Moving day ranks up there with getting a cavity filled and going through a fender bender as things you want to avoid at all costs. But sometimes moving is necessary and oftentimes it is exciting; except for the part where you must pack up and pick up everything you own. From the exhausting manual labor to the complicated, long-distance logistics, moving offers a lot of challenges and not much to look forward to besides arriving at your new home with all your stuff safely in tow. Moving may never be fun, honestly, but it does not have to be exhausting or frustrating either. The old saying about an ounce of prevention being worth a pound of cure really applies here: you can save yourself a lot of moving-day stress and strain by making some arrangements in advance. Follow these tips from transportation experts to make your moving day run smoothly:
Create a List for Everything
It is no small feat to move your entire life from one place to another. Not surprisingly, there are a thousand things to consider and just as many details that you might forget about. That is why it helps to have lists. Make a master list with all the big tasks you need to complete. Then make smaller lists to remind yourself what to pack or what you might need to buy before you move. Making a list might sound obvious or unnecessary, but it is the first tip for a reason. The biggest hurdle of moving day is staying coordinated, and that starts by understanding everything that needs to get done. Keep your lists in your phone for easy reference. There are also countless apps that help you track tasks and stay on schedule. Use whatever works for you – as long as that’s more than just your memory.
Reserve All the Services You Need
Hardly anyone moves completely on their own. At the very least, you need to rent a truck large enough for your couch and bed, and you might also want to hire movers to pack that truck up. In other cases, friends and family step up to provide transportation and heavy lifting. Whatever kind of help you plan to rely on, schedule it in advance. Contact a moving company or truck rental place as early as possible. You might also need other professional services before you move: professional cleaners, dumpster drop off services, or contractors to get your house ready for sale. Moving day runs much more smoothly when you line up the help you need before that date.
Pack as Much as Possible
When you are planning a move, it is easy to neglect the biggest part: packing up your stuff. But if you wait until moving day (or the night before) to start filling up boxes you are only going to prolong the process and multiply the stress factor. Start packing stuff up ASAP, as soon as you have a moving date set. Keep boxes on hand and fill them with anything you do not plan to use before moving day. Sure, your house may look disordered for a while, but that is the entire point. If you loathe the packing process or do not have time to get everything boxed up on schedule, seek out a moving company that can do this for you.
Figure Out Your Vehicle Situation
Vehicles are made to move, but that does not mean they are easy to move. Let us say you are relocating across country and flying to your new home while movers drive your stuff. Or imagine you are driving but have more vehicles than people to drive them. It is easy to pack your stuff into a truck, but what is the equivalent for a vehicle? Putting it on the back of a vehicle hauling trailer. You have seen these trucks on the road, and they are not just for auto dealers. Auto transport is open to all as long as you can connect with vehicle haulers traveling through your part of the country around the date of your move and also headed to your intended destination. When it is easy to make that connection, it is easy to figure out your vehicle situation no matter how many cars, trucks, vans, or exotic vehicles you need to get to your new home.
Keep Kids and Pets Occupied
Moving day becomes a lot more complicated if you have pets and kids in the mix. If possible, enlist family or friends to watch your little ones and four-legged friends. If that is not possible, investigate hiring a pet or babysitter, or working with a day care center or boarding facility. Barring all other options, have a space where your kids and pets can be separate from the hustle and bustle of the moving process, and provide things to keep them occupied while your attention is elsewhere.
Take Care of Yourself
On a busy moving day, it is easy to overlook your need for food, water, and rest. Make sure you are taking care of yourself because the last thing you need on an already stressful occasion is to get dehydrated or hangry. Some people prepare a moving day kit. It has things like snacks and drinks, perhaps a change of clothes or fresh pair of socks, and essential toiletries. It should also contain important documents and information, which create a lot of anxiety when they go missing. Above all, think about your own needs and wants on moving day – they are more important than you might realize.
With a lot of preparation and a little luck, you are moving day will run as smoothly as you hope. Then comes the next big project: unpacking and reorganizing all your stuff.
Author Bio:
Mike Rupers, CEO and founder of Direct Express Auto Transport, Inc. since 2004. He created the very first instant car shipping quote calculator on the internet. It was the only one for four years and is still arguably today the most sophisticated and accurate.
