Moving is much easier if you have a plan in mind. Then, you can begin preparations as soon as your house goes on the market or you deliver your moving notice to your apartment manager. This will make things much less stressful since you won’t be worried about what you’re going to do and when. With that in mind, here are some moving tips to make things go easier. These are also great moving across country tips since the packing is the same no matter how far you’re going.
Clean and Organize All Rooms
- It’s always easier to deal with packing when you can see exactly what is where.
- Donate, recycle, or throw away everything you don’t want cluttering up your new place.
- According to one report, there are 300,000 items in the average American home. Be ready to offload far more items than you even thought you had!
- Expect to want to keep many items, too. One in 10 Americans rents offsite storage space for their “keepers.”
Start Packing with the Things You Don’t Use Often
- Packing little-used things first lowers the chance of you having to unpack them before moving day.
- If you have an attic, basement, or garage, start there. These places typically hold “keepers” that you don’t actually use.
- Next, check the corners of the rooms that are used more. These often become mini storage areas.
- Go through the main living area next. Pack up knick-knacks and other items that either aren’t there for active use or that you only use rarely.
Hold a Garage Sale
- Garage sales are great ways to recover some cash from the things you don’t use.
- They are great for getting rid of clothing and small appliances.
- Don’t expect to sell everything. If things don’t move after a couple of weekends, give them away or otherwise dispose of them.
- The biggest garage sale fans do their shopping very early in the morning. Have everything on display by dawn.
Contact Moving Companies
- Get a solid written estimate from each company. Be sure the quote clearly states the service level the estimate is for.
- If you’ll need storage service, ask the moving companies if they offer any options.
- Once you choose a winner, schedule a solid moving date.
- Be ready to go on the moving date. Rescheduling may incur extra fees.
With these packing tips for moving, you’ll find that the main part of the process is much easier than it otherwise would be. Your most-used items will remain out and findable until you’re actually ready to go, while the things that mostly take up space will be all boxed up and out of your way. You will also have had plenty of time to get rid of what you don’t want to take along.
Takeaways
- Start the moving process before the house goes on the market
- Clean your least-used areas first
- Pack up your least-used items before the others
- Eliminate the things you don’t want to take, whether by sale, donation, recycling, or throwing them away
- Get quotes from moving services
When you reach the final stage, it’ll be time to get a quote from local moving companies. Contact us here at Tiger Moving & Storage to get a custom estimate for your specific job and timeframe. We’ll send an expert out to look over the amount of things you have and discuss service levels with you, so there’ll be no surprises at the end. We can also provide more packing and moving tips if you’d like them.
We will close with one final moving tip: The easiest way to pack things up is to have someone else do it. Consider our packing and unpacking service to make everything as easy as possible!