Making a Move – Things To Consider

No our house hasn’t sold but moving, packing and de-cluttering is on the forefront these days. There are so many things to consider when making a move! I’m a planner and a list maker and although it will be many months before we’re actually making a move I thought I would gather my thoughts and think about the things to consider when making a move.

 

We no longer have children at home so one thing we don’t have to think about is schools! My husband also works from home so trying to find a location near a place of employment is also something we don’t have to think about.

 

Top of the list is sorting and purging your belongings. We have been in this process for the last year. We are currently going through old slides! Between my husband and I we have reels of old slides and then boxes of loose slides. It’s tedious work but every evening we sort through a couple of reels tossing most of the slides but keeping the few treasures we come upon. It’s funny because as a teenager and in my early twenties I took so many scenic photos and very few photos of people. The scenic shots are pretty but how many photos of flowers and marshes do you want to keep?

 

Anyway going though every room of your house and deciding what you’d like to keep and what you’d like to get rid of is time consuming. However when you’re paying for the move yourself you want to make sure that you’re moving exactly what you want and need and nothing extra! I have a box for items I want to sell and another box for items to donate. We’ll be having another yard sale this summer.

 

Now is also the time to do a little research regarding moving companies. What are the options? I called many of the bigger firms only to be told they don’t service our area. Guess we’re a little rural! Get an estimate in writing from each company and make sure it has a USDOT (US Department of Transportation) number on it if you are moving to a different state.

 

Now you’re beginning to collect a bit of information and it would be a good idea to use a binder or folder to keep track of everything – all your estimates, your receipts, and an inventory of all the items you are moving! I’m trying to keep an inventory of everything I’ve already packed but sometimes I’m not so organized and just write something like “cookbooks” on the box! I’m doing my best!

 

If you do have school age children go to your children’s school and arrange for their records to be transferred to their new school districts. This should be done about two months before you move.

 

Six weeks before you move you want to start collecting boxes and other supplies such as tape, bubble wrap, and permanent markers.

 

Start using up things that you don’t want to move, like frozen or perishable foods and cleaning supplies.

 

By now you’ve figured out where you are moving. Check the room dimensions of your new home, if possible, and make sure larger pieces of furniture will fit through the door. We have an extremely tall grandfather’s clock. When we’re looking at new homes we’re always looking to make sure there is a tall entry wall where the clock will go!

 

Take steps now to ensure that you have an organized move. Stay tuned, as I will be posting another article on what to do in the weeks before a move! Hopefully I will follow all these suggestions myself and we’ll have a very organized move!