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8 Steps to an Easy Move
Let’s face it – moving requires a lot of the 3 D’s:
- Dragging (both boxes and children)
- Daydreaming (about your new life and memories of your old home)
- Dilly-dallying (to avoid the chores of moving as well as the tears)
But unfortunately, the only useful thing on that list is the dragging, and it’s not nearly as fun as the other two. To help ensure that your move is successful, you’ll need a lot of concentration and a bit of guidance from both professional movers and acquaintances who have experience moving. To help you get started, I’ve compiled an easy-to-remember list of moving tips. Following this moving help may not be as fun as dilly-dallying, but I hope that it’ll make let you have an EASY MOVE.
Ease into the process. One of the biggest moving mistakes is to leave all of the work until the last minute. Finding the right moving company, for example, requires time and research, and the only way to ensure that your top choice is available is to book your move as early as possible. Similarly, while you may want to avoid packing until the last moment so that you can “use your things”, you probably know that you won’t need all of your belongings immediately prior to your move. Waiting until the last minute to start packing will only prevent you from enjoying your last few days in your old town.
Always check with the American Moving & Storage Association or the Better Business Bureau (or both) before giving a deposit to any moving company. This is an easy way to ascertain whether your preferred moving company has any complaints filed against it.
Save space by putting light items such as pillows inside your drawers and by using clothing such as t-shirts to wrap fragile items, instead of taking up space in moving boxes. Find more practical packing advice here.
Yell when you need to. While it may not be a good idea to be a tyrant during the move, you shouldn’t hesitate to be assertive when you need to. If your movers refuse to put your boxes in the proper rooms, for example, you may need to insist upon it. Or, if your moving company demands payment that was not agreed upon, you have every right to refuse and to file a complaint if necessary. While I hope that this type of moving help won’t be necessary, you should be prepared – just in case.
Make sure to keep the weight of all boxes under 50 lbs. (and under 30 lbs. whenever possible). Although you may end up with more boxes, boxes that weigh less are less likely to burst open upon impact or slide out of your hands during the move, which can result in damage. And, since you’re probably paying for your move by weight rather than the number of boxes, splitting up heavy items into several boxes should not add significant expense to the move.
Offer your children the opportunity to help with the move. Not only will this enable you to keep your eye on them during the hectic times, but it will enable them to feel included in the move and excited about the future.
Verify that you’ve received every box before the moving truck rolls away. This is the best way to ensure that nothing obvious got lost or stolen during the move.
Every wire and cable connection should be photographed so that you’ll be able to reconnect easily upon arrival. Of all the moving tips that I can offer, this one may be the most important, as wiring up a house is one of the most stressful (and most frequently overlooked) parts of a move. Knowing how to get your computer and internet set up in your new home will help you reconnect with friends and family much faster upon arrival.
I hope that these moving tips help you have an easy move and that you have a smooth transition to your new home.