiccups along the way.
You should also contact your chosen airline to find out what rules they have for traveling with an animal. Can you take your pet with you in-cabin or not? What kind of food you’re allowed to take? What size of a carrier fits in their compartments? These are all questions that need to be answered beforehand.
Whether you decide to pack on your own or with the help of professional movers, don’t forget that you’ll need various types of packing materials. It is crucial to gather everything from boxes to strong duct tape so that all your stuff is packed properly. When you use the right material, you don’t have to worry about any of your precious items getting damaged in the box along the way. In addition to boxes and duct tape, you’ll probably also need the following:
If you opt for expert movers, you can ask them to provide you with the necessary moving supplies. If not, start collecting these early enough and maybe ask your friends to give you a hand.
Whatever you do in life, it’s easier with the help of your loved ones. This applies to relocation, too. Every move requires quite a lot of planning and extremely careful organization. There is a long list of stuff to take care of, and you simply can’t manage to deal with everything by yourself. When you begin to feel like you’re losing control, don’t despair just yet. You can always rely on your friends to help you out.
For instance, it could be a good idea to throw a packing party and invite your friends over. That way, not only will you have the extra help, but you’ll also have a great time. It might seem that this part of your move is just tedious and time-consuming, but as you can see, it can be turned into a fun activity, too.
Before you close the door to your old place, you’ll need to clean its every corner so that it’s spotless for the future residents. However, after so many other move-related tasks to handle, cleaning doesn’t sound like much fun, right? To avoid going through even more trouble, ask around and find someone you can hire to clean your house for you after you take out your stuff.
The same goes for your new home – you’ll want it cleaned before you actually start living there. And again, you might be too exhausted to do it. So, hire someone to help you with the new place, too, and have them prepare everything prior to your move-in day. It would be much more difficult to clean with all the boxes and the rest of your stuff lying around.
Even if you’ve had your friends over to help you pack, and you’ve had some fun along the way, that’s no way to say goodbye to them. Leave some room in your busy schedule to have your friends over for dinner.
You are about to leave everything behind and start a new life someplace else. That’s a rather significant change both in your and your friends’ life. So, don’t forget to make room for a proper goodbye, at least. Of course, you’ll keep in touch with them even after you relocate, but you should also be sure that you spend some quality time together up to the move.
Every step of your upcoming relocation can be a breeze if you prepare for it properly. Use these tips in mind to make your move comfortable and remember it as a fun experience one day.
If there are any troubles, things you can’t deal with by yourself, you always have expert movers at your service. Don’t let anything spoil this for you, but stick to these guidelines and use the tips to see for yourself how even long-distance relocation can be a lovely journey. It’s up to you to make a day of it!
