Moving is a big deal. Whether you’re preparing to move down the block, moving to another city, or moving out of state, you may be feeling overwhelmed. When do you start packing? What do you need to budget for to move? How do you organize the move?
We’ve got a checklist to help you organize your move and keep you on the track to get out the door, with some cost-saving moving day tips.
Step 1: You need a timeline.
Step 2: You need a budget.
Step 3: You need to be an organized packer.
Step 4: You need to pack over time.
Step 5: You need to get rid of stuff.
Step 6: You need to safeguard memories.
Step 7: You need to get familiar with your new community.
You’re moving! Great! Likely, you know where you’re going and what day you expect to be there. Mark a calendar with the date and work backwards from the move-out date to set weekly or monthly goals (depending on how much time you have) to get everything ready for that big day.
If move-out day is Tuesday, January 1st, use the 1st of the month (if counting by months) or every Tuesday (if counting by days) and mark each day with a star.
Budgeting for a move is tough, and the costs will vary widely based on where you live, how much stuff you’re moving, how far you’re going, and how fast you need to get there. Research locally for the following budget items:
Cost-saving moving tips – Ask a group of friends to help and make an event of your big move. Factor in the cost of pizza, snacks, and beverages. If you’re asking them to use their personal vehicles, factor in some gas money too. They’ll be grateful, you’ll have a lot more fun, and you’ll be able to save some money on the move.
Cost-saving moving tips – Flatten and save cardboard delivery boxes to tape back together for the big move. Use tee-shirts and towels instead of bubble wrap and packing peanuts. Use sturdy canvas grocery bags. Use garbage bags for garment bags.
Cost-saving moving tips – Many storage spaces rent out a box truck to storage space renters inexpensively. Ask about weekly or pro-rated monthly rates. Consider asking friends to hold on to larger items to save on storage rental.
Label your boxes and bags using colored sharpies or colored dot stickers. Label them by room, mark fragile, and assign a number from 1 to 5 for each box, based on how quickly the box needs to be unpacked.
Your boxes might be labeled:
Your boxes might be labeled:
Or you might just color code everything RED as Living Room, BLUE as Bathroom, etc.
It doesn’t matter what organizational system you choose to move – pick one and stick with it!
Start early, move methodically from room to room, until only the bare essentials remain. It’s never easy to box up our lives. Don’t wait too long and stress over moving day eve.
We all accumulate things, things we don’t need, things we didn’t want, things we bought on sale and have never used or worn. Donate, trash, or give away as much as you can.
Cost-saving moving tips – The more stuff you have to move, the more expensive a move becomes for time, space, and supplies. Consider if a photograph of the item might serve just as well for memory’s sake as the item itself. Host a moving party and gift your friends a few things they have their eyes on.
Say goodbye to your old home. Take pictures of every room before you pack, and then again of the empty rooms. Have each member of your family write love letters to the home you’re leaving full of memories, treasured spaces, funny accidents, etc. Add these pictures and stories to a home scrapbook and give your family a memory worth holding on to. (There are online photo printers like www.shutterfly.com that will bind these projects into a high quality, printed book for safekeeping.
Also, write thank you notes to local stores and shopkeepers who have made an impression. This really helps kids get ready to move from one place to another. We often think that teachers are the adults most important in children’s lives, but they make friends all over. They may choose to write to their librarian, the friendly greeter at the big box store, or the funny cashier at the supermarket. Help them say goodbye and reinforce that that they’ll make new friends in their new community and they’ll get to keep some of their old friends too.
Begin touring your neighborhood before you’ve left your old one if possible. Introduce your kids to their new local library, visit their new school, stop in at the grocery store, and check out the local parks. Start learning the place you’ll be living so you feel at home when you get there.
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