You can be excited and nervous about relocating, but that won’t get you far unless you prepare well. While a dose of anxiety and anticipation is welcome, it’s also crucial to stay on track with the process. Check out some moving tips to make relocating and packing easier before the big day.
How Can I Make Moving Easier? This Advice Will Be All You Need to Move Effortlessly
When surfing the web, you’ll find tips for moving that could help you make friends after relocation and create a list of rock-steady reasons to move. But, we know you need something more concrete than that, something along the lines of packing hacks, organization advice, and what to pay attention to when hiring an interstate or an overseas moving company.
With our advice, you’ll see that everything else can be taken care of in no time and without too much relocation stress. The last thing you want is to panic when composure is necessary. Keep your eyes on the prize and remember why you’re doing this. That focus, and some preparation, will make sure your move goes smoothly.
#1 Organize Your Finances and Create a Relocation Gameplan
For a start, ensure you’re not relocating across the world on a whim. While that sounds appealing, it’s more like a movie premise than actual life. Before taking a leap of faith, there are legal, financial, and practical issues to take care of.
Start by paying close attention to your finances. Call relocation companies and compare quotes to see which one will fit your budget the best (but don’t fall for extremely cheap quotes – that’s a trap). If you’ve saved enough to move comfortably, the next step is asking your employer about relocating.
Not paying attention to details such as money, employment or visas will cost you more than you can ever imagine because new states, let alone countries, can be hard to adapt to legally and financially.
Transfer Utilities, Change Your Address, and Don’t Forget to Package Your Documents
While gathering the documents needed to travel abroad, check what utilities are in your name and cancel them. Specifically, do this about a month before leaving to have access to them during preparations.
For those moving abroad for love, the jackpot is going to their partner’s place and perhaps not having to worry about bills, utilities, and the address change. However, you should tell the nearest local post office and DMV that you’ll be leaving for good. It’s not illegal, but it’s a nuisance if you don’t.
#2 Before You Pack, Get Rid of Unwanted Things Sitting Around the House
The most overwhelming part of relocation is packing. As soon as old boxes and clothes come out, you start wondering, “When did I buy all of this and why?”
Like it or not, a lot of that stuff has to go, and we mean out of your life forever – in the junk, sold or donated, it doesn’t matter. The criteria for getting rid of it should be – if you didn’t know or forgot you had it, you won’t need it in the future, either.
When you start thinking about what should be moved first when moving, throw away the decluttered junk first. You’ll see how easy everything else will become afterward. Although to answer that directly, large furniture should go first.
The best relocation day preparation you can do is declutter, so don’t skip this essential step, no matter how painful or complicated it gets. Start early, not at 5 AM, but more like several weeks before relocation day. The sooner you begin, the easier it will be to move out later.
How to Use the Unwanted Items in Your Home to Your Advantage
You won’t cry over unwanted items if you sell them. Turning junk into cash is one of the ultimate dreams and, coincidentally, one of our best tips for moving. If you want to move efficiently, organize a yard sale and earn extra for relocation expenses.
What to sell at a yard sale, you might ask? It should be anything you no longer use that’s in reasonably good shape and functional. Here’s a short list:
- Seasonal clothing (that doesn’t have any major damage),
- Board games,
- Electronic games and consoles (there are a lot of old tech collectors),
- Sports and gym equipment,
- Tools,
- Toys,
- Outdoor furniture,
- Wood furniture,
- Home decor items,
- Books and records.
#3 You Can Find Packing Materials Like Boxes and Wrap for Free
You read that right – there’s an abundance of free packaging materials waiting to be found. You can find them by decluttering, which is another reason why it’s a supreme form of preparing for a move.
Emptying old boxes and reusing some that you planned to throw away is entirely acceptable. You can pack shoes in their original containers and transport them in one much larger one, a massive trash bag or a basket.
If you have the old printer box with you, but the printer doesn’t work anymore (who’d be surprised?) use it to pack fragile items or whatever can fit without being crammed in. When reusing old boxes, pad the bottom with cushioning and seal it with duct tape so the carefully arranged things don’t belly flop from the bottom.
As far as wrapping is concerned, your old t-shirts and other soft, cotton items could do the trick. They can easily prevent things from breaking and protect delicate stuff in the box. For sturdier things, try old magazines and newspapers.
