Helpful Moving Tips

The "fun" side of selling or buying a new home is moving and having to pack up everything you own or find storage for items.  There is more involved than many people think thus they underestimate how long it will take them to get everything boxed-up, moved and unpacked.  On the other hand some people hire people to do this for them. 

As Realtors, we hear many moving stories, some good, some not so good, so below are some tips to help make your next move a little easier.  Many of us can recommend different moving compies that previous clients have used, so please do ask.  For those individuals who do their own packing, Realty Times recently published an article with helpful tips on ways to make the process a little smoother.

It's a dreaded part of buying a new home. It can be costly and time consuming, and can even cause you physical pain. What could possible wreak all this havoc? Moving day.

Moving days can be quite the headache! To help you prepare and to avoid potential hang-ups, try out these great tips.

First and foremost, plan ahead. This is a time to make a list and check it twice. It always takes more time and more boxes than you'd think! It is better to be done ahead of schedule than to run out of time. Once you have to be out of your current home, you have to be out!

On your list, decide on what you will need movers to move and what you can do yourself. If you have compiled a list of your larger items when you call the movers, they'll be able to give you a more solid estimate.

Be sure to shop around for the best movers. You'll find pricing and experience levels ranges widely. And ask your friends and coworkers for recommendations or for who to avoid.

There may be certain items you wish to move on your own. This can range from plants and fragile items to daily necessities. Make sure you note this on your "to do" list. And keep important documents, medications, and other "must haves" out and on your person.

If you are tackling this task without the help of movers, you'll save yourself several hundred dollars. Enlist family and friends (groan from the audience) for this task! If you let people know well ahead of time, it will be less of an inconvenience.

Make arrangements with sitters or daycares for pets and children. It is far too easy for young children or pets to get hurt, or lost, on moving day.

Now that you have an action plan, what really must go? This is a great time to have a garage sale and then to donate what doesn't sell. There's no reason to move junk from one house to the next!

Next, pack like items together. Clothes go in one box. Bathroom items in another. And to avoid confusion later on, label each box. Whatever system that works for you, is best. You may find that color coding keeps you organized. Red permanent marker means master bedroom. Blue is for master bath.

Or you might simply label each box for its new destination: "garage", "master bed", "kitchen". Always use a permanent marker and remember to write on multiple sides of the box.

If there are fragile items, like dishes, be sure to indicate this on the box.

After you have packed up, do a final walk-through of your home. Recruit another family member to do the same with fresh eyes. Anything you leave after closing becomes the property of the new owners.

Moving is a lot of work, but the benefits of settling into your new home are worth it! Plan ahead and the day is sure to run smoothly.

Published: February 18, 2011