Moving to Houston can be a crazy and anxiety filled time for everyone, but a little bit of planning and readiness can make it less painful. Formulating a plan will give you a key to follow and help the move go smoothly. We have listed ten tips to help make your moving process smoother.
1. Plan as Far in Advance as Possible
It can only help to get in front of the process and begin planning your move. Begin looking for an experienced moving company and set a date for the move. If you plan on using experienced packers, make sure to tell them everything that needs to be packed so they can be ready. Commence thinking about how you will organize all of your things and create a visual of the move in your brain.
2. Put Your Things by Category
The move to Houston will be much quicker if you arrange your belongings by category. It is easiest to start with your clothes, because you will discover items that you will want to give away, which means less to move. You can also easily sift through your books, papers, DVDs, and other miscellaneous things.
3. Get Rid of Stuff You Do Not Need or Want
You most likely own a number of unused or unnecessary belongings. You will have fewer items to pack by eliminating the stuff that you don't need. The sooner you designate these items, the easier the boxing and moving will be later on.
4. Schedule a Donation Pickup
You know all of those things you own that are no longer needed or unnecessary? You can donate a lot of those items to a non-profit organization, and many of the charitable organizations will even come get them for no charge. Donating your gently used items to charity will make you feel helpful, and it can also possibly be used as a tax write off.
5. Buy Supplies Ahead of Time
You are going to need boxes, tape, paper, bubble wrap, and many other moving supplies. Do not hold off until the final minute to buy those materials, but instead be proactive. Sit down and create a list of all the supplies that you will need for your move, and gather the items in one shopping trip to the store to save yourself time and anxiety. You need to also doucle check to see if you hung on to the original boxes to many of your items to save yourself the time and expense of purchasing new boxes.
6. Schedule the Best Moving Day
Ponder on all of the probably moving days and schedule the day that will be easiest and least costly for you. Ask which day you will have the most help and which day will be the best for the movers as well.
7. Schedule Disconnect Times
You likely have cable, water, power, internet, gas, and other services. All of those services need to be shut off ahead of your move, and it is necessary to give them a notice at least a week beforehand. You might also need to take a little extra time grouping cords, remotes, cable boxes, routers, and other items that the companies will want turned in at the time of cut off.
8. Commence Packing and Labeling Boxes
Begin packing your things as soon as you can to give yourself the greatest amount of time to complete the process. Packing just a little at a time can be less stressful and make your move more enjoyable. The key to locating your things after the move is labeling the boxes precisely. Label the boxes by category to find things with ease and label the sides of boxes and not the tops.
9. Decide How to Handle Plants and Pets
Start thinking about what you will do with live plants and pets. You will need to decide on transportation for pets and take your pets to the veterinarian if necessary. Moving live plants can sometimes be tricky, because they need the proper amount of sunlight and water. As another option, live plants can either be passed on friends or family, or sometimes, they can be donated to local charities to keep from having to relocate them.
10. Perform Last Minute Checks
The day of and before moving, doublecheck closets, cabinets and corners of each room to be sure all items have been packed. In addition, make sure things like the water, furnace, air conditioner and lights are all turned off and windows and doors are closed and locked.
These are just a few suggestions to help make your move to Houston less difficult with less issues. It is best to be ready and plan well in advance to avoid any headaches. If you follow these suggestions throughout the move process, you will be able to sit back and relax after making the big move.
