4 Good Tips for Moving into a New Home

You started your new home search probably months ago, by finding the neighborhood that was just right for your needs.  This area had to have the schools, the shopping access and the ancillary amenities that you knew you’d need for your family’s long-term commitment to that specific area.  Then you found the right house with the potential for you to turn it into your perfect home, and so you made the plunge.  Now it’s time to start the rest of your life and actually move out of that old apartment and into your dream home.  Here are 4 basic suggestions for plotting your course through the home-moving minefield.

1. ASK FRIENDS AND FAMILY WHAT THEY DID WHEN THEY MOVED

Most everyone knows someone else who’s moved into a new home in the last few months, or even years.  They’ve just been through what you are about to endure and they’ll have some recommendations – especially about what to look out for.  If your friend hired a moving company and it was a disaster?  Cross that company off the list.  But if their movers were a benefit to the whole operation, that’s probably a pretty good place to start when you begin getting bids from moving companies.  Many companies these days have quick quote forms right online, such as www.aandamoving.com, that will take you through the bidding process step-by-step.  It’s always a good idea to get at least 3 separate bids to start the process of moving.

2. DON’T PACK WHAT YOU ARE NEVER GOING TO USE AGAIN

One of the biggest mistakes people make when moving is packing too much.  If you can’t decide whether or not you’re ever going to use that left-hander smoke-switcher again?  Maybe you should bid it a fond farewell and either leave it in the alley behind your old apartment, where the homeless guy will ‘recycle’ it, or possibly call the Salvation Army and ask them to pick it up along with the other junk you’re never going to use again. 

There are professionals who you can hire to help you ‘declutter’ your life.  Hiring one before you move might actually save you some money, when you consider his/her fee versus the time and effort you’ll expend moving things you’ll never even take out of the box at your new home.

3. DO YOUR BASIC REPAIR AND REMODELING BEFORE YOU MOVE IN

You might consider spending one extra month in your old apartment even after your escrow has closed on your new home.  Why?  This will give you time to address some of the issues you may have had with the house when you were buying it.  You can also take this time to do any repairs required, plus remodel that old house, really personalize it and make it your home.  It will be much easier to accomplish these tasks before you move in because you’ll have plenty of room to work and store new appliances and fixtures before installation.  And you won’t have to worry about getting paint and spackling on your furniture and family treasures.  You won’t believe how much faster you’ll be able to accomplish the myriad tasks of personalizing your new quarters without the hassle of trying to cover, protect, and climb around all of your furnishings and ‘boxes of stuff’.

4. PLAN FOR YOUR 1^ST NIGHT AND A SPECIAL CELEBRATION

It’s a good idea to pack a small ‘1^st Night Bag’ for you and each family member before the big moving day.  The relocation process is going to be long and hectic and at the end of the day it’s going to be tough to root through boxes looking for essentials like bath/shower supplies, toothbrushes, prescriptions, a change-of-clothes and other essentials.  So a small overnight bag, packed sensibly, will be a huge relief when it’s time to shut the old body down after such an arduous and chaotic moving episode. 

Also, plan a small celebration for a job well done.  Pack a chilled bottle of Champaign, and ginger ale for the kids, in a portable cooler along with some plastic flutes for toasting the special occasion together.  Plan your celebration ahead by finding the best take-out/delivery restaurant in the neighborhood, so you can order in advance and have a fine meal delivered right to your new home on that first night – without the hassle of having to cook anything yourself.  If the cable, Wi-Fi, and/or satellite services are not hooked up yet, take along a board game like Monopoly or Scrabble and some Trivial Pursuit cards to enliven the after-dinner hours.  You’re probably only going to move into a new family home once in your life – make it a day you will never forget.