6 Ways to Make Your Move Easier
You’ve signed the papers, met with the lawyer, and you’ve started packing. Whether you’re excited to be moving into the house of your dreams, are moving reluctantly, or are nervous to be buying your very first home, you’re going to have to deal with packing. Here are six ways to make your move easier.
Pack in an organized way
Start by keeping everything from one room together in the same labeled boxes, but you’ll need to take it a step further so the can opener doesn’t end up in your daughter’s bedroom. If you really want to wow the movers, pick up some duct tape in a variety of colours and match the labels to the tape colour; just be sure your moving company or the friends and family who are helping you fully understand your system and where everything is going. Yes, the kitchen and bathroom may seem obvious, but you may be moving into a place with more or less room, so what used to live in the spare bedroom may now come to rest in a utility closet. To avoid having to answer these questions in the craziness of your moving day, create a map or a layout of the house to go along with the colour coding so everyone knows exactly where things go. Don’t forget to mark any boxes containing breakables as FRAGILE in large writing. If you’re more tech-savvy, download an app like Moving Van which creates barcodes and labels so that when you’re unpacking, you can scan the barcode to see the contents of a box on your phone without ever opening it.
Create a Go-To Document Organizer
Select a binder or document organizer case to store important, hard to replace documents before your move. This container can include real estate documents, mortgage papers, school records, bills, birth certificates, passports, and insurance slips, as well as any other information you feel more comfortable having with you rather than scattered among random boxes all marked “Miscellaneous.” This way you can easily access and obtain any important information in a flash if need be. Just be sure not to pack this in a random box that will be hard to find later.
Pack an Essentials Box, or Two
Be sure to pack a box containing items you will likely need within the first few hours of moving. This box should include things like: bedding, toiletries, a few small tools, toilet paper, paper plates, cups, cleaning supplies, trash bags, medication, pet food and bowls, snacks, flashlight, first aid kit, pen and paper, towels, hand soap, phone charger, scissors, tape and your trusty Go-to Document Container you created from the tip above. Having these things in one box that is easily accessible will allow you to access them quickly and without panic when someone comes to you saying they’ve cut their finger on a box or need to use the washroom.
Change Your Address
An obvious one to some, but to others this is often forgotten in the chaos. One of the best places to start is at your local post office where you can have your mail diverted to your new address for a short time. This is a great reminder as to who requires your new address. Some of the places you may need to get in touch with to ensure your address is updated are:
- Government Offices (License, Health Card, Passport)
- Banks
- Insurance Company – your home and even auto insurance can be affected by a move
- Credit Card Company, Car Loan Company
- Professional Associations
- Medical (Doctor, Dentist, Veterinarian, Massage Therapist, etc.)
- Schools
If you’re moving to another municipality, take this opportunity to ask about recommended professionals in your new area and inquire about transferring your records to new offices if necessary.
Keys Please
Lastly, be sure to collect all the keys for the new owner, even the one hidden beneath the third rock from the porch in case of emergency, the shed door key, the dead bolt key, and the often-forgotten garage door opener that’s clipped to the visor in the car. These are now useless to you, but vital to the new homeowner.
Have Fun!
Moving can be one of the most stressful events for a family to experience, especially if the circumstances around the move are less than ideal, but you can change the atmosphere if you try your best to make it fun. Take breaks, have a packing party complete with pizza and junk food, or put on your favourite music to make the time go by faster. If you’re packing with kids, turn it into a game by offering a prize to the child who packs his or her room up first. Make sure you take pictures, embrace the old and new memories and take a few moments to breathe!
No matter how excited you are about your new home, moving is no day at the beach. Hopefully this list will help make that transition a little easier and will provide you with greater peace of mind.