Moving – How to get it done!
Moving – How to get it done and not stress out completely!
So the contract is signed, the inspections are done, the option period has ended, what next! Time to get moving!
If you are going to need a moving company, be sure and contact that company about a month ahead of time. Check with them that if anything changes you can cancel or move the date and find out how much time you need to be able to forewarn the moving company. If you have any special furniture, ie piano or pendulum clock, be sure and check well ahead of time with movers if they can pack or if you need a different professional. Also if there is an added cost.
The Moving Company is a great place to start for looking for boxes, but there are always your friends, the local grocery and liquor stores and not to mention ask you realtor. There’s always a chance they had a client recently move in that might have some boxes they need to get rid of.
If you had a great realtor, they already had you decluttering and getting rid of the things you don’t really need in your new home. Not to mention packing up all the personal items that might have distracted the buyers from seeing the potential of your home as their home. So you’re slightly ahead of the game 🙂
If you have children, now is a great time to pick up those school records or have them transferred to the new school. Pick up change of address at the post office and notify magazines, charge accounts, insurance companies, clubs and all the other organizations of your change of address.
Start packing anything that you can live without over the next few weeks. Find a place where you can put all the things that will be needed for the final clean up of your home so it will be handy. Remember you really want to leave your home as clean and nice as you want the home you are moving in to be. Don’t forget to make sure you have snacks and water to get you through those last few hours in your home. Be sure and keep the things you might need on your move separate so that your toothbrush doesn’t accidentally get packed on the van :}
The week before it’s time schedule turning off all your utilities and services for the day of your closing. Take this time to contact your new utility companies to tell them when you will be moving in to your new home. Also be sure and cancel any annual, monthly or weekly services, like pool cleaning, pest inspections, lawn maintenance etc. IMPORTANT: Back up your computers, remove the ink cartridges and toner from printers before packing. Contact the moving company to make sure everything is on schedule for their arrival and what you need to have ready for them.
The day before is the time to get that refrigerator and freezer cleaned out, turned off, defrosted and wiped down. Be sure and remove any oil and gas from lawn mowers and other lawn equipment.
The day of the move, walk through the house with the movers so that you and they understand what is going where. Check each room, closet, drawer to make sure that everything is packed. Leave the manuals for appliances, garage door openers, keys for mail boxes in a drawer in the kitchen. Let your realtor know where they are so that they can pass it on to the buyer’s agent. Do a final walk through checking to make sure that all doors and windows are locked, thermostat is turned down/up depending on the weather, take all the garbage to the curb or dumpster, and do not leave anything personal that you do not want in the home. Give it away or throw it away.
Now do one last wipe down and cleaning.
Final, as a nice touch, leave a note for the new owners, telling them a little about the home and/or special instructions.
Onward! to your new home and unpacking!
How to Move Out of Your Home
