Summer is moving season. Warmer temperatures are more conducive to relocating from one home to another, and it’s also easier for families to make longer moves (neighborhood to neighborhood or city to city) when the kids are out of school. If you and your family are looking at moving this spring or summer, whether it’s to a new apartment or house or even a business relocation, read on for some advice that will make your transition a lot smoother.
1. Stay on schedule
Creating a plan of attack is the best way to ensure that your priorities are organized and on track. Don’t wait until the last minute to start packing. You can start boxing up lesser used items weeks or months in advance. Save the things you use most for the very end, such as your most frequently worn clothing and frequently used dishware. Also start accumulating packing materials like boxes, bubble wrap, tape, etc.
2. Declutter
This is something you hear us preach quite a bit. Lightening your load always makes packing and moving much easier, and it just makes for less stressful living wherever you wind up. Living day to day with clutter can be mentally and psychologically stressful. Separate your things into categories: keep, throw away and sell. And don’t forget to declutter your fridge too. Try to consume your food so that there’s little left in the fridge by the time you load the fridge onto the truck.
3. Pack a bag of essentials
This bag should be something you carry on moving day and include items like veterinarian info, birth certificates, school documents, medications, cell phones, chargers, etc. These are things you’ll likely want to keep handy so that you don’t have to go tearing into packed boxes to find them.
4. Recruit assistance
Everyone needs help on moving day. So whether you hire a professional moving company or find some good friends who are willing to work for pizza, get going on making those arrangements early. Waiting too late can leave you in a lurch. You can even get your kids involved by letting them take on age-appropriate tasks like packing their own toys, etc.
5. Arrange for storage at your destination
The place you’re moving to might not be able to accommodate all your stuff, even after you pare down. If that turns out to be the case, don’t get caught unprepared. Make sure you’ve already rented a storage unit near your new residence to accommodate the overflow until you can make other arrangements to dispose of those items. If you’re moving to the Great Smoky Mountains, Volunteer Storage will help you decide which size unit will best suit your needs.