Moving Aid: 8 Tips for a Happier Long Distance Move
All of us learn about switching on the utilities at the new location and completing the change-of-address type for the postal service, but when you make a long-distance relocation, some other things enter into play that can make receiving from here to there a bit trickier. Here are 9 ideas pulled from my recent experience of moving from the East Coast to the West Coast-- from packing the moving van to managing the unavoidable meltdowns.
Make the most of area in the moving van. Moving cross-country is not cheap (I can just think of the cost of moving overseas), so I did a lot of reading and asking around for pointers prior to we packed up our home, to make sure we made the most of the area in our truck.
Declutter before you pack. There's no sense in bringing it with you-- that area in the truck is money if you do not love it or require it!
Does this make them much heavier? As long as the drawers are filled with light-weight items (certainly not books), it needs to be fine. The advantage is twofold: You need fewer boxes, and it will be much easier to find things when you move in.
Pack soft products in black trash bags. Attractive? Not in the least. But this needs to be the most intelligent packing concept we tried. Fill heavy-duty black trash can with soft products (duvets, pillows, packed animals), then use the bags as area fillers and cushioning inside the truck. To keep items clean and safeguarded, we doubled the bags and connected, then taped, them shut. Use a long-term marker on sticky labels used to the outside to keep in mind the contents.
2. Paint prior to you move in. It makes a lot of sense to do this prior to moving all of your stuff in if you plan to provide your brand-new space a fresh coat of paint.
Aside from the apparent (it's much easier to paint an empty house than one complete of furnishings), you'll feel a great sense of achievement having "paint" ticked off your order of business before the first box is even unpacked.
While you're at it, if there are other untidy, disruptive items on your list (anything to do with the floorings absolutely qualifies), getting to as much of them as possible before moving day will be a big assistance.
Depending on where you're moving, there may be really couple of or lots of choices of service companies for things like phone and cable television. Or you might find, as we did, that (thanks to poor cellular phone reception) a landline is a necessity at the new location, even though utilizing only mobile phones worked fine at the old home.
One of the all of a sudden sad minutes of our relocation was when I understood we couldn't bring our houseplants along. We gave away all of our plants but ended up keeping some of our preferred pots-- something that has made choosing plants for the new space much simpler (and cheaper).
Once you remain in your new location, you might be tempted to delay purchasing brand-new houseplants, but I urge you to make it a concern. Why? Houseplants clean up the air (specifically crucial if you've used paint or floor covering that has unpredictable organic compounds, or VOCs), but essential, they will make your home feel like home.
Provide yourself time to get utilized to a new environment, time zone and culture. After moving from New England back to the San Francisco Bay Location, I have actually been surprised at how long it's taken to feel "settled"-- even though I have actually moved back to my home town!
6. Anticipate some crises-- from children and adults. Moving is hard, there's just no other way around it, but moving long-distance is especially hard.
It means leaving behind friends, schools, jobs and maybe household and getting in a terrific unidentified, brand-new place.
Even if the new place sounds great (and is great!) crises and emotional moments are an absolutely natural response to such a huge shakeup in life.
When the minute comes (and it will) that somebody (or more than one somebody) in the house needs a good cry, roll with it. Then get yourselves up and find something enjoyable to check out or do in your new town.
7. Expect to shed some more stuff after you move. No matter how much decluttering you do before moving, it appears to be a law of nature that there will be products that just don't fit in the new area.
Even if whatever fit, there's bound to be something that just doesn't work like you thought it would. Attempt not to hang on to these things simply out of frustration.
Offer them, present them to a dear pal or (if you truly love the products) keep them-- however only if you have the storage space.
Expect to buy some things after you move. Each house has its quirks, and those peculiarities demand new things. Possibly your old kitchen had a substantial island with plenty of space for cooking preparation and for stools to pull up for breakfast, however the new kitchen area has a big empty area right in the middle of the room that needs a portable island or a kitchen table and chairs.
Moving cross-country is not low-cost (I can only think of the cost of moving overseas), so I did a lot of Check This Out reading and asking around for ideas before we loaded up our house, to make sure we made the many of the space in our truck. If you prepare to provide your brand-new space a fresh coat of paint, it makes a lot of sense to do this prior to moving all of your stuff in.
After moving from New England back to the San Francisco Bay Location, I've been astonished at how long it's taken to feel "settled"-- even though I've moved back to my home town! Moving is hard, there's just no method around it, but moving long-distance is particularly hard.
No matter how much decluttering you do prior to moving, it seems to be a law of nature that there will be products that simply do not fit in the new area.