Moving to a new home marks a major life transition filled with equal parts excitement and stress. Leaving familiar spaces for unknown new beginnings fuels anticipatory emotions. But practically preparing for the physical move itself well in advance minimizes chaos, even when confronting sentimental attachments facing inevitable change. Follow these key steps.
Start Decluttering Early
As soon as definitive moving plans are confirmed, begin ruthlessly sorting every storage space, nook, and drawer a few months prior. Purge unused items to decrease the volume transported, reduce packing supplies needed, and lower overall moving costs. Schedule donate pickups for maximal convenience extracting goods no longer sparking joy.
Research New Neighborhood Offerings
If relocating families with kids or individuals with specialized accessibility needs, extensively research new neighborhoods first regarding the quality of schools, healthcare systems, disability features, and other essential services determining the day-to-day quality of life. Pinpoint target areas aligned before committing.
Hire Professional Movers
While you may consider moving on your own or with the help of friends and family, hiring Move4U Movers can save you time, effort, and stress. Research local moving companies in Chicago and request quotes from several reputable companies. Look for movers with positive reviews, proper licensing and insurance, and transparent pricing. Professional movers can handle all aspects of your move, from packing and loading to transportation and unloading, ensuring a smooth and efficient relocation process.
Create an Address Change Checklist
Keep running lists of accounts and memberships needing address updates like banking, subscriptions, licensing, voting registration, etc. Continually add to this early so when moving week arrives, you can systematically handle transfers and prevent forgotten loose ends later.
Schedule Service Transfers and Cancellations
Same idea for regular utilities and home services. Call providers ahead to cancel old address services on the move-out date while opening new address services on the move-in date handling things like internet, cable, cleaning services, alarm systems, and landscape crews. Adjust autopay settings accordingly.
Request Time Off Work
Using vacation days to move and unpack prevents competing with pressing job obligations. Moving alone exhausts mental and physical energy without concurrent 9-5 pressures hovering daily in the background. Delegate work where possible the week before/after the move.
Pack Room-By-Room
Pack systematically by area week-by-week instead of all at once. Start decluttering non-essentials first like seasonal clothes, old files, decorations, etc. Then gradually pack the remaining categories room-by-room as the moving countdown continues so last-minute scrambling stays minimal.
Label Boxes Clearly
While packing, consistently label boxes by room and contents using color-coded stickers corresponding to the new home’s layout. This hyper-organized system simplifies mover instructions transporting inventory and quicker unpacking into correct zones later.
Budget Extra Padding Time
When estimating action items’ duration during move week, pad buffer days account for unexpected delays like bad weather, appliance issues at the new house, or sore muscles needing rest. Building wiggle room into the calendar prevents feeling continually crushed by underestimations.
Prepare Kids and Pets
To ease big transitions, especially for young kids or anxious pets, begin acclimating them to new homes earlier by gradually introducing favorite spaces for familiarization and making special sleeping corners comforting the first night. Upgrade pet tags with current owner contact details too.
Sketch Detailed Floor Plans
Map out the new living space’s layout including dimensions, doors, and windows. Identify ideal furniture positioning avoiding obstructed pathways that damage walls long-term plus easy appliance accessibility without overstretching cords. Share copies with movers so heavy items place perfectly on the first try.
Create a “First Night” Box
Pack 1 box containing everything your family needs immediately upon moving into a new bare home like toilet paper, paper towels, basic tools, pajamas, and air mattresses. Transport this essentials box separately with bright labeling for easy identification unloading moving trucks first when every other item remains buried.
Book Transportation Logistics
Decide whether you’ll manage a do-it-yourself piecemeal move using rented trucks making multiple house-to-house trips, or hire professional movers owning industrial equipment finishing faster by simply directing locations. Estimate measurements of large furniture pieces navigating doorways and hallways in both homes.
Buy Quality Moving Supplies
Stock up on high-quality moving boxes, tape, permanent markers, furniture pads, and dollies well beforehand since shops sell out quickly during summer peak season with overpaying desperados left scavenging subpar leftover cardboard. Having adequate clean boxes in consistent sizes stacks perfectly inside trucks for damage-free rides.
Change Home’s Locks
For safety changing residences, replace old locks with new secure locksets keeping previous owners from retaining copied keys. Rekeying kits available at hardware stores simplify reconfigurations using original cylinders saving huge locksmith fee costs. Provide new keys to family members immediately to avoid accidental exclusions.
Clean As You Pack
While packing up the entire home room-by-room, meticulously clean each space top-to-bottom removing lingering odors, stains, or permanent marks left over years allowing new owners to welcome glimpses rather than needing extensive renovations before move-in. future residents appreciate clean slates.
Preparing methodically ahead transforms overwhelming transitions into smooth sailing through monumental life-change milestones. We hope these universal moving tips help households navigate upcoming adventures! Please share your best practices for making moving manageable too.
