Planning and scheduling a household move isn’t fun for anyone. To ward off the stress associated with moving, create various lists of tasks and deadlines. Depending on whether you are selling, and buying a new home, or moving into a new rental, pre-planning will save you a great deal of time and hassle when moving day arrives.
If you are currently renting, and know a move is on the horizon, give yourself at least six weeks to find a new place. This will enable you to finalize the new lease and begin planning how and what you’ll move into your new rental. If you are buying and/or selling, the timing depends on if you need to sell your home prior to moving into a new one, and the distance, if any, your move will entail. In this situation, you should give yourself far more than six weeks to plan. Below are some tips and timelines for how to best prepare for your household move once you’ve decided where you’re relocating.
During the 6-10 weeks prior to moving, decide if you will use professional movers. If so, you will want this to be the first goal to accomplish in your move planning. Certain times of the year are peak seasons for moving, so select professional movers early and commit to a moving date. If you are using friends and family as your main source of help on moving day, be sure to ask them well in advance.
During the 3-5 weeks prior to moving day, make detailed lists. It might help to go room by room and compare that to the same room in your new home. Start obtaining moving supplies. Make a list of places you want to notify of your new address, in addition to notifying the post office. Set aside a weekend to go through all of your belongings. Make piles of what to donate, and what might be suitable for a garage sale, if you’re so inclined to have one. This is also a good time to schedule a moving truck rental, if you’re not using professional movers.
The two weeks leading up to moving day tend to get hectic, as you might start packing boxes, and wonder how you’ll live with everything packed away. Be sure to leave out items you want to have access to until moving day. This tends to be easier in the event movers are packing boxes for you, but you still want to be cautious and use your discretion on how and what is packed.
Plan to have a box for the last night in the old place and first night in the new place. This box should contain basic toiletries and clothing you will need access to before you start unpacking. This also applies to the kitchen. If you are using kitchen utensils and dinnerware a night or so before the move, pack those separately and have immediate access to those items at the new home. This is handy because you may not unpack the kitchen box right away, and can use the items you set aside until you have the chance to do so.
Overall, moving is stressful. However, if you’re organized and armed with lists, the process can go very smoothly. View moving as a new, fresh start, and try to have fun with the planning process. It will all pay off once you’re settled into your new home.
