Vicky Sanderson Even if it’s just a short hop across town, moving home can be stressful. But long-distance relocations come with a special set of challenges and chores, making it even more essential to plan ahead for them.
Strategic moves
Preparation is especially important for long-distance house moves. Make a time-sheet, working backward from the move-in date. List all tasks—from gathering moving supplies to cancelling utilities to booking movers. Make it electronic and sharable if you plan to divide tasks among family members. If you need to, break your own jobs down further, with daily to-do lists and weekly objectives. Time is your best friend here—so give yourself as much as possible for each chore.
Pack with purpose
Label everything plainly and indicate which room it should go into, or use a colour-coded system—possibly based on the order of what needs to be unpacked first, such as kitchen gear, electronics, clothes. Check out tips and videos on a variety of moving chores, including packing stemware and other fragile items.
Clear the clutter
Make time now to downsize for your house move. Nobody’s doing garage or tag sales these days, but online buying channels are a good way to get rid of stuff and make some cash, which may come in handy for furnishing the new space.
Take pictures of everything you want to be rid of and send them to family and friends. Tell them they can have anything as long as they pick it up by a date that works for you. Most non-profit thrift shops are up and running again; they’re another excellent way to give second life to items you no longer need.
Visit, even if only virtually
Ideally, you’ll spend a few days in the new location before you move. If you can, walk your neighbourhood, get to know local public transit, shops, restaurants, parking availability, parks, say hello to new neighbours, and show children any new school they will be attending.
Take the long view
Don’t make the mistake of choosing the cheapest moving service at the last minute. The things you’re taking with you are important and meaningful to you, and they deserve care. Check out a mover’s experience, reviews, testimonials, and what’s included in the fee. Reputable companies like North American Van Lines Canada are a good place to start. Consider purchasing moving insurance for extra peace of mind.
Make your new self easy to find
Driver’s license, passport, utilities, cable services, insurance, banking: make a list of everything that needs a change of address notice. Have mail redirected to your new address. Give the new owners of your house or a trusted neighbour your new contact information, just in case something or someone who don’t want to miss shows up on your old doorstep.
Featured pic Erika Wittlieb from Pixabay.jpg
Body photo of key by PhotoMIX Company from Pexels
This is a collaborative post. Content was not reviewed prior to publication.
