This may be something you need to do again once everything is out of the house, but it's important to clean your house beforehand as well. Go through areas that accumulate clutter such as the garage, attic, basement, closets or even utility drawers, and throw away anything you don't really need. At the end of your cleaning, you'll likely have several bags worth of old papers or rarely used items that you can either dispose of or donate to charity. If your old items turn out to have a sizable value, make sure to get a receipt from the charity of your choice for your taxes at the end of the year, which may also offset some of your moving costs.
Clearing out old, unwanted items is also a great way to make some money for the move. List everything online or have a yard sale and sell everything at bargain prices. You’ll likely rid yourself of all of your clutter and will be able to put a little money towards your big move. By lightening your load, you’ll likely save on moving costs as well.
While it may be difficult to part with some items for sentimental sake, try and keep in mind what value these items are really offering you. There will always be some keepsakes that you take along for the long haul, but you probably don't need to haul a broken hat rack to your next home. If you're unsure whether you should keep something, use the one-year rule. If you haven’t used that item at all in the past year, there’s a good chance that you can toss it out or find it a new home.
How To Pack
The first stage of proper packing is organization. Begin by assessing what items you use most often as those will need to stay behind until the last minute. Everything that sees occasional use should get stored away in boxes and labeled by room, and you should aim to pack one room at a time to minimize crossover. To keep from getting overwhelmed, begin your cross-country packing process about two months prior to your moving date. If you don't have access to storage, designate a room or a portion of a room where your items can go in the meantime.
Once you're a week out from the move, begin packing up items until you're down to your absolute essentials. You might think of essentials as things you can store in a suitcase; in fact, a suitcase is an excellent place to store everything you will actually need while you move everything else out. When moving day comes, you can put the suitcase in the cab with you or take it on your plane, depending on how you're planning to get to your new home.
Shipping and Transport
When packing your items, be sure to clearly label anything that is fragile for both your own peace of mind and for movers if you hire help. It’s a good idea to use colored tabs on your boxes to group rooms or to flag boxes that are most critical to getting settled in your new place. When putting together your boxes, ensure that all seams are secure and that the boxes include any important contact information in the event of a transport issue.
If you're moving on your own, being Spartan with your packing will be even more important. If you know someone in the city you're moving to, consider shipping boxes ahead of time to store there so that you have less to haul for the trip. Compare the costs of shipping via the post office to a packing and shipping company rather than purchasing a large truck with high fuel cost. If you do go with a moving company, do your homework on cross-country shipping companies beforehand to ensure a trustworthy and expedient carrier that won't cost you a fortune.
Featured images:
- License: Creative Commons image source
0 comments:
Post a Comment