Getting Ready to Move – TPW259

Millions of people move house each year. Getting ready to move to a new home is a project that can be made easier with a little thought and planning.



What do you do to get ready to move?

I’ve moved house many, many times. When I was growing up, my father was a bit of a wanderer, so we moved often. I never liked it, but after I grew up and established a home of my own, I realized how much tougher it must’ve been on my mom, moving a household and a bunch of kids.

Mike and I have moved quite a few times in the 40 years we’ve been married - across town, but more often across the country. Right now we’re contemplating moving again, to downsize a bit now that our kids are all out on their own.

Keys to getting our house ready to sell, and getting ready to move into a new house


* Plan ahead


There are tons of resources online to help with the planning, including a number of checklists you can download to make sure you stay on track (like this one: Moving Checklist - Printable To-Do List For When You're Moving Homes). Think through what needs to happen, and start a notebook or other resource to keep all the info:




* Movers? Or moving trucks and friends if doing it yourself
* List of utilities, subscriptions, and other vendors you’ll need to get address changes to and/or line up for the new home
* Kids’ school records and family medical records





* Get rid of stuff!


We visited an open house at a house we liked a lot, but I left feeling like the house needed to be cleaned. We realized it wasn’t dirty, but it felt that way because every closet was packed with clothes. That was a lesson for me about the effect of over-filled spaces on the way a house looks and feels.

Your house might not look or feel cluttered, but . . . do you really want to pack and move everything you currently own? We don’t, so we’re looking hard at the stuff we own, pulling out items we don't use or need or love to find new homes for. We're offering it first to our grown kids, then everything else will go to charity. You could also choose to have a yard sale or sell on eBay or Craigslist, or Poshmark for clothes.

Some things to consider rehoming:






* Clothes
* Books
* Knickknacks
* Dishes, utensils, small appliances
* Furniture, lamps,
* Decor
* Linens
* Cosmetics and other bathroom items
* Craft supplies
* Mementos






The less you keep, the less work and expense is required to move it

The more you get rid of now, the easier it is to clean and touch up the house for sale


* Gather manuals and paperwork for any appliances or systems you’ll be leaving. Put them together in a folder or binder for the new owners, or put them all in a single drawer in the kitchen.
* Evaluate and schedule repairs or touch-ups needed before listing the house. Label any cans of leftover paint with the color, brand, and which room each was used in, and leave them all together in one closet or cupboard or shelf.



* Pack in stages - start early to pack out-of-season clothes, decor, bedding, books, and specialty kitchen items you don’t anticipate using before the move.

* Designate one space for all the boxes to go such as an unused guest room or the garage
* Label boxes by the room they’re supposed to go into, as well as indicating weight (heavy, medium, light), fragility,