Now that you’ve finally found the home of your dreams, it’s time to start packing. Moving can be an extremely stressful ordeal, especially if you’re moving across the county. Whether you’re moving to a new house for sale in Northampton, MA or if you’re switching apartments, moving requires plenty of forethought, scheduling and organization. Our Northampton realtors have come up with some helpful moving tips that will make your life a lot easier in the long run.
Label, Label, Label
As you start stuffing boxes with everything you own, it’s important to come up with a strategy. Base your packing around each individual room. Organize items in a way that makes sense to you. With every box you fill, take a look at all the items inside and label the box accordingly. The more specific the descriptions are, the easier it will be to find what you’re looking for. Think about your new home and where you plan to put each box. Include the name of the room in every label. When it comes time to unpack, you’ll know exactly where each box needs to go.
Color Coding
You might want to go a step further by color-coding each of your boxes. When you’re looking for a particular item, all you have to do is look for a specific color. As boxes get stacked, deciphering what’s inside can be a challenge. Think ahead and put a piece of colored tape on all four sides of the box. Without a second thought, you’ll be able to tell what’s inside and where each box belongs.
Keep an Inventory of Your Boxes
If you’re making several trips or if you’re taking several cars, boxes can easily get lost or stolen. It’s a good idea to mark each box with a corresponding number as well. Before you leave your old home, write down how many boxes you have for each room. If you know that you have seven green boxes for the living room, you can rest assured that everything you own is accounted for as you start unpacking. If you hire a moving company, it’s still a good idea to keep a list of all the boxes you have. You can give a copy to the moving company as a guarantee that all of your possessions will arrive safe and sound.
Change Your Address Sooner Rather Than Later
Don’t forget to change your address. It’s often the last thing people think about as they start the moving process. Waiting to the last minute can easily lead to lost or delayed mail. Remember to notify everyone of a change in your address including your bank, employer, the US Mail, etc. It’s also good to make a list of everyone that you’ll need to notify. Try to give everyone on your list at least a week’s notice before you move.
Keep Essentials Nearby
When you arrive at your new home, you’ll probably be too tired to unpack properly. It’s a good idea to keep an overnight bag handy if you want to go straight to bed. You should include your essential toiletries, a change of clothes, and all of your handheld electronics. Additionally, you should have a few clearly labeled boxes nearby that are filled with must-have items like your sheets, bedding, your computer, etc. You don’t want to go sorting through endless stacks of boxes to find that one item you need right now.
Your Clean Clothes Double as Bubble Wrap
For all of those delicate items in your life, consider wrapping them in your clean clothes. You’ll have to wash them again before you wear them, but you’ll probably want to do that anyway. If you won’t have access to a washing machine right away in your new home, this might not be a good idea. But wrapping glassware or wall hangings in a spare T-shirt or a clean pair of socks will save you lots of money on bubble wrap. Why not use both. You can never be too careful.
Use Plastic Bags for Screws and Nails
As space gets tight, you might have to deconstruct some bulkier items. If you bring out the toolbox, carefully organize loose screws and nails in a series of plastic bags. It’s a real pain having to put your furniture back together without the right tools. Remember to label each bag with what piece of furniture it belongs to. It’s better to keep all of your bags together instead of tapping them to furniture. They can easily fall off in the truck or in the back of your car.
Donate What You Can Do Without
Sometimes you look around at everything you own and realize it’s just too much. One solution to moving is to simply get rid of everything you don’t like or need. You might want to part with anything that you haven’t used in the last year. Plan ahead and offer to donate your unwanted items to charity, Goodwill, or to someone on Craigslist. Ask them to pick it up for you at least a week in advance. The less stuff you bring, the easier your life will be.
If you’re still looking for the home of your dreams, Taylor Realtors has hundreds of Northampton, MA homes for sale. With its beautiful countryside and a refreshing cultural environment, Northampton is the place to be. Come to Taylor Realtors for all of your home buying and renting needs.