Okay, you’ve found and financed your dream home, and now the only thing left to do is to move out of your old house and into the new one. Simple enough, right? Well, anyone who’s ever had to move a house full of items will tell you otherwise. Although moving out and moving in can be tough jobs, there are a few things you can do to make it easier on yourself. Here are four ideas to consider:
- Start packing early. When selling a house, it’s a good idea to start boxing things up as soon as you set the date of your move. If you just fill a box or two every night in the weeks leading up to your move-out date, you’ll find that most of your work has already been done when the big day comes.
- Color-code your boxes. A great way to keep your things organized is to color-code your boxes with tape. A pack of multicolored tape rolls should only cost a few dollars at your local department store, and it’ll be a big help when it comes time to sort out which boxes belong in the kitchen, the bedrooms, the family room and so on.
- Measure everything beforehand. Although you might think your antique oak wardrobe will look great in your second-floor bedroom, don’t plan on it – at least, not until you measure that room. You don’t want the movers to lug that heavy furniture up the stairs only to learn (well after they’ve left) that the door isn’t quite going to clear it. While it’s easy to envision how your finished room will look when you’re buying a house, you’ll waste a lot of time and energy if you forget to measure your space.
- Bring friends. Are you moving locally? Why pay for a moving service when you’ve got a handful of perfectly capable movers right there in your phone’s contact list? If you’ve helped a friend move in the past, it’s perfectly acceptable to expect them to return the favor. Just make sure you offer them some sort of compensation. Pizza and a case of beer (or wine) will typically work wonders.
As long as you plan ahead and think before you haul, moving will be a breeze. Just keep a checklist handy and remember to ask for help when you need it, and you’ll be settled into your dream home in no time.
