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Make Moving Easier

By
Real Estate Agent with Coldwell Banker - Rader Group

moving tipsYou've sold your old Tulsa home and are excited about your transition to the new one.  But here comes the part nobody enjoys...the actual moving.  Somehow, you have to pack up the entire contents of your life in several boxes, secure them so the breakables don't break, put the boxes in the moving van, travel to your new Tulsa property, unload all the boxes, unpack them and put everything away.  And, many times, you're doing this in a matter of a couple of days.  Here are some tips to make moving easier:

Start Packing Early - As soon as you know when you'll be moving from your current Tulsa home, start packing.  Take it a room at a time and it won't feel so overwhelming.  Sometimes taking even a section of a room (say, the cabinets of the kitchen where you store the pots and pans you only use on special occasions) can help.

Mark Your Territory - Write which room the box should go in in big letters on at least two sides of the box.  This will help you sort out the boxes much quicker when you get to your new place.

Get Creative With Packing Materials - Instead of piling all your linens, pillows, clothes and other soft items in boxes by themselves, wrap them around your breakable items to protect them during the move.  When you have furniture that needs to be broken down (ie, beds, cribs, shelving units, etc), put all the nuts, bolts and screws in a sealable baggie, write what piece of furniture they belong to (in case it gets separated during the jostling around of the move) and attach the baggie to the furniture securely with packing tape (provided it won't hurt the finish of the furniture).  This way, you won't be searching for an errant bolt or missing screw when you put it together in your new Tulsa home.

Keep/Donate/Trash - Before packing anything away in boxes, ask yourself these questions.  Have I used it at all in the last year?  Can someone else use it?  Is it broken beyond repair?  Items that have not been used within the last year that are neither seasonal decorations nor valued family heirlooms should be considered for the donation or trash piles.  This lightens your load when it comes time to moving and maybe someone else can get some enjoyment out of it.  Besides, donations are tax deductible, so keep your receipts.

Put Your Boxes on a Diet - Limit the weight for each box to around 30 lbs and no more than 50 lbs.  Keep your bathroom scale handy to quickly weigh every box when you're done.  Heavy boxes can make a move hurt even more.  Also, boxes heavier than 50 lbs run the risk of busting open at the seams.

Criss-Cross, Applesauce - To make a box sturdier, run one piece of tape along the seam and two more perpendicular to the seam (so that they form a cross in two places).  This helps relieve the stress on a box's seams, making it less likely for them to break open, spilling all their contents on the ground.

Open Me First Box - This should contain some paper plates, plastic eating utensils, disposable cups, instant coffee or tea, a first aid kit, snacks, napkins, etc., and kept separate from the rest of the moving boxes.  As the name implies, this will be the box you open first when you get to your new Tulsa home so that you don't have to scramble to find these items before unpacking everything.

It's Like a Vacation - Pack up a suitcase as if you were preparing for a long weekend getaway.  Pack approximately three days worth of clothes per person, toiletries, extra contact lenses, your reading glasses, necessary medications and any other things you will need access to easily.  Keep this in the trunk of your car or even at work, if possible.

These are just a few ideas on how you can make moving easier.  Congratulations on your new adventure in Tulsa homeownership.  If you ever need help with buying or selling a Tulsa area home in the future, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Tom and Bev Herring, Discover the Difference in Tulsa Real Estate

Comments (1)

Ken and Leslye Huebsch
3x Individual Agent of the Year, Luxury Homes, First-Time Buyers, Residential Resales, New Construction - Harrisburg, PA
Realtors - Harrisburg Homes for Sale 717.514.1793

Wonderful suggestions for both buyers and sellers. Would be great to include this in a sale packet!

Jun 23, 2011 12:50 PM