Changes are always welcome. But when it comes to moving house the situation can easily get out of hand and your life can turn into chaos.
But calm down! Breathe and read this post carefully. We brought many important tips to help you go through this moment in a light, relaxed and happy way, as it should be.
How to organize a moving house: tips and ideas
What to do before moving
1. Planning and organization
It all starts with planning and organizing the change. And don’t just stay in theory. This step is the most important of all, as it will guide the entire process of moving house.
So, sit down calmly and write down on a paper everything that needs to be taken care of until moving day. Make budgets for whatever is necessary, such as the transport company and the professional responsible for assembling the furniture, for example.
Moving to another state or to distant cities involves even more planning and advance. Moving to the same city or neighborhood can begin to be planned up to a month in advance.
2. Set the change date and time
Set a day and time for the change to take place. The deadline will force you to accomplish everything you need and leave nothing for later.
This setting is also important to help you plan the best route, as it is even possible to determine how the traffic and weather will be that day, so that everything goes as expected.
Remember that some condos do not allow changes to be made on certain days of the week and hours. Please check this before scheduling.
3. Hire the moving company
Hire the moving company in advance to avoid setbacks and still get a discount.
If you have little furniture and objects or live alone, it is possible that the move will be carried out in a small car. Larger families, on the other hand, may need a trunk truck to transport them. It is important to assess this need as well.
One more detail: there are companies that carry out the entire process of moving, including the boxing of all your things, while others only carry out the transport and loading and unloading.
The first option is usually more expensive, but it’s worth it if you don’t have time to arrange everything yourself.
4. Plan the itinerary
Plot the best route to your new home. This includes escaping traffic and looking for well-paved roads to ensure that your furniture and appliances don’t get bumped along the way.
5. Cancel services
Cancel internet, telephone, electricity and magazine subscription services.
Nowadays most of these services can be requested through applications.
6. Communicate the change of address
For those services that will be maintained, remember to request a change of address.
Include banks, credit cards, and others in this list. Also take the opportunity to inform neighbors about the move and ask them to receive mail or packages that happen to arrive late.
7. Take a last look at the new house
Before the final move, make one last visit to the new house to check if everything is in order.
Check electrical, plumbing and door, window and gate locks. Note the paintwork and other important details that must be in order to receive the change.
If you notice the need for any repair, arrange it immediately.
8. Make a checklist
In addition to that initial planning, it is interesting that you also make a checklist of the change.
To do this, get a pen and paper and start jotting down step by step everything that needs to be packed and transported.
As you pack everything, write it down. In addition to helping you to be clear on what needs to be done, this list also helps you to have a dimension of everything that needs to be unpacked later.
9. Provide boxes and bags
With the check list in hand, start providing cardboard boxes of different sizes and shapes, as well as plastic bags.
Supermarkets are a great place to get free cardboard boxes. But prefer those more structured and with a lid.
10. Start packing
Boxes in hand, now it’s time to start packing everything you have at home.
But again: keep your cool right now. No need to pack everything at once.
The best place to start packing is the living room, where items are more decorative than functional. Then go to the porch, backyard, entrance hall, dining room, bathrooms, bedrooms and finally the kitchen.
Start with the least-used items in each room, such as fancy dinnerware you only wear on special dates or party clothes.
And one more important tip: put descriptive labels on every box. But do this in detail, no generalizations. If a box has clothes, check which type of clothes, such as gym clothes and swimwear.
This makes it much easier if you need to pick up a last minute item. That way you don’t need to open box by box.
It is also important to keep the boxes in the original rooms. Do not mix the boxes with items in the room with boxes of items in the kitchen, for example.
11. Fragile and delicate items
Delicate clothes, items that break easily and appliances must be carefully packed so that they are not damaged during the move.
If you put these items in boxes, remember to wrap them in bubble bags or soft fabrics. Larger items, such as mirrors and electronics, must be wrapped in pieces of cardboard or packed in plastic bags.
And always (always!) put labels on everything, after all, no one is obliged to know that inside that box there is a fancy vase.
12. let go
Take advantage of this moment of packing things up to let go of everything you no longer use.
Give it away, sell it, or throw it away, but take things you don’t need into the new house.
13. Assemble an essentials kit
Keep everyday items in a backpack so you don’t have to open and close boxes every day.
A good tip is to pack a type of suitcase as if you were going to travel. Put underwear, t-shirts, a winter sweater, bath towel, blankets and sheet, as well as hygiene and beauty items.
What to do during the move
1.Track the shipping company
If you can, follow the company that will make the move, even if it is in your private car. This avoids delays and gives you the certainty that there will be no deviations from the route you have traced.
2. Enlist the help of friends and relatives
At the time of the move, call in some friends and relatives to help carry the boxes, unpack and assemble at least the most important items.
3. Direct the arrival of change
Be in the new house when the change arrives, so you direct where each box should go.
This makes your life easier when unpacking and assembling.
4. Check the checklist
When the change arrives, check your checklist and see if all the boxes are there.
What to do after the move
1. Arrange by rooms
Start organizing the move by the rooms, just as you did to pack everything up there at the beginning.
Tip: start with the kitchen, the most important room in the house. If the furniture is already installed, organize everything in its final place so that there is no rework.
If the furniture has not yet been assembled, then the tip is to unpack the most important items used in everyday life. The rest leave in the boxes so as not to create a mess.
Then go to the bedrooms. Here, the logic is the same. If the closet or wardrobe is already set up, organize the clothes definitively instead of just stuffing everything inside the closet.
Otherwise, just get out of the boxes what’s important.
The bathroom is the next room in the house that needs to be organized. Then arrange for the tidying up of the living and dining room.
If you have a home office, put it as a priority on the list
2. Hire a day laborer
It’s worth getting help to clean up and organize the move. But it’s important that you are in place to direct the person’s work.
3. Re-evaluate everything again
Before putting things back in the closets, assess once more whether you really need it.
It may be that when you observe certain objects in the new house you notice that they do not fit together, in this case, do not think twice and put them straight in a box for donation.
4. Don’t be in a hurry
Finally, but still fundamental: don’t be in a hurry to organize the move in the new house.
Even though it’s inconvenient and uncomfortable to live among boxes and packages, it’s better than despairing and sorting things out.
Enjoy this moment and pack your things with care. After all, moving house is changing your life!
