Preparing to move

Moving to a new home is a big undertaking, whether you’re relocating across country or across town. To help ensure that your moving day goes smoothly and that you remain relatively stress-free, begin planning several weeks in advance.

“The biggest mistake you can make when moving is a lack of preparation,” says Doug Wilson, a designer, moving expert and host of the TLC program Moving Up. “Just throwing it all together is not an option. Scrambling at the last minute is very stressful. You need to come up with a system that makes sense.”

Sort & pack
Hiring a moving company and sorting and packing your belongings are equally important tasks. You’ll want to choose and schedule a mover as soon as possible. Likewise, when it comes to packing, the earlier you begin, the better.

“Start with sorting and packing your seasonal things, the stuff you already know you won’t need between now and the move, then work toward the present,” Wilson says.

To make the sorting process easier, divide your belongings among five piles: things you want, things family members might want, items to donate, items to sell, and things to throw away, suggests Lynn Falwell, co-owner of It’s Your Move, a Natick, Mass.-based company that specializes in moving senior citizens.

“Choose a day for a yard sale, and then have family come get what they want before that date,” Falwell says.

Wilson advises making a floor plan of your new home, with a number for each room, then labeling packed boxes accordingly. “This way you won’t be asked where each box goes a million times, and you won’t find yourself blocking passages to rooms.”

Attention to details
Make a checklist of the things you need to do during the week leading up to the move, says residential moving expert Lou Gonzalez of Molloy Bros. Moving & Storage, in Old Bethpage, N.Y. These include:

• Defrosting the refrigerator
• Disposing of perishable food
• Putting a copy of important documents in a file box in your car
• Transferring prescriptions to a pharmacy in your new area
• Filing change of address cards
• Packing enough clean clothes and toiletries for the first few days in your new home

You also need to prepare for the emotional side of the move. “If you have children, tell the kids about the move as early as possible and be enthusiastic,” Wilson says. He suggests having a party before moving day to celebrate friendships and say goodbye in style. You also could make a photo album of people and places from your old neighborhood that the family can enjoy after you’re settled in the new home.

If you’re relocating to a new town, consider scheduling a night off. Wilson suggests staying in a hotel room the first night in your new town. “Try to work a relaxing night away from your new house into your moving budget,” he says. “Make it a mini-vacation away from all the stress and chaos that goes along with a move. Then you’ll be refreshed before tackling the big job of unpacking and settling in.”

Story by Mary Dixon Lebeau of West Deptford, N.J.

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