Moving Day Is Upon You. Don't Panic!

Over the past couple of months, we’ve discussed ways to mentally and physically prepare for a move to your brand new home. If you were renting your home in order to move into a new home, we gave you some rental ideas as well. Now the day has arrived. Are you already sitting with piles of boxes around you soon to be loading your truck and making the move? Step One: Don’t Panic! If you’ve prepared yourself the way we discussed in Part 3 of our moving series – The Last Month of Moving Preparation Made Easy, then all your boxes should be labeled properly. This coupled with some hints below will help you get your life reorganized with as little stress as possible. Make sure you have a list of everything the movers are moving, and as it comes off the truck check it off your list. Step Two: Truck Unload Ask the movers to bring all area rugs off the truck first before the big furniture. This way you won’t have to do a lot of heavy lifting in order to get it them in place. Hopefully you did a little measuring to determine roughly where everything is going to go as described in Part 2 of our moving series – Two Months to Go Before the Move. Step Three: Boxes, Boxes Everywhere Make sure that the movers take the boxes directly to the room of which the label indicates. This way you won’t end up with kitchen utensils in the bedroom, and kids toys in the dining room…they may end up there eventually, but that isn’t really the goal now is it? Step Four: Systematic Reassembly Think of the things you will need first. Assemble and or place things like beds, book shelves, couches, TV stands and other items that will contain something in or on them. This will help you unpack once so you are not shuffling things from place to place and using energy you really don’t have to keep reorganizing stuff. Make sure you pull out a set of sheets for each of the beds so that even if you don’t get through much you’ll be able to sleep comfortably. Step Five: Consult Your Photos Again in Part 2 of our series we suggested that you begin to make a photo log of all your major items to note the condition. Often times there are provisions built in to moving contracts in case things break or are damaged upon moving. If you see any significant differences between furniture pieces or breakables, take more photos and make sure to document them for insurance. Often particle board construction furniture is not included on claimable items because the are subject to easy breakage. Make sure you check your contract against anything that may be exempt. Step Six: Major Unpack Once rugs, furniture, and boxes are in place go to the rooms that are of most importance first and unpack. Perhaps kitchen so you can access dishes etc. Then kids rooms to help keep them entertained by getting them settled in at home first. Next perhaps common family areas. And finally your own bedroom. Last areas to deal with may be home gym…really who needs a workout anyway after all you’ve been through over the past few days. Study…are you really going to read a book right now? You get the point. It may take a few weeks to fully unpack, but try to get the major areas taken care of first. The quicker you put everything in its place the sooner you will feel at home in your new location. Happy Moving! Coming up soon--decorating made easy with your old decorations in your new location.