Moving House Checklist: 10 Organizing Tips for a Stress-Free Move
Selling your home and moving to a new one can feel overwhelming, but having a moving house checklist can make the process much easier. From decluttering and packing to organizing important documents and planning your new space, a little preparation goes a long way. These practical organizing tips will help you reduce stress, stay on schedule, and enjoy a smoother move.
1. Declutter Before You Move
De-clutter and depersonalize every room and outdoor area so buyers can imagine themselves living in the house. The way you live in your home is not the way you sell your house. You’ll want to make the house look spacious and move-in ready. Start as early as possible, to give yourself enough time to sort through everything and experience the memories and emotions that may get stirred up as you touch all of your possessions. Be as ruthless as you can. Decide if the item is worth paying to move. Sort everything into categories like Keep, Toss, Donate, and Give to Family/Friends. Anything that you’ve decided will leave the house should go out the door right away. If you decide to sell some things (eBay, Craig’s List, a garage or rummage sale), do so as early as you can. If they don’t sell, you still have time to donate them.
2. Create a Home Inventory
Create an inventory of what you decide to keep; take pictures, especially of your most valuable pieces.
3. Prepare Your Home for Buyers
Pay particular attention to the kitchen, bathrooms, and closets, which are spaces that are especially appealing to buyers. Put away toiletries, as well as small appliances and cookware, and make sure exposed shelving has items neatly arranged. Don’t forget the basement; tidy up the laundry room and any utility room or storage area. Ask for help if you need it. Professional organizers, home stagers, and cleaning services are great resources for getting a house ready to sell. Maintain the house every day, so if there is a showing, you’ll always be ready.
4. Complete Repairs Before Listing Your Home
Repair any cosmetic damage around your home. Patch holes in walls, and repaint rooms that need it. Clean and dust your house from top to bottom. Shampoo and vacuum all carpets. Refinish wood floors if necessary.
5. Plan Your New Home Layout
Plan what will go where in your new home. See if you can get a floor plan, and measure what you plan to bring with you. If furniture and collections won’t fit, it’s better to know now than on moving day.
6. Create a Moving Binder
Set up a binder or file to capture all of the details of the move. This is a key way to keep track of all of the big and little decisions and information related to your move. Store in it moving estimates, names of realtors and other professionals, and paperwork for the sale of your house. You could create a separate binder or file for the purchase of your new home, especially if you’re building or renovating it before moving in. Include names of contractors, choices of fixtures, paint, and décor, and any other information you may need regarding your new residence.
7. Pack Smart
If you decide to pack yourself, gather or purchase moving materials. You’ll need boxes of various shapes and sizes (small boxes are good for heavy things, like books, and large boxes are good for light things, like quilts), bubble wrap, packing paper, tape, tape gun, and bold markers. You could use colorful tape pre-printed with room names. If you’re moving far away from your former house, and your contents will share space with other loads on the truck, you might also need labels with your new address for each box, to make sure that your belongings reach the right place. As you pack, number the boxes and list the box number and contents on a spreadsheet or master list stored in your binder or file.
8. Pack a Moving Day Essentials Bag
Have a grab & go bag of items for immediate use on moving day. Include essential items for a couple of days, such as snacks, medications, toiletries, and a change of clothes.
9. Keep Valuables With You
Separate valuables and personally transport them yourself. Include anything vital, so that if the moving truck were to blow up, these items wouldn’t be on it. This may be jewelry, important documents, family heirlooms, and photos.
10. Update Your Address
Change address with post office, driver’s license, bank/credit card/insurance/investment accounts, doctors/lawyers/accountants, utilities, subscriptions, etc. If you have children, arrange for their school records to be transferred to their new school(s).
Make Your Next Move Easier
Moving doesn’t have to be overwhelming. At Let’s Get Organized, we help homeowners declutter, organize, pack, and prepare for every stage of the moving process. Whether you’re selling your current home or settling into a new one, we’ll help you create a smooth, stress-free transition. Contact us today to learn how we can help.