Tips, tricks, and other best practices for homeowners moving into a new home for the first time.
It can be difficult to juggle all the steps involved when buying a new home. For first-time purchasers, these stressors can be amplified. With that said, an often-overlooked step in this process remains as vital as ever: actually packing up and moving once the home is ready. Use this list of tips and best practices to prepare for one of life’s most important move-ins.
Packing Tips Everyone Needs to Know Before they Move
Everything needs to be properly packed before a move takes place. With that said, what are the best ways to pack before a move? Believe it or not, there are some best practices that everyone needs to know prior to packing. They include:
- Decide What Needs to Go and What Doesn’t: Relocating to a new home is a great way to review what you currently have and what you no longer need to keep. By decluttering, you can save space on the moving truck, lower moving costs, and part with unnecessary “stuff.” (Check out this handy blog to learn more decluttering before a move.)
- Invest in Sturdy Boxes (If You Can): Moving costs can add up. But one line item that’s worth the price are reliable moving boxes. Remember: If you’re trusting others to do the moving for you, it’s best to do what you can to ensure your items are as secure as possible. Flimsy boxes just won’t cut it. (Check out this easy-to-follow guide covering the best moving boxes for every room in your home.)
- Use Soft Items for Extra Padding: Wrap fragile glassware and other easily breakable items in soft clothing and towels to help them survive the move. (Sheets of old newspapers can be used as well.)
- Mark Your Boxes: It’s unlikely you’ll be able to identify one box from the next once you arrive at your new home. Give yourself a hand by labeling each box so you know what’s in what and where it goes.
- Nest Items: Save space by storing items inside bowls, pots, pans, and more!
- Need additional tips? Moving.com maintains a great resource of 36 moving hacks to make for a less stressful move.
Three Top Moving Tips and Best Practices to Consider When Buying a New Home
Use these three tips to plan a seamless move once you’re ready to move into your new home.
1. Find a Reliable and Flexible Moving Company Within Your Budget
If you decide to hire movers to assist with your relocation, you’ll want to make sure you find the right company for the job. And when it comes to the right moving company, reliability and flexibility are key.
Most movers will first want to review where you currently live and how much needs to be moved. This includes whatever you want it to include, from furniture to pretty much anything you can fit in a box (though many moving companies do have exceptions regarding what they’ll move).
A representative from the company then provides a quote for the total cost of the move. Prices range from one organization to the next and can vary depending on the size of the move, the destination, and more.
For example, people who move from one state to another are often charged higher prices because the move requires more mileage than a move across town. According to Moving.com, other factors that impact cost can include packing services, assembling and dissembling furniture, excessive stair climbing, and more.
2. Make Sure the Site is Ready for Movers to Arrive
One of the most common reasons that a move is delayed is because a site isn’t ready for the move. In many cases, movers show up to apartments or homes to find that the homeowners haven’t done any packing at all. Depending on the size of the home, this could dramatically delay a move!
Even if you’re completely packed up, some site-related concerns can make a move less efficient. For example, consider the following questions that may apply to your move:
- Where will the movers enter and exit during the move? In some cases, there may only be one set of doors, while apartment buildings and bigger houses likely have several entrances. Identifying the preferred pathway in advance helps keep traffic flowing smoothly.
- Are stairs involved? If so, how many flights, and is the staircase close to your apartment?
- Is there an elevator that needs to be reserved? If so, how long are you permitted to reserve it?
- Is there a loading dock that needs to be reserved? If so, where is it, and how long are you permitted to reserve it?
- Is the building management aware that your move is taking place? Many apartment complexes and rental home properties require advanced scheduling to ensure smooth moves.
- Can movers walk between the clutter? No matter whether your apartment or rental home is large or small, everyone needs to be able to navigate through the boxes to get where they need to go.
3. Keep the End Goal in Mind
Remember: Moving into a new home is exciting. If you’ve prepared accordingly, then you’re spending a single day of hard work in return for years of enjoying your new home.
By keeping this end goal in mind, you’ll not only make the moving process easier for yourself, the movers, and your family, but you’ll ensure that your move is as rewarding as possible. Once you’re settled into your new home, you’ll be happy you put in the work ahead of time.
