Planning Is Essential for a Successful Moving Day

So, you've decided to uproot from your current residence and move to another location. No matter the reason for the move, it is now time to begin planning this monumental task. Things like moving costs, logistics, packing supplies, what to keep and what to discard and many other considerations need to be planned out well before the relocation. There is no time like the present, because moving day is coming.

The first item on your agenda is to get a good planner or notebook for listing the necessary information for your moving process. Be sure to include your to-do lists, moving budget, contact information and the locations and labels of your packaged belongings. Highlighting items and tagging pages is a good way to keep up with the more important tasks on your list.

After entering the basic outlines in your planner, it is time to start planning your budget. If the move is just a short distance, then you may be able to trim costs by recruiting friends and family to help with moving. Even if you can't get all your items moved in this way, this help from friends can reduce the amount of items to place in a moving truck, so that you can rent a smaller vehicle at less cost. Start rounding up free cardboard boxes as soon as possible from the outside of stores around town, in order to save on packing costs.

If it is necessary to hire a moving company or rent a truck, do your homework before the move. First, call around and get quotes from each vendor. Look up reviews online for each one and ask friends and relatives for recommendations. Above all, document any agreement and be sure to verify all the agreed-upon details before the actual move date.

Odds are, unless you have been diligent about purging and reorganizing periodically over the years, you have acquired a lot of belongings. The less items you have to move, the less time, effort and money you will expend. Decide on whether you can sell any unwanted items and whether you would like to donate some of the items.

Plan the logistics of the actual moving out/moving in process. If there is some leeway between when you have to move out of your old home and when you move into the new home, then that is the time for you to do any repairs or other type of work in the new home. If you have to move out of your residence before you can move to the new location, then you need to plan on how to store your items until the actual move.

Once you have purged, sold and donated your unwanted things, then it is time get packing. Try to pack things logically and keep items from the same room grouped together in those rooms after being boxed, if possible. Remember to label as you go, writing down the general type of items and their designated room in the new house on the labels. Make sure you pack your essentials last, and you should try to eat up as much of your perishable food items as possible before the move.

Remember, good planning is essential for a generally good outcome, but inevitably, there will be a few unexpected and maybe unwelcome events that will come up on moving day. Relax and don't stress over things that you can't control; instead, be flexible and resolve to handle any glitches calmly for the smoothest move possible.