The following article provides tips and trick the think about when you are moving to a new house.
Get Rid of the Clutter
Think of what you are going to need in the new house. Sell old furniture, remove broken items and purge clothes, toys and other things which you are not using and very unlikely to use in future. Don’t carry clutter in your new house. Post online ads at least a month or two prior as it can take some time to get the best rate for your stuff.
Make a List
Once you make a list of what all items you’re taking, call packers and movers to get the quote according to the list. Choose a reliable packer, whether moving locally, to another city or abroad. They may cost you a little higher but they pack well and carry items safely. Remember, a reliable packer may not be the one whose ads you see frequently, tops Google Ads or costs you the most.
I would suggest that you pack your personal items by yourself like clothes, makeup, jewelry, toiletries, perfumes, accessories, documents, photos etc. to avoid mishandling by the packers.
To pack more clothes in less space, use rolling method. If you are moving within city, take the big carton or suitcase and pack the clothes with hangers. You may also place the clothes basket directly inside the cartons. By doing this you can arrange your new closet in no time.
Segregate the items you are going to carry by yourself in the car or in your luggage if you are moving to a different city. Inter-city moving may take time to reach. So you should have enough stuff to live comfortably for a week at least. So carry one week clothes, accessories and toiletries with you along with some linen like towels, bed sheets and blankets which you may require as soon as you reach. You can also carry utensils like a pan, few bowls, plates, glasses and an induction to start your kitchen.
What About the Kids
If you have kids, carry some toys to keep them engaged. People moving within the city; pack an overnight bag containing all the essentials. Chances are you will be too tired to unpack your things. You will want your essentials within easy access.
What About Precious Items
Carry your expensive precious items in your hand luggage like jewelry, laptop, important documents, educational and professional certificates, medical prescriptions which could run the risk of getting lost during the move.
If moving out to another city, pack things more carefully to avoid damage. Pack jewelry in separate pouches so that they don’t get things tangled. Wrap the watches in cling wrap to avoid scratches. Also wrap your nail paints, liquid makeup and toiletries to avoid leakages. Then pack everything in a vanity bag. For perfumes, first pack them in a cling wrap and the either bubble wrap them or pack them in a newspaper to prevent breakages.
Borrowed Items
Before we move to other household items, return things, which do not belong to you. Anything borrowed from friends or neighbours should be returned before you start packing or at least keep them separately in a safe place where it does not get mixed up.
Dismantling Items
If you have furniture and electronics than need dismantling, then dismantle everything at least two day before. All the hinges and screws should be packed safely in a box or a bag. Take photos of your furniture. It will be helpful for you during assembly. Some packers provide dismantling services, and some do not. So check with them before hand to avoid last minute confusion. Also take photos of how your electronics are connected and which wire goes into which port to avoid unnecessary hassle later.
While packing TVs, top box or DVD player pack their wires, remotes and wall mount hooks carefully in one box and mark properly.
Household and Kitchen
Rest of the household and kitchen items will be packed by packers. But if you are packing things by yourself then collect a few packing materials before you start packing. Such as cardboard boxes, old luggage, big plastic containers and trunks if you have, newspapers, old bed sheets and pillow cases, bubble wrap, big scotch tape, scissors and marker.
Always pack things according to the categories. Like kitchen, dishes, decoration, glassware, books, office etc. This way you can unpack boxes according to the need and can have an organized moving. Mixing items will only lead to confusion and frustration.
To pack breakable items such as glasses, cups, china bowls etc. either pack them in a bubble wrap or two three layers of newspaper to avoid breakage. You may also use a cotton dupatta or a pillow case to pack crockery. Or if you have small cardboard boxes which you get in online shopping, use these to pack glasses and smaller items and fill the gaps with newspaper. This way item will not move from its place and the small boxes will provide an extra layer of protection. Once all these things are packed, place them in the big carton safely.
In addition to labelling, write what’s in your boxes and what room they’ll be going into as well. It will be easy for you to ask the packers to leave the boxes in their designated rooms. It will help you from finding the right box among others and it will save you from pushing and sliding heavy boxes from one room to another.
If you can show up to your new home before the move and pre clean the kitchen and bathroom, it will make the process far easier. Put up few toiletries, some bath towels and toilet paper in the bathroom so that its ready if you will want to take a shower after a long day of moving.
Use vacuum bags to pack out of season clothes. Not only will they take up less space and be easy to pack, but they can go directly into storage in the new home.
Pack the items such as decorations, clothes, books, which are not going to be used immediately or for a while separately. The box can stay unopened and goes directly in storage.
Moving to Another City
If you’re renting, take photos of your new home before moving in. This is essential if you want to get your deposit back without much hassle and argument. It will save you from major headaches with difficult landlords who charge you cleaning and repair fees unnecessarily when moving out.
Online Shopping
Stop online shopping at least 10 to 15 days prior before you move to avoid delays in delivery. Also, change your address as soon as you move to the new house. It will be helpful when you’re tired and want to order things online.
Food & Groceries
Pack the segregated grocery baskets directly in the cartons. By doing this you won’t have to segregate and reorganize them in the new house. Also try to finish existing groceries and left-over food before moving to avoid wastage.
Freezers and Refrigerators
Remember to defrost your refrigerator at least a day before moving and clean it properly. Else you’re going to have a wet mess when you get to your new home. In the new house before you plug it in, let the refrigerator sit for at least two, three hours. This allows the fluids to flow back into the compressor.
Get the new house cleaned before you move in. Also get the vacuum cleaning done for the difficult corners and drawers. Small particles are difficult to remove from these places. A vacuum cleaner can be really handy.
On the day of moving, prepare some food and snacks beforehand. It may happen that you don’t get time to prepare food later or don’t get chance to go out and eat. Also get some munchies and drinks for kids to keep them happy.
If you have time, take a marker and sticky notes and write down the items name on it. Such as spices, pulses, glasses etc. and paste these notes on the cupboards or shelves you want these specific things to put in. While unpacking the boxes you would know where to put what which will save your time.
Try to unpack things as soon as possible and don’t worry about the organization at this moment. Just empty the boxes and place items in their designated places. The sooner you empty these boxes the more space you will have in your house. Also often these boxes stay unopened for long periods of time, even years. We just forget about these items sitting in a storeroom or in the corner of the house.
If you didn’t get time to purge the useless, unused and broken items before moving, take some time while unpacking the boxes. Remove items you don’t need any more and keep your new house clutter free. Paper clutter is another thing which you should get rid of immediately before or after moving. Go through all the papers and books and keep back only essentials.
Keep the Kids Entertained
Those who have children, try to keep their toys and activity box handy. Long moving day may make them cranky. So open their favorite activities first so that they get busy playing with them and you get time to relax.
These tips will help you have a better planned and organized house moving experience.
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