My Top 10 Moving Tips You Need to Know
I know moving is one of the most stressful things anyone can do in life… do not panic, I’ve got the moving tips that will help take that stress away!
Y’all, if the word moving causes you stress, anxiety, or pure panic, you are not alone, moving is one of the top 3 most stressful things that a person can do in their life (Followed by taxes and searching for a job/Career)
I however love the process of moving…yes, you read that right, I just said I love moving… other people’s stuff more than my own, so I really had to embrace the suck (As my brother would say) And find that same kind of joy in moving myself.
I just bought a home in Atlanta, GA and I love it here!! I was super excited to get this house ready and obviously required moving some of my stuff from my Los Angeles home. Here are my tips to get you moving motivated, whether it’s across town or across the country!
save the date
Moving is all about logistics and the faster you can lock in a move date the quicker you can schedule and back into a timeline that won’t make you crazy so you can still live in your current place, while actually packing for your new one. My rule is to try and give yourself a minimum of a 6 week head start. Even if you’re hiring movers who are going to pack everything for you. Allow yourself a week per room to pack if you’re doing it yourself. (For example, if you’re moving from at 2 bed/2 bath apartment with a kitchen/dining room, living room allow yourself a 6 weeks) You know your stuff better than anyone else so you’ll know if you need to allow more time in certain rooms than others. PRO TIP: Schedule your move for the middle of the month and the middle of the week it will help cut costs.
let it go
Listen to Elsa y’all and let your clutter go honey! There is nothing more frustrating than moving stuff twice… I know, because I’ve done it! When you use the rule of packing one room per week, it gives you the time to go through each space and determine what isn’t serving you anymore. I’ve heard every excuse in the book in my over 15 years of doing this, and I promise you that holding onto anything with the reason of “I might need this someday” is a bold-faced lie. I love me some Marie Kondo and I think she’s brilliant at what she does, I personally don’t live by the only keep it if it Sparks Joy rule. (My spatula is completely necessary in my life, but it in no way sparks joy.)
So here are the 2 questions I ask myself when I am sorting through all my stuff.
Do I use it often, does it work, and have function currently?
It’s super simple y’all…If it works and clearly you use it, KEEP IT. from picture frames (that are actually displayed with pictures that matter to you, not the random cute folks that come in the frame) to your placemats (if there are stains on them and you haven’t thought about using them in a decade, knock it off and get them gone!)
Is it displayed and in a place of honor/pride?
When my Meemo (which is what I called my Grandma) passed away, my family sent me a ton of her things from Kentucky to Los Angeles. Originally I was so sad that she was gone that I couldn’t even bring myself to open one box. Then one Saturday a few months later, I was getting ready to go out and tackle a bunch of busy work in my garage, and I had an A-Ha Moment of why am I not honoring my Meemo, by displaying the things she loved, that she wanted me to have, in my home? How was that showing her love and respect? And I armed myself with a box of tissues (I am SO sentimental it’s embarrassing) and went through all of the boxes, one at a time I kept what made me smile and think of her and brought it inside to be looked at, loved and honored. So when I say, is it displayed in a place of honor (from your 5th-grade spelling bee trophy) or do you have pride in that thing ( a set of hand-blown Margarita glasses you bought on your first trip to Mexico) display them, honor them, remember WHY you’re holding onto them, or LET IT GO.
Once you’ve decided what can be cleared out of the house, schedule a charity to do a pickup Salvation Army (especially if you have bulky items like bigger pieces of furniture.)
pack your bags
Picture this, it’s moving day, you’ve got everything in the truck, you feel solid about the move, you get over to the new house and spend hours directing traffic of where everything goes, your exhausted and you just want to take a shower and crawl in bed, and you suddenly realize, not only that you can’t find a towel or a toothbrush, but where in the world are your sheets! DON’T PANIC…I suggest everyone that is moving has their own bag packed as if it was a 3-day Glamping trip ( Yes, I said glamping because you’re packing your own sheets for each family member and the bed in their room.) 3 days worth of outfits, whatever that looks like for you, pajamas, workout clothes, etc. each person has their own toiletries and roll of toilet paper for each bathroom (you’ll thank me later) This takes so much stress off of the move in and you can put those suitcases into your car so you know exactly where your things are without having to tear boxes apart! PRO TIP: Put all medications in an extra-large Ziploc bag and carry it with you and your luggage.
smarter not harder
The VERY first thing I do when I’m setting up a move takes one day to set up all the new utilities and WIFI. I know that this is never fun, but if you take the time to do it (I recommend at least 2 weeks out before your move-in date.) then you can rest easy knowing everything is connected and you’re not scrambling to get a wifi signal or turn on your security system or stream your favorite shows…Priorities people! Take the time to change your address with all your credit card companies, recurring subscriptions, magazines, and all Online addresses for Deliveries (like Amazon, PetMeds, etc.)
move me
How you are getting your stuff from A to B is so incredibly important. The questions you need to ask yourself:
What is my budget?
