Here are our top 10 tips to help make your move as stress-free as possible:
WayForth has been helping people with door to door moving services over 20,000 times since we began. We have learned that it is possible to reduce the stress and anxiety associated with relocation by being prepared. This is true whether you are managing the move management process yourself or if WayForth is doing it for you. Moving to a new house, condo, senior living community, apartment or office can be made easier with the right preparation. WayForth a moving company, can help with moving people, even if it is many months before your move.
1. Start packing early
The earlier you start packing, the less stressful it will be during the move process. Begin by sorting out items you no longer need and donate or sell them before packing up the rest of your items. If you aren’t sure about some items, make plans to utilize short-term storage.
2. Make an inventory list
Create an inventory list of all the items you plan to take with you during the move. Make special note of all the items of greater financial value or emotional significance. Be sure to communicate the value and importance of these items to your door to door movers if you hire one or take extra special care and move these items yourself. This will help ensure that nothing goes missing along the way and makes it easier to keep track of boxes when they arrive at your new home or office space. Whether you are moving yourself or hire a professional moving company, also take note of items that may need special packing and handling – some of the most common examples of this that we see at WayForth include high value art which may need special crating.
3. Purchase proper moving supplies
Be sure to stock up on necessary moving supplies such as boxes, bubble wrap, tape, markers, etc., so that everything remains secure during transit. If you don’t have enough time to purchase these materials yourself, consider hiring a professional moving company who can provide their own supplies. Another important consideration here is if you are going to have a professional moving company help you pack all of your items. If the company packs, they will typically take more responsibility for any breakage. If you pack it yourself and fail to pack it correctly (because let’s face it, it’s probably not your day job to be awesome at packing boxes in the most safe and secure way possible), then you may take on greater risk of something breaking and you have no one to blame but yourself.
4. Label all boxes clearly
As you pack up each box, be sure to label it appropriately so that you’ll know where everything should go when loading into the truck and unloading in your new location. You may also want to color code each box according to its contents (i.e., white for kitchenware, blue for bedroom items, etc.) for even quicker identification when unpacking at your destination point. WayForth specializes in not only color coding and detailed labeling of box contents, but we will also load the truck in a way to make sure the items come off in the safest and most efficient manner as well.
5. Get rid of clutter
Before starting your move, make sure that all unnecessary clutter has been eliminated so that only valuable items are taken with you in the truck or van. This will save time during packing and unpacking as well as make organizing much simpler in your new home or office space. At WayForth we are sometimes asked to help unpack boxes that were packed by families or other movers. It is not unusual for us to find trash cans boxed up with the original home’s trash still inside!
6. Pack one room at a time
For extra efficiency, try packing one room at a time instead of tackling everything all together which could lead to confusion later on. Plus, this method allows for more organization while packing up each individual area throughout your current residence or workplace and helps facilitate accurate labeling of boxes relative to where they may be heading in your new place. At WayForth, we encourage teams to “close the door” on one room before they move to the next.
7. Ask family & friends for help
Moving can be an extremely daunting task so don’t hesitate to ask family members and friends if they’re available to help out with your move requests. From carrying heavy furniture pieces over stairs to loading/unloading boxes from trucks; having some extra hands around always makes everything run much smoother and more efficient! Having said all this, tread carefully and refer to item 8…
8. Free help can be very expensive
While it is great to have family and friends helping out, it is also comes with some serious risks that you cannot and should not take lightly. First, if someone gets hurt, it could be a significant financial responsibility for you to help them. Second, inevitably something will get damaged or broken during a move. When you use a professional mover like WayForth’s concierge moving services, those damages, within certain limits, are covered, repaired or taken care of with a discount on services provided. But with a family member, that’s all on you. Third, make sure that whomever is helping you with move, you absolutely trust them as they will have a lot of access to your home and personal/valuable items. So, while item 7 can be a great way to reduce your move costs and bond with family and friends, be aware and diligent about all the risks that might come with it.
9. Take regular breaks and stay hydrated
Moving can be physically exhausting so try taking regular breaks throughout the day if possible. These small pauses will help replenish energy levels allowing everyone involved in the move enough strength and endurance in order complete tasks successfully without running out of steam halfway through. Moving day is a long and tough day, so give yourself a moment to catch your breath. Not only will it give you more energy, but it will actually reduce the risks of accidents, injuries and broken items.
10. Give yourself a “Big Reveal” moment
One of the most fun and important things you can do once the bulk of the moving work is completed and you are getting settled in after moving day. Take a moment to soak in how much you have accomplished and pat yourself on the back. If you have WayForth take care of your move, you won’t have to do anything but just enjoy the “Big Reveal” as we will, if you want, take care of everything including hanging pictures, making beds and more. However, if you are doing it all yourself, be sure to take a moment to soak in the feeling of accomplishment of completing one of life’s most stressful processes – moving!
Of course, if you want to have absolutely zero stress on your move, the only ONE thing you need to do is call WayForth at 1-844-WAYFORTH a move management company to help with your move management services.