by Katie Tejada
Moving is a big step and one that needs to be taken seriously. While many aspects of a successful move are self-explanatory, some just aren’t - and it’s sometimes these details that can help save you the most time and money. Here are 7 tips about moving you’ve probably never heard before.
Plan Ahead with Educational Enrollment
If you have kids, notify the staff of their school of your move at least a month in advance. During this time, you’ll want to get a hold of all of their school records. You’ll also want to start the enrollment process of the new school your children will attend. You don’t want your kids to miss school because you started the enrollment process too late. Doing all of this in advance will ensure you have a smooth educational transition for yourself and your children.
Plan a Yard Sale
If you’re moving and you don’t plan on taking every single item you currently own with you, planning a yard sale is a great way to get rid of extra stuff and make money. As soon as you start thinking about moving, you should take a look at all of your possessions. Take time to decide what you need to take with you and what you don’t.
Plan Ahead with Educational Enrollment
If you have kids, notify the staff of their school of your move at least a month in advance. During this time, you’ll want to get a hold of all of their school records. You’ll also want to start the enrollment process of the new school your children will attend. You don’t want your kids to miss school because you started the enrollment process too late. Doing all of this in advance will ensure you have a smooth educational transition for yourself and your children.
Plan a Yard Sale
If you’re moving and you don’t plan on taking every single item you currently own with you, planning a yard sale is a great way to get rid of extra stuff and make money. As soon as you start thinking about moving, you should take a look at all of your possessions. Take time to decide what you need to take with you and what you don’t.
While preparing for a move, it’s best to keep things simple and don’t overthink the process. When it’s time to move, we often realize that we own much more things than we thought we did. If you own items that you don’t remember owning, it’s probably best that you sell them. If you own items that serve you no purpose and you don’t use them regularly, you should probably sell those too.
Pack an Essential Kit
Many people are overwhelmed by the events of Moving Day and can forget to look after themselves. An essential kit is a collection of everything you need to stay comfortable during the move and it helps you stay focused on the task at hand rather than on your or your family’s needs.
Pack a small suitcase or duffel bag with all of the items you might need throughout the day, like glasses or contacts, medication, toiletries, chargers, a few bottles of water, and snacks, plus anything else you’ll need on the fly to stay more comfortable throughout the busy day.
Pack an Essential Kit
Many people are overwhelmed by the events of Moving Day and can forget to look after themselves. An essential kit is a collection of everything you need to stay comfortable during the move and it helps you stay focused on the task at hand rather than on your or your family’s needs.
Pack a small suitcase or duffel bag with all of the items you might need throughout the day, like glasses or contacts, medication, toiletries, chargers, a few bottles of water, and snacks, plus anything else you’ll need on the fly to stay more comfortable throughout the busy day.
Pack Plates Like Records
Avoid broken plates by packing them vertically, like records. We know this tip may come as a true surprise because if you’re ever watched a moving scene on TV, you’ve probably seen the characters pack their plates horizontally. However, vertical is always best because it puts the weight of the plates into the cardboard of the box rather than on top of one another.
And when you’re packing your boxes with fragile things like plates, do not leave any empty spaces in them. Professional movers often won’t move boxes that feel unbalanced or loosely packed. Fill the gaps in your boxes with packing paper, clothing, or towels to ensure they’re nice and snug for Moving Day.
Strategize your Food Situation
When Moving Day is getting close, it’s time to start strategizing your food situation. You can avoid food wastage by planning to have a completely empty fridge and freezer by the time Moving Day arrives. As the countdown gets shorter, grocery shop very intentionally. This will help you to consume all of the food items you have before it’s time to move.
If you’re not able to consume everything you have, check local shelters to see if they accept donations of unopened and unused food. If you’re not able to donate food, ask close neighbors, friends, and family if they would like your groceries.
Call Utility Companies
As soon as you know you’re moving, call utility companies located in your new neighborhood. Make sure your power, water, internet, and whatever else you’ll need are up and running before Moving Day. This step is essential on your moving checklist, as you want to ensure your comfort at your new place. Depending on availability, utility companies can take days or even weeks to turn on utilities. You don’t want to be left in the dark while you’re stuck on a wait list for your power connection.
Take Pictures
Don’t worry, we’re not pressuring you to start a blog or submit photos to an interior design magazine. However, taking a few pictures should be a part of your Moving Day. Let’s take a quick look at what you should take pictures of and why:
● Box contents - Taking a quick picture of the contents of your box will help to jog your memory about what is in each box when it’s time to unpack.
● The back of your TV - More often than not, TVs involve quite a bit of wire connections. Take a picture of the back of your TV so you’ll remember exactly to set up your wiring when it’s time to watch your favorite show at your new place.
Avoid broken plates by packing them vertically, like records. We know this tip may come as a true surprise because if you’re ever watched a moving scene on TV, you’ve probably seen the characters pack their plates horizontally. However, vertical is always best because it puts the weight of the plates into the cardboard of the box rather than on top of one another.
And when you’re packing your boxes with fragile things like plates, do not leave any empty spaces in them. Professional movers often won’t move boxes that feel unbalanced or loosely packed. Fill the gaps in your boxes with packing paper, clothing, or towels to ensure they’re nice and snug for Moving Day.
Strategize your Food Situation
When Moving Day is getting close, it’s time to start strategizing your food situation. You can avoid food wastage by planning to have a completely empty fridge and freezer by the time Moving Day arrives. As the countdown gets shorter, grocery shop very intentionally. This will help you to consume all of the food items you have before it’s time to move.
If you’re not able to consume everything you have, check local shelters to see if they accept donations of unopened and unused food. If you’re not able to donate food, ask close neighbors, friends, and family if they would like your groceries.
Call Utility Companies
As soon as you know you’re moving, call utility companies located in your new neighborhood. Make sure your power, water, internet, and whatever else you’ll need are up and running before Moving Day. This step is essential on your moving checklist, as you want to ensure your comfort at your new place. Depending on availability, utility companies can take days or even weeks to turn on utilities. You don’t want to be left in the dark while you’re stuck on a wait list for your power connection.
Take Pictures
Don’t worry, we’re not pressuring you to start a blog or submit photos to an interior design magazine. However, taking a few pictures should be a part of your Moving Day. Let’s take a quick look at what you should take pictures of and why:
● Box contents - Taking a quick picture of the contents of your box will help to jog your memory about what is in each box when it’s time to unpack.
● The back of your TV - More often than not, TVs involve quite a bit of wire connections. Take a picture of the back of your TV so you’ll remember exactly to set up your wiring when it’s time to watch your favorite show at your new place.
Try to make moving day fun and stress-free. If you have small kids and pets that are not able to assist with packing, make babysitting arrangements so they’re out of the way and safe. Play music while packing to make it seem like less of a chore and do whatever else you need to make your moving process fun.
If moving seems like too much for you to take on by yourself, consider using a professional moving service. Using a moving service will help to eliminate some stress that may be involved with Moving Day. Your movers will ensure all of your belongings get to your new home, safe and sound.
If moving seems like too much for you to take on by yourself, consider using a professional moving service. Using a moving service will help to eliminate some stress that may be involved with Moving Day. Your movers will ensure all of your belongings get to your new home, safe and sound.
Author Bio:
Katie Tejada is a writer, editor, home-enthusiast and former HR professional. She often covers developments in HR, business communication, recruiting, real estate, finance and law, but also enjoys writing about travel, interiors and budget-friendly topics.
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