Part 1:

Over the past several years, I have written a plethora of articles on the topic of moving. I recently reviewed them and decided to try to post them in somewhat of a chronological order. There may be some redundancy, as the articles were not written sequentially. I will try to do some editing to minimize the parts that are somewhat repetitive and redundant, and then I will consolidate some on them into one article.

We just realized that we’ll be moving:

Moving is a stressful time in anyone’s life, but by being prepared ahead of time, you will eliminate much of that unnecessary worrying. The first decision will be whether you are going to hire a professional moving company to assist in the move. Next, consider how much of the work they will do. If your budget is tight and you will be doing most or all of the work yourself, think about enlisting the aid of family and friends. If you will not hire a moving company, will you need to rent a u-haul?  Can you borrow a truck from a friend or relative? If you have the transportation issue resolved, but the labor is the problem, hiring one or more persons from a temporary agency may be the solution.

This planning should occur as soon as you decide that there will be a move.  If you plan on enlisting the help of movers or renting a truck, call at least six to eight weeks before you plan to move. This will ensure that you will get what you want on the big day.

This is true whether you are planning to use a professional mover or will rent a u-haul.

Dealing with a moving company brings into play a whole series of issues. Set up a date for the agent to come survey your home and prepare a quote.  I suggest getting several quotes.  If your move is local, ask friends and neighbors for referrals to local movers. You may be able to save a substantial amount of money by doing some comparison-shopping. This part of the planning is essential. Once you know how you will convey your belongings to your new residence, then you can begin the next of the process.

The Weeding out process:

I guess one of the reasons we all dread moving is thinking about dealing with all that stuff we should have gotten rid of years ago. Moving is the perfect time to examine the items that will be moved and make a decision about which of them will not make the journey.

As soon as possible, but at least four to six weeks before the move, you should start getting rid of the stuff you do not want to move. A garage sale is an excellent way to do this. Posting items on www.craigslist.com , www.google.com/base , or www.kijiji.com may enable you to sell some of the more valuable items without spending any money for advertising. These are also excellent websites to post the fact that you will have a garage sale. Some municipalities require a permit in order to hold a garage sale, so check with the city clerk before holding one.  After making ever-reasonable effort to sell the items, remember that many non-profit organizations will be happy to come to your home to pick up items that you want to donate. The Salvation Army, as well as women shelters will take any unwanted clothes. Resale shops will take clothes and furniture on consignment; which is another avenue you can explore if you have not been able to sell the item yourself and you are not inclined to donate it to a non-profit organization.

Whether of not you have to think about using up your perishable items will depend on how far away, your new residence is from your current one. If the two residences are close by, you will be able to pack your perishables on the day of the move and take them with you to your new home. Otherwise, plan to use up all the frozen foods, and as much of your canned goods, and other household items as you possibly can. 

Start making a list of who to notify:

Make a list of the names of people and organizations that you will need to inform of your move. This includes companies that provide services such as utilities, banks, and insurance companies, providers of professional services, publications, and government offices. Contact each of these individually. However, it is also very important to notify the post office of your change of address. You can do this in person at your local post office or online at https://moversguide.usps.com/?referral=USPS , which provides a convenient Change of Address form on the USPS website.

If you have decided to use a professional moving company to assist in the move, two or three weeks before the moving day, re-contact them to discuss any changes in the date of the move and to add or remove items from your planned move. Also, be sure they have the new address and phone numbers where you can be reached on the day of the move. If you are making any extra stops, confirm this with the mover. Do not forget about your car. If you are not driving it, arrange for getting it to your new destination.

Taking time to plan your next household move may help make it a lot less stressful.