There are certain steps that everyone who’s moving needs to follow just to get set up for the process. This article walks you through the details of the next phase, which forms the bulk of the move up through settling in. Here are some of our best recommendations:
The Steps
1. Start packing!
2. File your change of address.
3. Eliminate items from your move.
4. Manage your moving day.
5. Start settling in.
The Details
How to Move Step 1: Start packing!
Packing always seems to be most laborious and time-consuming part of a move. We all seem to have many more possessions than we first estimate, and the time involved with packing them seems to constantly grow. Here are some basic packing tips:
• Start packing as soon as you can- it always seems to take longer than you’d expect.
• Eliminate as many items as you can by donating to charity and holding a moving sale- it will save you a lot of time in the long run.
• Pack a suitcase for each family member as if you were going on a 3-day trip, and keep the suitcases with you instead of on the moving truck.
• Create one or two “Open Me First” boxes for each room, containing the items you’ll need immediately on arrival at your new home. This will save you a lot of time and stress.
• Label each box and all 4 sides and the top with an abbreviation for the room and a box number for that room. You’ll avoid lots of frustration constantly answering the question of, “Where do you want this box?”
• Focus on just one room at a time to avoid getting overwhelmed.
• Hold a “packing party” with friends, family, and anyone else you can recruit. Have lots of free food and music to entice the party-goers.
• Keep all boxes to under 30 pounds where possible and always less than 50 pounds. Having a bathroom scale by your side when packing makes this much easier.
These packing tips should get you off to a great start.
How to Move Step 2: File your change of address.
It’s important to let everyone know when and where you’re moving. Follow these basic guidelines to ease the process:
• Confirm you new address.
• Create a contact list by collecting names and addresses of people you want to notify.
• File your change of address with the post office.
• Set up your phone number for your new place.
• Decide if you want to block “junk mail” and telemarketers, and file with the correct agencies to protect your contact information.
• Start notifying your contact list.
• Notify anyone whose mail arrives at your new address with a yellow address correction sticker.
This should get your change of address process running quickly and smoothly.
How to Move Step 3: Eliminate items from your move.
We recommend that people moving eliminate as many items as possible from their move. In fact, we recommend that you have eliminating 1/3 of your possessions as a goal. Have a charity donation truck (such as Disabled American Veterans, The Purple Heart or The Salvation Army) come and take away any items that you no longer need.
Better still, have the truck come pick up items immediately after you hold a moving sale. A moving sale is a great way to eliminate unwanted items and pick up some spare cash in the process.
Here are some of the basic steps for holding a successful moving sale:
• Pack separate boxes in each room for your “moving sale” items as you pack up everything else.
• Stuck on how to price things? Start by dividing the original price by 5 and then discounting for any
damage.
• It’s easier to make categories of items all the same price, such as “all clothing $4 each.” It also saves hours of time creating tiny price tags!
• Make arrangements in advance to have a charity donation truck arrive at the closing time of your moving sale to take away anything that wasn’t sold. The charity gets donations, and you clear out of any items that didn’t sell by the end.
• Price everything to be easily divisible by 2. This allows you to hold a “1/2 price clearance” during the last hour of the sale, and clear out lots of remaining items and pocket cash you might have missed otherwise.
• Have lots of spare change (bills and coins) on hand on your person (not in a box that can be stolen at the sale).
• Start advertising at least 2 weeks prior to the sale.
• Recruit as much help as you can stand for the big day. You can use assistance for watching tables, helping customers move items and answering question.
Following these simple guidelines should help make your moving day a successful one!
How to Move Step 4: Manage moving day.
• Make sure your cell phone is fully charged. One thing you definitely don’t want to be on your Moving Day is “unreachable.”
• Start your day early. You’ll want to make sure that one of the things you don’t pack ahead of time is your alarm clock.
• Recruit as much help as you can stand.
• Use sitters- Kids and pets are your treasures, and they deserve to have full attention, but on moving day you’ll have other priorities.
• Food is your friend- Whether you have professional movers or friends and family, having coffee, orange juice, and bagels or donuts available will make it easier for everyone to get started on Moving Day.
• Keep cell phone numbers ready and programmed into your phone. Be certain you have the cell phone number of the driver of the truck entered into your cell phone, and that the driver has yours.
• Have correct payment ready and waiting. If you’re using professional movers, on Moving Day keep in mind that almost all of them will expect and demand payment in full and in cash before they will unload a single box from the moving truck.
• Directions- You need to have directions and a map ready for anyone will be driving between your old place and your new place.
• Label the rooms at your new place.
Following these steps should make your actual moving day easier to manage.
How to Move Step 5: Start settling in.
Once you’ve completed your move it’s time to begin the settling in process. One of the best ways to feel more settled is knowing where key locations in your new neighborhood are. Here’s a list of 12 key places to locate near your new home:
• Shopping center/ mall
• Hospital/ emergency care center
• School
• Day care center
• Library
• Post office
• Grocery store
• Pharmacy
• Convenience store
• Hardware store
• Dry cleaner
• Car repair center
Once you know where each of these locations is, you’ll start to feel much more settled and less “up in the air” after landing at your new place.
And there you have the 5 basic steps for how to move after you get set up.
For more, FREE moving tips and articles, please visit our website on moving, movers and relocation. Two of our most popular articles are:
* Moving checklist: The Ultimate Moving Checklist. This checklist is free, printable, and has all your important tasks broken down across a 4-week calendar. Tasks are separated by category, and identified by priority (critical vs. optional).
* Moving tips: 101 Best Moving Tips. We have collected moving tips on dozens of topics from moving handbooks, articles and websites, sorting through to provide you with only the “best of the best.” You can pick and choose which categories are most relevant to you and choose which ones will be most helpful to you and your move.
Good luck on your move!