Restaurants and Supermarkets Have a Lot of Unwanted Usable Boxes
Some unlikely places for finding relocation essentials are the backdoors of supermarkets, restaurants, and liquor stores. They get their goods in boxes that are rarely, if ever, reused. That’s where you can swoop in and save an abandoned box when you start relocating.
These containers are rarely filthy or too damaged. Those end up in the trash anyway, so you shouldn’t worry about catching something from an abandoned box; to be safe, don’t just pick up any box you see, but be vigilant and look in(to) them.
Before you worry and wonder, “how long before a move should I start packing?” it’s important to consider what to pack in. The woman in the video below has experience finding free relocation containers and materials. You may be surprised by some of the sources but hopefully more motivated to go on your own run for materials.
#4 Create a Task and To-Do Checklist to Keep Track of Your Move Better
What you shouldn’t move without is a checklist. Whether it’s a moving overseas checklist or otherwise, place the necessary steps before leaving home on paper. It’ll be the wisest choice you’ve made, for sure.
Even if you’re relocating with friends, each of you should create a copy of this checklist and follow it closely. We get it; you’re not the list type, and rules are for losers, but let us know how many steps you skipped along the way, whether by accident or because you didn’t care.
Relocation is the best time to become (or try being) organized. It doesn’t have to be an elaborate list but as simple as “declutter, pack, call movers, move.” You’d be surprised how many people get these done in the wrong order.
You Can Get Creative With Your Moving and Packing Checklist
So, what should be on your checklist? From what to pack to utilities, bills, and phone calls, all that must find its way on there. Use a notebook and write down emergency numbers for movers and others participating in the relocation.
Create a materials-gathering list, what to prepare for the first week at the new home, and a list of deadlines for canceling utilities and other services attached to your home.
The cool part is that you can get creative with the checklist. Use color-coding, slang, metaphors, and images to label your tasks. Make it your own and spice up the boredom of being an organized adult. You’re also allowed not to invest any effort and just download a printable relocation checklist off the internet.
#5 Do Research on Every Aspect of the Move to Avoid (Unpleasant) Surprises
Going to a new place is not easy, but the process can be longer and more complicated if you’re shipping overseas. That’s why going unprepared is a rookie mistake. Even if your move is interstate rather than international, knowing all about your destination is recommended.
Sure, if you’re abroad, you’ll find expat communities, but how will you pay? Who will manage your bills? Is it OK to relocate with dogs there? These are questions you must find answers to before taking any trip to any place.
Of course, there’s no chance you can learn every single thing about your destination, but knowing enough to not feel like a stranger will be a life-saver. Bear in mind that if you’re relocating abroad, one of the things you should do is learn a new language.
#6 Don’t Attempt Relocating on Your Own, Especially if You’re Moving Internationally
If you ask anyone who relocated what is the best method for moving, a standard answer will be hiring an interstate or an overseas shipping company. Professional movers simply know what’s what in relocation and can turn your life into a fairy tale when you hire them to help.
Aside from professional relocation services, they offer stuff you may not be aware you need. Good examples are storage and insurance, which are logical benefits. Having a storage service available is like having a safety net, and the same goes for relocation insurance policies.
You can pack all you want, but pro packing services are hard to beat. Next to having someone actually skilled to package your dishes, there are some items movers won’t move, which these pros can notify you about long before the day of the move.
The great part about relocation companies is that they do it all. If you thought you must call various businesses for help, you’d be happy to hear that one relocation company can do it all for you.
Get car shipping, packaging, and insurance from the same business, and worry about nothing else. Additionally, professionals will understand the need for balancing your finances and won’t ever impose additional charges.
You Can Do Due Diligence on Every Interstate and International Moving Company
The biggest fear when hiring relocation companies is scams. That’s understandable, as many try to fool people out of their hard-earned money. However, you can avoid that by adding due diligence on a relocation firm to your checklist.
You can use the FMCSA website to check for a USDOT number, which is the easiest way to verify the business you intend to deal with is legit. Any company that uses transport vehicles is obligated to get a USDOT number, which you’ll quickly find if they’re not planning to scam you.
With Just a Few Moving Tips and Tricks, Trust That the Process Is There to Change Your Life for the Better
Hopefully, you’ve learned some valuable packing and moving tips now. We can’t help you figure out how to keep in touch with friends after relocating, but that’s something you can do yourself. Even if you know that relocation is the right step, the process can take a while to come to fruition.
It’s not the easiest thing in the world, but not impossible either. With some organization, dedication, and planning, it could also be fun. A new adventure awaits, and you’re taking the first steps to it.
