If you are moving anytime soon, you know there will be planning and preparation in your near future. It can be daunting, even overwhelming, to think of everything all at once. Instead, tackle the process in small, manageable steps to get everything done with minimal stress for everyone involved. Here’s how to make your move easier:
Create a smart packing strategy
If you are preparing your home for a move, packing your belongings will be at the top of your to-do list. One helpful solution is to request SMARTBOX Solutions, Inc. to drop off one of their SMARTBOXes right in your driveway. This way, you can pack on your terms and around your busy schedule and then walk the box outside. We did something like this when we moved from Phoenix to Chicago.
This makes moving easier because you can wait to pack your essentials until moving day. In addition, those much-needed items such as utensils, work clothing, favorite toys, etc., will be boxed up and placed right at the entrance to the storage box. They will be the last boxes in and the first boxes out once you arrive.
A pro tip is to clearly mark each box with the destination room where it should be brought on arrival at your new home. Make it easier on yourself by inventorying the contents as you pack. For example, you can label a box as “Kitchen-1” and so on. Create a spreadsheet on your laptop that lists the entire contents of the corresponding box. This is also a great time to update your home’s inventory for insurance purposes. Once again, make it easy on yourself by taking photos or videos of important items, including serial numbers.
Watch this video for helpful DIY packing hacks.
Pay attention to your kids
If you have kids, no matter what their ages may be at the time of the move, know that leaving one home for another, even if you have found a perfect neighborhood, will impact them, regardless of what they say or convey with their emotions. Whether you are moving from one home to another or venturing into a new city altogether, moving is fraught with sadness, excitement, and perhaps some fear.
Talk with your kids and create a bucket list for your current city. This should consist of a variety of places you have enjoyed as a family or that they have been to with their friends. These may include restaurants, sporting venues, the public library, parks — you name it. Write down everything that holds meaning and memories for them, and then open up your calendars. Enter dates and times when you will visit each place before you move.
Gift or lend your younger ones old smartphones or cameras so they can take as many photos as they would like of the venues. Your older kids will likely already have a smartphone to document the memories. Just be sure they are not posting while making memories. They can surely do that later.
Moving is a process, but you can make it more efficient by making smart choices in how you approach the task at hand. Pack smartly and efficiently. Talk with your family and share your memories. Discuss fears and then research your new home or city to get everyone excited about the adventures to come.
Marette Flora is the founder of Floradise blog and personalized gift shop. Marette is a passionate storyteller and creator. She attended the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University and obtained a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication.
She is passionate about creating helpful and meaningful things.