How to Move Successfully

Moving into a new residence can be one of the most challenging tasks. The key to moving successfully is to get yourself organized and to stay organized. Follow these steps to learn how to move successfully.

Things You'll Need

• Boxes
• Box Cutter
• Tape
• Scissors
• Sharpie or Marker
• Notebook or Grid paper
• Clipboard
• Packing Paper, Butcher Paper or Newspaper

Instructions

1. Take an inventory of your house. It is a good idea to write this down and can also be helpful for insurance purposes. This will give you a good idea of whether you can move yourself or if you should hire a moving company.

2. Call local moving companies to get estimates. You will need the information gathered in step one to give to the moving companies. The inventory of your house will generate an estimate of your moving expenses. You will also be asked if you want the company to pack your items or if you wish to pack them yourself.

3. Begin packing your items starting with the most fragile items first. It is much easier to pack your good china when you can your time and saving the clothes or toys for the last minute as these are the least fragile. Place each packed box in a section of your house that has less traffic than the others.

4. Label each box with a number on it as well as a description of the contents or the room that it will be placed in. The number should correspond with the room that the box will go in at your new residence. For instance, all items for the kitchen should be in boxes with the number 1 on it. The master bedroom boxes should be labeled with the number 2 on it and so forth. This will help keep you organized and allow of your items to get delivered to the proper room. On your clipboard, use a piece of paper to designate a number for each room.

5. When boxes are being unloaded you will able to direct the movers as to exactly where they go. You can also post a sign on the front door explaining each number as well. This makes unpacking easy as everything is in the room that it should go into.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have children, hire a great babysitter for the day of the move and for several days after the move. Getting the kids out of your hair will give you time to direct the movers, unpack and organize.

• Find moving boxes by stopping by neighbors houses where someone has just moved in or look on your local Craigslist or Freecycle to find people giving away the boxes they just finished with.

• Ask your local grocer for boxes. Wine boxes make excellent moving boxes for glasses.

• Always buy your moving guys lunch and keep plenty of cold drinks on hand. Keeping them hydrated and fed will go a long way to keeping them moving and reducing your hourly costs.

• Keep some cash on hand to tip your movers for a job well done.

• Do not pay to have moving companies pack up your artwork or mirrors. They usually charge $100 or more to pack up artwork with simple moving boxes cut up and taped around each object. They will always take care of your items by wrapping them in a blanket whether they packed them or not.

• Always opt for the insurance and make certain to check out every piece of furniture or artwork before the movers have left the premises. Any damage will need to be reported immediately.

• Never leave movers unattended at your house for any reason.