Equipping For Your Next Move

So, you’re planning a move some time in the near future. It’s not time to start packing all your things just yet, but if you put it off every day until then, it will be time, and then a crunch. Here’s some good advice for your everyday life; plan ahead. Moving can quickly become very stressful and you won’t be in a great place to make too many snap-second decisions. Look at your home, think about how there are pieces of furniture which could become a pain. Try to imagine that you’re moving ​today. What would be in your way as you begin shifting furniture around? What small items need to go into boxes, and which are going to be carried loosely? Should you have some of those fragile decorations specially prepared for the move?

None of these are questions you want to have to answer on the day you plan to move. It might be daunting to think about now, but it will only be more daunting the longer you let it sit. In the weeks or even months leading up to a move, try packing even a single small box of things a day, little decor from around the house. Avoid buying too many groceries in advance. If possible, begin moving things into your new home in advance, like your refrigerator, or, if you don’t own one of your own, consider buying a mini-fridge to keep essential perishables portable and cold. Dry or canned goods can easily go into a box or bag, just like a trip to the grocery store, but do you really want to have to dedicate space in your move to groceries?

Last but not least be sure to pick up the packing supplies you need ahead of time, packing away small boxes of non-essentials will show you just how few ‘spare’ boxes you might have in your home.  Preparing for the move can reveal the packing tape you bought last time you moved might not be where you left it. All the little things you think you know for sure in the back of your head can be put to the test.  If you really are prepared, great! Less stress when the day comes. If you’re not, you can save your future self a lot of headaches.

                Packages, Boxes, and Bags

 The first thing you should be asking is; do I have enough packing materials for everything I own? Sure, there are plenty of boxes in the garage or attic – many of which may still have things from the last time you moved. Boxes are made of very sturdy paper, after all, so ambient humidity can spell disaster. You may find those extra boxes you had have become warped or fragile from being left empty or laying about  in your garage. You may simply need more boxes! Either way, many modern storage businesses,  including Mini U, offer you a wide variety of packing and moving supplies, so you can be certain the boxes, tape, markers, packing peanuts, bubble wrap, or other things you may need are always within reach. 

  A Parting of the Ways

Looking through all that stuff in your attic, basement, or garage might be making you wonder; how big a  truck do I need for all this? Maybe not as big as you’d think. It might be time to take a long hard look at all these boxes of things you never unpacked and ask yourself why you’re holding onto them. There will always be things of sentimental value that you just can’t part with. Everyone has those things. Most people don’t have several dozen boxes’ worth of those things. Critically examine what it is you’re packing, what was already packed, and if it needs to come with you this time. In the weeks leading up to your move, it may be time to start downsizing. If you find you really do want to keep everything, storage is a fantastic way to keep boxes stored so you can go through them at your own pace as you move into your new home.

Take Your Time

The beautiful thing about planning ahead is that you now have plenty of time to sort through your belongings and make sure they are packed neatly and carefully for the move. If you are lucky enough to have a window for your move – say a couple of days where you won’t need to vacate your old home, and can take time moving into your new place, it may benefit you to move things in little bits, day by day. As  your new home begins to fill up, you may be able to really put your new home together in a cozy  comfortable way on your own time. In the event you don’t have that luxury, renting storage for a  month can be a lifesaver. You can move everything into your storage in one day with a large rented truck, and then use your normal vehicle to move your belongings from the unit to your new home piece by piece, giving you all the time in the world to unpack at your own pace. 

House and Home

 When you’ve got all your plans laid out, an inventory checklist of everything in your home fully filled out, and a good idea of what the floor plan for your new home is going to look like, it comes time to really settle in. This is when you get to enjoy the fruits of your labors. A leisurely and well-planned  move-in can be the difference between a move being one of the most stressful events you confront, and  being a satisfying victory along your life’s journey. It’s liberating to see all the spacious, empty room your new home has to offer, and what makes it a home is that feeling of comfort and safety. Once you begin moving in, you may find that you don’t want to fill the space all the way up like you’d planned.  That’s okay! You have that unit you picked up to leave excess things in for the time being. Just like that, you’ve made your new house a new home.