Moving is one of the most stressful parts of adult life. You’ve likely acquired tons of clothes, keepsakes, and furniture throughout your life, and moving all that to a new home is no easy task.
However, there’s no need to stress. Sticking to a schedule can help make your relocation a breeze and avoid any last-minute freak-outs. If you’re a month out from your big move, here are seven things to check off your list.
Schedule auto shipping service
Do you have a plan for transporting your car to your new home? Driving yourself isn’t always the most practical option. If you’re making a long-distance move, make sure to contact a reputable auto shipping service like Guardian Auto Transport to schedule your car shipment.
Using an auto shipping service is a lot like hiring movers—it might seem excessive at first, but it’s worth every penny earned in convenience and peace of mind.
Make a spreadsheet
When you accept an offer on your house or inform your landlord that you’re moving out, start making a spreadsheet to stay organized. Some things you can include on your spreadsheet are:
- A legend of the boxes you’re packing
- A timeline for the moving process
- Checklists and to-do lists
Spreadsheets might sound granular, but they’re a beneficial tool for moving. You’ll be happy to have everything in one place once your belongings are spread out between homes.
Find boxes
Whether you’re starting life on a new coast or moving just a few blocks away, you’re going to need boxes. Since you don’t want to start scrambling for boxes a week before moving out of your current home, start looking for packages as early as possible.
Peruse your neighborhood for clean, discarded cardboard boxes, save your Amazon boxes, or post on Facebook asking your friends and neighbors for their leftover boxes.
Purge your closet
Before packing, take some time to discard things you no longer need. Sell furniture you don’t want to take online, donate your unwanted clothes to a thrift store or domestic violence shelter, and get rid of anything you haven’t used in the past six months.
Lightening your load before the big move is crucial to simplifying the process.
File change of address forms
While you’ll need to file some change of address forms with your local post office—so that mail sent to your old address will be forwarded during the transitional period—make sure to inform other essential institutions about your change of address.
Some potential places that need to know about your move are your bank, credit card company, university, or employer.
Make arrangements for pets
Moving can be tough on your pets. Make sure that you’ve made arrangements for pets during the travel stage of moving, plan to prepare a comfy place for them to hang out while you unload boxes at your home, or consider kennelling during the move-in proceedings.
Say goodbye to friends and neighbors
Most importantly, start saying goodbye to your local friends and neighbors. Time flies, and before you know it, you’ll be looking at your friends waving in your rearview mirror.
Make a list of everyone you want to visit before the move and make plans as early as possible.
Happy moving day
There’s no way around it—moving is no fun. It’s physically, emotionally, and financially draining, but the feeling of settling down in your new home will be worth all of the effort. With the tips above, you’ll get a month’s head start on the moving process and ensure a smooth transition into your new digs.