There's exactly one week left before you make the big move. You think you're ready and in good shape but are you? Here's some help to make sure that you get on the road feeling confident.
Getting Started
Draw up a floor plan for your new home and make copies for movers and helpers. This will make it easier to explain where your possessions should be placed once they're unloaded.
Plan the week's meals with an eye to using up frozen and perishable food items — you won't be taking them with you and don't want them to go to waste.
Return any items that you have borrowed from friends and neighbors, and collect any that you have lent to them.
Go over the moving plan with your family and any additional helpers, so that everyone involved understands what their responsibilities will be.
What About the Kids?
Make arrangements, if necessary, to have friends or family members look after your kids and pets for a few hours? This can minimize a child's stress about moving, and free you up to organize the move more efficiently.
Separate the items that you will need right up until your move date (plates, utensils, etc.) and pack them last.
Don't Forget These
Determine which items you will need immediately upon moving in, such as bathroom supplies, light bulbs and flashlights, cleaning products and snacks. Pack these items last, preferably in your car as opposed to the moving truck.
&;Get Rid of These
Minimize the risk of fire by emptying the fuel tanks in machines such as lawnmowers.
Safely dispose of aerosol cans, paints, gasoline and any other hazardous products.
Take down and pack your curtains, blinds and shelves, and pull up any fastened carpets that you will be taking with you. Note: Discuss this with your Realtor or attorney, to determine what is yours and what is considered part of the house.
If you are not moving directly into your new home, confirm hotel reservations and/or other details related to your interim housing.
Don't Load These
Clearly label any luggage or other items that you don't intend for the moving truck (or that require special instructions for packing and moving).
Be sure not to pack any prescription medications that your family will need.
Get phone numbers and email addresses from friends and neighbors, and encourage your kids to do the same. Children find the move less stressful if they stay connected with friends from the old neighborhood.
Move Tip
While you should be able to trust your movers with the big items in the truck, the job of packing up your car falls to you. It's going to be a busy day, so you don't want to wait until then to find out your valuables (or your kids!) don't fit. Conduct a "practice pack" of the family car a couple of days before you move. Load up as many of the items you plan to take with you as possible. You'll get a better sense of what the drive will be like in terms of comfort and safety, and you'll be able to make any adjustments before the last minute.
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