Moving can get you out of breath just thinking about it, and while it’s not always pleasurable there are ways tomake it stress-free with less anxiety.
Before you move
- Immediately start making a list of everything that needs to be done from change of address, to lining up a mover, to organizing a yard sale. Keep this list up-to-date and make changes/additions as you think of them. In the long run, this will help keep unexpected events to a minimum.
- Once you find out that you are moving, take photos of the inside of your new home as well as doorways and the garage entrance. From those photos, make a rough sketch of where to place the furniture. This will help so you only have to move it once, then make minor adjustments.
- Look at those same photos to help plan how to get the furniture in the house in the easiest manner with little to no damage to walls, door jams and the furniture itself. Are there tight turns going through the front door that would make it difficult to bring in a sofa? Maybe it would be better to bring the sofa in through the garage. You get the idea.
- Take photos of your important documents and belongings, then store them in the cloud or on a flash drive. Dropbox and Google Drive work perfectly for this.
- Take photos of the back of your TV or sound system with your cellphone. When you get to your new home, this will make putting it back together much easier.
- Make arrangements to have your small children stay with family or friends.
- Don't forget about your pets! Either board them for the day or have them stay with family or friends. The stress of the move may be too much, so when the moving van is gone, you can introduce them to their new home.
- If you are moving yourself, put the things you’ll need right away on the truck last. When you get to your new home, they’ll come off first.
- Pack a box of items that you’ll need in the first 24 hours when you get to the new home. This might include things like medications, coffee maker, coffee and filters, snacks, and food for pets.
- Gather all your receipts. There may be expenses that you can deduct on your taxes. Check with your CPA.
- Keep a cleaning kit handy for quick wipe ups like fingerprints that can easily be removed.