6 Things to Do Before Moving Houses
It’s never easy moving house or changing apartments. It can be a tedious and overwhelming process if you’re not careful. This is why you need to be adequately prepared if you’re planning to move.
And even when the move is to a better place and for a good reason, it still doesn’t make it any less stressful. That’s why we have come up with this list of to-dos that will help make the process much easier. If you do everything on this list, you can be sure that the move will be as stress-free as can be.
6 Things to Do Before Moving Houses
Decide on a Moving Schedule
When is your move due? When are you supposed to move into the new place? Figure this out first and then plan your relocation based on that deadline. The best time to start planning a move is 6 months before but not everyone has that luxury.
So, whether you have a month or six, draw up a schedule that will make the transition easy. Start by handing in your notice to the landlord or real estate agent. This should be done within a month or two of your leaving. But if you’ve been in the property for less than a year, you may have to pay a fee for breaking the contract if you had one. Then, have clear to-dos for every day or week before moving, and check them off as you complete those tasks.
Eliminate Clutter
The next thing to do is declutter your current space. This is important if you intend to contact or use a moving company. Most companies will want to have an idea of how many items you’ll be moving.
This will help them plan for the logistics of the move –truck size, number of movers, tools, etc. get rid of the things that you won’t need in the new place. Separate those things, donate the good ones and trash the unusable ones.
Pack and Label Your Stuff
As the day approaches, start packing up your things into boxes and arranging them in good order. If it’s a last-minute move though, you may have to get some professionals or friends and family to help with the packing.
The good thing about packing slowly, particularly when you’re very busy, is you can do it at your own pace, and on your own terms, as you’re in control of the process. Most importantly, you’ll be able to accurately label the items. This will make it easy for you to find them in the new place.
Clean Up and Fumigate the New Place
As the moving date draws closer, you need to make sure that the new place is in top shape. This means having the place cleaned and disinfected. Make sure to have a pest specialist check for pests in the property before moving in.
If you need to fumigate the place, make sure that you’re using the right chemicals for the pests. For instance, a termite treatment chemical might be different from a snake repellant, or cockroach control solution.
Talk to a pest control professional about your options before anything. Make sure to clean again after the fumigation. This will protect you and your loved ones from being exposed to potentially harmful chemicals.
Arrange to Have Utilities in the New Place
Make arrangements for water, heating and cooling, internet, gas, Wi-Fi, and other utilities to be in place before you move into the new place. The truth is settling into a new place is also a lot of hassle.
You want to make sure that the basics are taken care of before you get there. This will make it so much easier to settle down. You don’t want to spend an entire day unpacking and getting dirty only to find that there’s no water in the house.
Use Professionals
Unless you have very few items or you’re moving into a serviced apartment, you might want to have moving professionals take care of your moving. Moving professionals are trained to handle all items with care.
Look up their reviews and see what past customers have to say about them. You want to ensure that they have a lot of positive reviews and a few negative reviews. When the day comes, the movers you’ve hired will come in and get your things from the old apartment to the new apartment.
Remember to hire them early enough, particularly if you’re moving in the summer–that’s usually considered peak moving season. But if you don’t have a lot of stuff, you can simply rent a U-Haul and move the things yourself.
Yes! Labeling and professionals. We had to move and we packed up everything super securely, labeled it all, took pictures, and then hired a highly-rated moving company. It all went swimmingly.
Getting rid of excess items is important. There is no point in paying to move items you don’t want or need.
You have some great tips here. We’re a military family so we move often. It’s not easy!
I’m all about the “use professionals” bit. I used to do things myself to save money, now, I just want it done quickly!
I hope to never move again, but if I do, there is a ton I would toss! Should do it now, but.. eh.
I always hire the professionals to take care of my new home before moving to that place! You have shared some great helpful tips 🙂