Moving with a family is no small feat, but it doesn’t have to be stressful. With careful planning (and some help from friends and family), you can make your next move a breeze. Here are six tips to help you organize and prepare for moving to your new home.
1. Pack Early When Moving with a Family
The earlier you start packing, the less you’ll have to do at the last minute. By packing a little each day, you stay ahead of the game and avoid feeling overwhelmed on moving day. If you have small children, packing early offers the opportunity to discuss the move and help them feel more comfortable with the transition. You’ll give the kids time to adjust to moving and saying goodbye to their old home.
2. Purge Before You Pack
Moving is the perfect opportunity to declutter your home and eliminate items you no longer use or need. Not only will this make packing more manageable, but it will also save money on renting a larger moving truck (or hiring movers). To get started, go through each room in your house and sort your belongings into three piles: keep, donate, or trash. You’ll be surprised at the amount of stuff you can get rid of.
3. Label the Boxes Carefully
Save yourself time (and headaches) while unpacking at your new home by labeling the moving boxes with their contents and destination room. Labels make sorting belongings easier and prevent your kids from unpacking kitchen supplies when they should focus on their bedroom. For easy organization, color-code each room using labels or markers.
4. When Moving with a Family, Make an Essentials Box
Fill your “first-night” box with essentials – toiletries, change of clothes, snacks, medications, pajamas, sheets, towels – for the first night in your new home. This way, even if the rest of the boxes are unorganized or still in the back of the moving truck, you’ll have everything you need to get through the first day in your new place.
5. Protect Your Valuables
When it comes to valuables like jewelry, family heirlooms, and important documents, it’s best to play it safe and pack them yourself instead of leaving them in the care of movers (no matter how reputable they may be). Transport valuables in your vehicle so you can keep an eye on them. If that’s not feasible, pack them carefully in a secure box and label the package accordingly.
6. Be Forgiving
Finally, remember that things will probably go differently than planned. There will be hiccups along the way, whether it’s misplaced boxes or cranky kids. Take a deep breath and give yourself and your family time throughout the process. Be forgiving and patient with traffic jams, hungry children, and moving delays.
A little planning and organization go a long way when moving with kids in tow. So take a deep breath and tackle each task one at a time. Before you know it, you’ll be settling into your new home.
Peconic Home Inspections provides inspections to home buyers and sellers on Long Island. Contact us to schedule an appointment.