3 Essential Steps to Plan for a Smoother Move

Are you moving soon? If so, you’re not alone.

With the Ottawa real estate market sizzling and summer ready to kick into gear, many people in the National Capital Region will be engaging in one of life’s more stressful experiences: packing up their home, moving out and beginning a new chapter in life.

Whether you’re moving across town or across Canada (or further), moving can take its toll on even the most prepared people.

But wait, not all hope is lost! With some careful but valuable planning, you can take much of the hassle and drama out of that move! Read on to discover on how to make your upcoming move as smooth and stress-free as possible — with three essential strategies.

 

Smooth Move? Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance!

 

The first steps to a smoother move should involve setting out on a plan in which you begin with the end in mind! You may be familiar with this strategy from other life hacks and motivational techniques.

What’s involved? Well let’s start with the essentials.

1.  Breathe!

We can’t emphasize this enough. Keep breathing! Don’t panic. Don’t let yourself become so anxious or panicked that you find yourself literally hyperventilating or otherwise in an elevated state of combined emotional and physical over-exertion. Stress, at least this kind of stress, doesn’t help anyone. Remember the song “Don’t Worry, Be Happy?” Bobby McFerrin sang, “In every life we have some trouble; when you worry you make it double.” Worrying about the move is not going to make things go any easier; in fact, worrying is counterproductive. If you find yourself worried or stressed at any point during the planning, packing, moving or unpacking process, call a time-out. Give yourself a break. Drink a glass of water. Go for a walk or jog. Meditate. Do whatever you need to do to find your centered self or your happy place.

2.  Plan Out the Rest of the Steps

Steps 1 and 2 should be carried out prior to any actual execution, before the first box is assembled or the first item is packed. Decide how much time you have. Hopefully you’re getting an early jump on things, as that tends to make the process less stressful. Plan the stages in chunks. You don’t have to do this all at once nor all by yourself. Treat it like an assembly line. Think about what you want it to look like at the end, then work in stages day by day between now and then. If you miss a day or have other commitments, that’s okay, don’t stress – just adjust the plan and keep on schedule as best you can the rest of the way. With a good plan in place, you’ll be ahead of the curve and well on your way to a happier moving experience.

 

Execution (Stage 3):  The Nuts & Bolts

Here are some of the things you’ll want to include in your planning stages above, then carry out with smooth, seamless execution now that you know what you want and need.

Boxes – Be Sure They’re Good

You don’t have to buy boxes from a moving company or storage facility, or from anywhere for that matter. Yes, we here at Acceptable Storage do sell boxes, really good boxes at reasonable prices. But if you have boxes from a previous move, and/or you’ve come across some free boxes (everyone likes free!), that’s probably great. Just make sure that your boxes are good, solid, clean and sturdy. You don’t want mold, mildew, fluids, debris or excessive dust coming into contact with your valuables. Nor do you want boxes breaking during the move!

Cleaning: Better Now Than Later, Better Safe than Sorry

When organizing and packing your valuables, go ahead and clean them while you’re at it! That way you’re not carrying dust with you to the next location. And some of those things probably needed a good clean or wipe-down anyhow. Lysol or other disinfectant wipes are particularly effective for cleaning before, during and after moves.

Purge: Less is More

Moving is a fine time to get rid of a lot of things you no longer need or maybe didn’t even know you had! We’ve got an article on purging and decluttering right here, and hope you’ll find it handy as you make the most of this move. Just remember the basic rule of thumb: If you haven’t used an item in a year or more, give serious consideration to throwing it out, giving it away, selling it or otherwise finding that item a new home.

Lists & Labels

Control freaks – pardon, control “enthusiasts” – know all about the value of making lists and using them to your advantage. Moving is one of the best examples we’ve seen where list-making is your good friend. Keep an inventory of:

• What you have
• Which room it came from
• Where it’s going to
• What box (number) it’s travelling in

Label each box with a number and a brief description (e.g. “master bedroom linens”), then cross-reference that number to a number on your list, and then itemize under that heading every piece that’s in the box “e.g. Sheets (white); Sheets (grey); Towels; Bath mats; Face cloths; Shower curtain; etc.”

Moving Day(s) Kit

Be sure not to pack the things you’ll need the day before, day of and day after your move. Leave out some essentials, like toiletries and change of clothing! If you’re moving long distance, this may stretch across several days, so plan accordingly. Some of the things you’ll want to leave out include:

• Clothing (enough for 3 days for a local move; up to 2 weeks for a long-distance move)
• Toiletries & personal items
• Anything you need for work or school
• Basic linens
• Essential cleaning items (you may need to clean after moving out and again upon moving in)… Swiffer, mop, bucket, rags, etc.
• Ziploc bags… ties… Sharpie marker… wipes…

While it doesn’t need to be much, again planning ahead means you’re less likely to forget something, mitigating your stress and anxiety.

Putting Goods into Storage: A Great Ally in the Moving Game

 

You may want to rent a storage unit for a temporary basis during the moving process, or for longer if you are downsizing. At Acceptable Storage in Ottawa, we’re well familiar with moving, and would be glad to help! Contact us today and we can talk about your upcoming move and how to make the best of it!