One in five American families moves home every year, and it might just be your family that relocates next time. There is no doubt that making a move presents perhaps the biggest organizational challenge that most people will face in their entire lifetime as every routine, every habit and every aspect of the mosaic that is your everyday life gets packed up and placed into a big moving van, only to then be unpacked and reassembled on the other side in an entirely new environment. Moving can be a very daunting process but the good news is that you can reduce the amount of stress and get organized for when the day of the move finally arrives with the aid of some tried and tested relocation tips.
One good tip is to set up a portable ‘move central’. Making a move is filled with various disparate tasks and it can be very difficult to try to keep track of them all without having a notebook dedicated to the job at hand; a relocation notebook can be even more crucial when moving home than tape and boxes. Notebooks can be purchased from your local office supply store and it is best to buy one that comes with one large page for each day. You should also get hold of zipper pouches, receipt envelopes and business card holders. In the days before the move, if you are still looking for a new home, you can make use of the notebook to track telephone calls, gather phone numbers for realtors, rental agents, mortgage agents and moving companies, and make notes about the potential homes you have visited.
The business cards that you will invariably acquire during this time can be tucked into their own slots for easy reference and you can put samples of wallpaper and flooring, drapery goods and paint swatches into a transparent zipper pouch for decorating reference at the store. One receipt envelope should be dedicated to maintenance receipts and another to house hunting and travel receipts, which can be helpful when tax time rolls around again. After the move has been completed you will be able to make use of your ‘move central’ notebook to schedule important appointments such as having your cable, light, water and other essentials turned on. If a new neighbor mentions a good doctor, dentist or vet in your new local area, you will be able to note this down. Your moving notebook should always be with you during this time, as having information available in one easily accessible place is vital in achieving a smooth move.
Another good tip is to have an essentials box set aside containing items such as your coffeemaker, bed sheets, blankets, pillows, an alarm clock and your children’s night-time soft toys. Your essentials box should be well marked and placed away from every other box; place it in your own car or have it put in the moving truck last so that it is the first thing out.
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