You need to be realistic about how much you can afford to spend to get moved the average rate for a local move is between $700 to $4500. The national average for a long-distance move(anything over 100 miles) is between $5000 to $10,000. PRO TIP:
Do I want to pack/move everything myself?
If you want to DIY your move, good for you! I’m all about saving that money honey, but please be realistic about what that looks like and the time you’re going to need to make it happen. The Average rate for a 5-day truck rental for 1250 miles is between $1200-2000 If you need to tow a car that will be an additional fee as well.
Shipping containers are a great alternative too, From PODS, U-Haul, etc. and you can also work into the rate of a storage date if you’re not sure when you’re move-in date will be. They can run from $700 to $5000 Prices vary in size and they are door-to-door service and you can unpack it on your schedule.
Are you using d movers or brokers?
This is SUCH an important question to ask and to know! You need to know if you’re hiring a moving broker or a moving carrier…Let me say, they will very rarely explain what either of these terms means. You need to know what you’re hiring… SOOOO, here is my quick breakdown so you know better.
Moving Brokers, can also be known as brokerages (think of them as middlemen or like a Travel agent for your move.) They don’t own any moving trucks or hire any movers, they are there to coordinate your move with what moving companies have available. Be aware that some, and I repeat some brokers can be SUPER shady. The major benefit is that they can get multiple quotes for your specific move date at one time.
Moving Carriers, they usually own their own fleet of moving trucks and vans, as well as hire their own moving staff and they do all the logistics of the move themselves. What is great about moving carriers is they are more transparent because you are dealing directly with your carrier (cutting out the middle man) However, moving carriers can be more expensive but it does guarantees your belongings will be transported by the same company you chose for your move.
ask all the right questions
Who do I contact the mover or the broker?
Does the estimate include all charges?
Which form of payments do you accept?
Will my stuff stay on the same truck or will it transfer?
Is this Moving Estimate guaranteed, or can the final price go higher?
Will the standard insurance cover the value of my stuff?
clean it up
I love to Clean, I know that most people don’t share my love of the squeaky fresh form of meditation. When you are moving into your new home give it a deep clean before you move in so that everything is up to your standards and you feel good about putting your things in your new space. The most important rooms to clean are your Kitchen and Bathrooms. If you’re not able to clean it yourself, or if you’d rather have a root canal than deep clean your house, take the time and spend the money on proper house cleaners in your area to get your new place fresh and ready for you.
picture perfect
One of the most important things you can do BEFORE you move is to take pictures of your rooms the way they are before you pack everything. This is also a very important thing to do if you’re hiring movers and they are packing fragile items, so that you have a photo of them before they’re packed and transported to your new home. I also take it one step further and video all of my rooms and label them as an album mark it with My Stuff or House inventory so you know exactly what you have and where you had it.
double-check
I know that this sounds like a no-brainer, but please do a double check of ALL your cabinets and appliances that you are leaving behind before you move out. You’d be surprised how many times a full closet doesn’t get packed because someone thought that someone else had already packed that room. Check inside washer & dryers and all cabinets everywhere before you go.
new lock on life
I know this feels dramatic, but CHANGE THE LOCKS ON YOUR NEW HOUSE ASAP! Sorry, I felt like I needed to shout that. I know being handed the keys for a new home “feels” magical, but the truth is, you have NO IDEA how many people have a key to your new home. From neighbors to handymen, to someone’s sweet Aunt Susie, who just loved to come by and check on the dogs. I’m not saying anyone has bad intentions, I just want you and your home safe and secure. I am a huge fan of the smart lock keypads for doors now, (Like Schlage, Kwiset and Tacklife ) and I think they’re great for giving everyone their own code so you can reset it instead of spending money on a locksmith everytime someone forgets a key.