Home, Décor: Top Six Moving Tips for a Smooth Move

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Category: Home, Decor, Gardens

Published on Monday, 18 July 2022 08:41

Written by Contributing Editor

Moving has a reputation for being frustrating and expensive—and for good reasons. Packing all your belongings is challenging enough. But when you must pack, load, move, and unpack, the whole ordeal can become overwhelming.

If you go the DIY route to save money, how do you know if you can pull things off without losing your mind? And if you hire professional movers, you'll still have to pack everything and handle all the logistics involved in a move.

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If neither of the moving options above appears to be an ideal solution for a smooth move, we have to agree. But what if you had a way to make moving faster and easier? We're not talking about a few tips for packing or how to get the best deal on a rental truck. We're talking about six proven moving hacks that can make your next move less frustrating and more affordable—whether you do it yourself or hire professional movers.

Compare the Cost of DIY vs. a Moving Service

Just thinking about all the work involved in the move might cause you to panic, so it's only natural to look at professional moving services. The challenge here is to balance cost-effectiveness and your sanity! If you can afford it, calling in the pros might be a good solution for transporting your belongings, but there will still be plenty of organizing and work left over.

If you're considering hiring movers, get detailed quotes from three moving companies. Read over the paperwork carefully so you know what is and isn't included so you can plan accordingly. The sooner you complete this step, the sooner you can start on the rest of these handy moving hacks. You can use this calculator to see if hiring movers is affordable and the right fit for your needs.

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Purge Before You Pack

Whether you go with the DIY or pro moving option, the next step is to minimize what you have to pack, load, move, and unpack with a ruthless purge. When you're done, you'll have less to move, which saves you time and money.

Take an inventory of your belongings room by room in closets, drawers, and other storage areas. If it doesn't fit, is out of date, or you can't remember the last time you wore them, get rid of clothes, shoes, and other clothing. Throw away expired medicines, old food, and broken items, and start making piles of things that can still be useful for donation.

Don't forget furniture and other large items you'll have to move. Be objective and determine if there are items that aren't a good fit for your new home. Fraying rugs, out-of-style or worn furniture, and other household furnishings can be donated or discarded. You'll not only have less to move, but you'll also get to pick out something else to make your new place that much better.

Hire Professional Cleaning Services for Moving

Moving furniture and everything else out of your old place and into a new one can reveal a lot of grime, dirt, and dust you didn't see before…and lots of pet hair. Additionally, when you enter your new home, the last thing on your list of unpacking is to tidy up yet another home—you'll likely just want to sit down after all the moving madness.

To ensure you cover your tracks (and your dog's) and clear your conscience in preparation for the next resident, consider hiring a professional cleaning service like The Maids. We offer move-in and move-out cleaning services to spare you time and effort scrubbing on your hands and knees. Instead, you can work on packing up and/or organizing your brand new home without all the mess and stress.

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Make a Moving Checklist

You'll need a moving checklist to stay organized if you want to ensure things go smoothly. Each move is unique, so the items on your moving checklist will vary, but there are some important to-dos you should include. Transferring or canceling utilities, obtaining medical records for your family and pets, and setting up healthcare providers in your new town should be at the top of your list.

Other essential items on your moving checklist should include changing your mailing address, obtaining packing supplies, and scheduling a truck or movers. Once you have created a personalized moving checklist, it's important to create a timeline for moving tasks. Staying on top of things is much easier when you arrange your moving process into logical steps, such as packing suitcases last.

Prepare a Packing Station

Once you have your moving schedule organized, you'll want to ensure you have everything you need to pack efficiently. Essential packing supplies include plenty of boxes, packing tape, bubble wrap, and packing paper. You'll also need garbage bags, sealable sandwich bags, old sheets or blankets, and markers. Organize your packing supplies for easy access in an area with plenty of room and a large flat surface.

Your packing station can be the dining table, a bed, or even the floor. Regardless of the location, it's critical to have the room to pack correctly and sort things. To make things easier when you unload and unpack at your new home, packing items by room and labeling the boxes will save you plenty of time and energy. Because even the best packing strategy can derail, keep your packing supplies handy for last-minute items.

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Moving Day Musts

We all know how stressful moving can be, but it's important to remember that it can be a very exciting time. To enjoy more of the excitement instead of the stress, there are a few moving day musts that will help you, the kids, and even your pets. The most important thing you can do on moving day to keep spirits high is to have all the packing done the day before. Be ready to load and arrange for the final cleanup at your old home.

Another thing you'll want to get out of the way before moving day is creating a plan for children and pets. Unless your children are old enough to help load items, spending a few hours at a neighbor's or family member's home may be best. Pets can get stressed too when there is a flurry of activity like your big move, so consider something similar for them.

Be sure to stock a cooler with water, sports drinks, and snacks to keep everyone happy during the trip to your new home. If pets are traveling with you, take along a water bowl and some snacks for them too. To kick off moving day on the right foot, make sure you and your family get a good night's sleep and wake up early to get a move on.

Whether you're moving across town or to another state, these moving hacks can make your next move a smooth one.