Moving out is a process and not a one-day event; the same can be said for moving in. There are plenty of steps and sub-steps involved in each of these activities.
Nothing can be more stressful than planning your move and the moving itself. The process of sorting and packing your belongings feels overwhelming. But it’s only half the battle; the physical and actual move is even more stressful.
Fortunately, there are ways to make the process easier.
Create an Easy Schedule
Once you’ve determined your date of move and have done your research with moving companies, it’s time to get in touch with the ones on your list to see if they can accommodate you on your move date. Aside from setting a date, check if they also offer clean-up and packing services, to make your move process much easier and more organized. There are reputable moving companies that offer this type of service, and some even have disposal and storage services as well.
While we all prefer to pack our belongings, we can still get help in packing the rest of our things. The most difficult rooms to pack are the kitchen, home library, and garage. Creating an inventory as you pack will make it much easier for you to know what contents are inside a box and you can easily keep count during the move-out and move-in process.
It’s also important to clean up before you leave your old home, as a courtesy to your landlord especially if there’s a new tenant moving in soon after you leave.
Schedule each of these activities at least a couple of weeks before your actual move-out date, to make sure there’s enough time to accomplish everything. Breaking your move-out and move-in activity into segments will make it much easier to accomplish each activity, completely and efficiently.
Color Code Your Boxes
Assign a color code for your boxes, according to the room that they’re supposed to go to. This can be done by using colored packing tape. The color-coding will make it easier for you to direct the movers to which rooms to put the boxes in. Putting the boxes in their designated rooms will cut your move-in work in half, and you can get in the business of unpacking your belongings sooner than usual.
Aside from color coding, make sure each box is properly labeled by room as well. It doesn’t hurt to double-tag with color coding and labeling. When you label, include the name of the room, as well as the box number. Make a roster that has the color, box number, and room name for each of the boxes. The roster will serve as your checklist and your box counter once you start moving your things.
If there are multiple boxes going to a single room, a summary of the contents of each box, written outside the box, will make it easier for you to decide which box you need to open should you need anything in particular?
Pack a Box for the Car
This is the box that contains your device chargers, toiletries, change of clothes, and other personal items. Other things that go into this box include a pan and kitchen utensil, enough canned meals for dinner, dinner plate and utensils, soap, bedding, an emergency light, batteries, and a power bank. If you have kids with you, pack a separate small box for them, where they have snacks, their essentials, and toys. Just make sure the toys don’t require assembly, do not emit a loud noise, and do not have small parts to prevent unnecessary clutter and work on top of the move-in work.
Pack your tech in a separate bag where they’d be much safer and easier to find. Put these in your car and label them properly so you won’t forget. Once you get to the new house, make sure all other boxes are moved in first before you bring your personal box, so you won’t have to hunt for it among the rest of the boxes.
As you can see, the goal of each of these steps is to organize your schedule, list of activities, as well as the packing and unpacking work involved in the moving process. You’ll also notice that each of the three things mentioned above uses a checklist and a timetable, which makes the whole thing more manageable.
By writing everything down, you can clearly see your progress as you tick off each item on your list. The sense of accomplishment you get will keep you going until you’ve completely unpacked every box and have completely organized your things in your new home.
These steps simplify your moving activities as it breaks it down into small actionable and doable steps. When you follow a list and a reasonable schedule, you can make your move-out process less stressful and your moving day go by smoothly.
