Moving is a common event in the lives of modern adults. In fact, tens of millions of people make either a short or long-distance move every year. The fact that it happens all the time doesn’t make the process any easier.
Uprooting your entire life for even a short-distance move proves intensely stressful for anyone. You live with the constant worry that you’ll forget something important.
To help you reduce stress and make moving a little easier, we’ve put together this checklist for moving. Let’s dive in!
1. Decide What to Purge
It’s an understandable impulse to focus on figuring out how to pack everything for the move, but that’s not necessarily the best strategy. Not everything you own warrants inclusion on the truck.
Take an inventory of bulky items like furniture and appliances. If some of them are nearing the end of useful life, consider replacing when you arrive at your new home. After all, a five-year-old washing machine with two major repairs behind it probably isn’t worth the trouble of relocating.
2. Deal with Crucial Documents
Decide early on how you plan to deal with crucial documents. The last thing you need is birth certificates, passports, automobile titles, or deeds going missing or getting destroyed in transit. You can go a few different ways with documents, such as:
- Transport them with you in a secure document box
- Create digital backups
- Transport them ahead of time and store them in safety deposit box
Transporting them with you often offers people the most peace of mind, but secure digital backups are always a good idea.
3. Pack an Essentials Box
Even the most ideal move will leave you tired. So, when you finally arrive at your new home, the idea of unpacking a bunch of boxes won’t prove an appealing prospect. You can avoid the worst of the first day unpacking with an essentials box.
An essentials box contains things that everyone will need, such as toiletries, medications, charging cables, and a change of clothes for everyone.
4. Confirm Utilities at Your Destination
Before you leave for your new home, contact the utility providers in your new town or city and confirm they’ll turn on the utilities at your new address before you arrive.
While you can probably live without Internet access for a day or two, you’ll absolutely want electricity, water, and temperature control.
5. Consider Pro Movers
Consider hiring professional household movers. In addition to speeding up the moving process, professional movers often provide secondary services such as packing, crating, and storage. These secondary services can streamline the process and reduce the odds of property damage during the move.
Make Your Checklist and Get Moving
While moving is a common experience for adults, relocating your entire life rarely gets easier. Following our checklist for moving can help take the worst edges off the stress of the process.
Browning Moving & Storage specializes in local and long-distance moves for households and commercial enterprises. For more information or a preliminary quote, contact Browning Moving & Storage today.