Moving On Short Notice
Moving on Short Notice Made Easy With a Moving Company
A last-minute move can happen to anybody- an unexpected job opportunity, marriage, divorce or extenuating circumstances pushing you out of your current location. You might have even impulsively made the decision to change cities and snapped up an apartment before it went off the market. Whatever the reason, facing a limited amount of time to pack up your life doesn’t have to be stressful. In addition to the support of a moving company, there are steps you can take to make this experience smooth and efficient.
What Is Coming With You?
Before breaking out the boxes, take a day or two to go through your belongings to decide what to keep and what will stay behind- especially for large items like furniture and appliances. You may want to start fresh with new pieces once you get there. Certain moving services will help you transport these unwanted items to donation centers or the dump, even though you aren’t technically moving with them. Once that stuff is gone it is easier to stage and organize what you are moving with. If you end up deciding you want to keep everything, that’s okay, too.
Pack Smart
The key to a quick move is efficiency. If everything is packed away neatly and safely it maximizes the space in the moving truck and may ensure minimal damage to your property. Thorough organization and labelling of your boxes can help prevent anything getting lost in the chaos. If you’re moving on a short timeline, you may not have the time to pack properly on your own. A professional moving company knows the best techniques and can get it done quickly. Some pro packing tricks to keep in mind:
- Use shrink wrap and pad furniture
- Put heavy items in small boxes
- Don’t forget labels
- Avoid newspaper- the print can stain some items
- Don’t interlock box tops, use tape
Kitchen Tips
The kitchen is a tough room to move. Be sure not to pack opened liquid containers like cleaning supplies, soaps, drinks or oils; most likely everything you have stashed underneath your sink. No matter how tightly you’ve screwed their caps or how many baggies you have them in, they can still manage to leak all over your things. Soap and oil are very difficult to remove and may cause permanent damage to some items. The same goes for any perishables or food from your refrigerator. Instead, have a big dinner party or give it away to friends and family. You can pack all sealed non-perishables together, like canned food and pasta. Once all the food is out, a moving company can pack up the rest of your kitchen while you treat yourself to takeout.
Getting There Smoothly
One of the most frustrating parts of moving can be getting your giant pile of stuff out of your old place and into your new home. A little forethought can make this a lot less challenging. For one, you don’t personally have to do the heavy lifting. You can and should hire a professional moving company to provide a team of qualified movers and vehicles- no more begging your friends with trucks to come help you. It’s also possible to coordinate with your landlord, building or neighborhood to secure parking as close to your new front door as possible. You may also be able to gain access the use of loading docks or service elevators if you are moving into an apartment building.
Keep a Go-Bag
Throughout this process you will still need some changes of clothes and your toiletries- don’t make the mistake of packing absolutely everything up and getting stuck with what you’re wearing or buying new things. You can pack a duffel bag or suitcase with your immediate needs to make them easily accessible. However, don’t pack too much, or it could cease to be a convenience. You should also keep a folder of all relevant documents with this bag, like your lease, moving services information, addresses and schedules.
You Are Not Alone – Consider a Moving Company
A rushed move means that you’re probably dealing with a lot of logistics at the same time, like forwarding mail, completing paperwork for the new job, setting up your cable and internet, enrolling your kids in school and so on. Provide yourself with support by hiring professionals to organize, pack and move your things for you so that you can focus on the rest. There are plenty of dependable and trustworthy options out there.
Moving Done Right
Moving on short notice doesn’t mean it has to be a mess. If you keep calm and proceed thoughtfully, you can appear as though you’ve spent a year making this happen. Hiring a moving company, getting rid of what you can, organizing and pre-planning as much as possible could make your move so painless that you’ll want to do it again.