Maithili’s panic rose to new heights when she realised each and every room is a huge mess. Soiled dishes in the kitchen yet to be cleaned, stacked and packed, stationery and toys lying on the living room floor, probably accusing her of ignoring them and piles of clothes occupying the entire bedroom with empty suitcases and bags thrown over them.
The worry lines on her forehead cringed seeing her husband, Jay, trying hard to keep their kids engaged by helping him in packing. If we had a detailed guide to shift into a new home, not only it would have been handy but would have saved us from last-minute stress, Maithili thought to herself, sighed and started blurting out instructions to her poor husband.
Let’s face it!Most of us have been in this situation one time or the other. When it comes to moving to a new home, there are too many things to be doneand sometimes quickly! In this hustle-bustle, we often tend to push huge tasks to the last minutetill they are staring at us in the face right before the moving day. So, we’re here with an ultimate step by step guide .This will help you sail stress-free through the moving process and smoothly settle into your new abode.Let’s get started:
Plan Ahead and Stay Organised
The key is to make an extensive planthat covers the entire packing, moving, and settling down process. Make a list of things you need to doin order of priority and estimate the timeyou may need to complete each taskon your list. Ensure you place huge jobs such as packing at the top of your listas these need to be tackled at the earliest!
Another important thing to do is to account for the expensesyou might incur during the moving process and set that amount aside. We suggest you take a whole dayor even two to make these lists and calculations. Only then, proceed further.
Declutter Stuff That You Don’t Need Anymore
As you’re shifting to a new place, there are certain things you may not need anymore. Make a list of these things and start decluttering at the earliest. Sell off the old furniturepieces that you won’t be using in the new house. If you start early, you can even explore sites likeOLXbesides striking a deal with local second-hand vendors.
Another thing to do is to donate old clothes and booksthat you don’t read anymore. Decluttering lightens your packing loadand also ensures that you’re only carrying the stuff you will put to use in the new home.
Choose a Professional Moving Company
Research a littleto find a good moving company that has excellent reviewsby people and suits your moving needs. Get quotesfrom two to three companies to know the average price.Then, strike a good deal with the mover of your choice and hash out all the responsibilitiesthat they will undertake while moving your luggage.
Nowadays, most companies provide you with empty crates for packing and even help you bubble wrap the furniture as well as large electronics like the TV. Ensure you are ready to move with everything packed before the movers arrive on shifting day.
Get Supplies and Pack Everything
Any guide to shift into a new home is incomplete without packing tips! But before you start packing, we suggest you get the right suppliesfirst. These include things like cartons, packing crates, tape, and bubble wrap. Now, you can start packing in earnest!
Pack smart so that things stay securewhile moving. Use clothes and towels to cushion wrap bulbs, lamps, vases, and all the glass dinnerware. Similarly, pack the knives too, and secure them with a rubber band. For liquid bottles like creams, soap gels, and lotions – wrap the lids with plasticso as they don’t spill their contents. For the kitchen stuff, use the large pots you have to pack in small things such as spice bottles, spoons, steel glasses etc.
As you pack and finish packing each box, keep labelling themso as not to get confused later.Labelling ensures that you know what each box holdsas this makes it easier to unpack later. You can also decide on a colour codefor the labels with a different colour assigned to each member of the family. In this way, everyone can distinguish which boxes are theirs.
Have an Essentials Backpack
Don’t forget to pack all your essentials in a separate backpack, which will be on your person at all times. These include items like your wallet, toiletries, cell-phone, charger, water, and dry snacks. You can also add all your important documentsand expensive jewelleryin this bag.
Ensure that you have a carry on filled with items that you may immediately need after you arrive in your new homesuch as tea bags, bread, butter, some milk, etc. If you’re moving in a car and have a cooler, you can stock it with food and drinks too.
Cancel All The Services In Your Previous Home
New home shifting requires that you cancel all the utilities and services in your previous house. Think of everything such as newspaper service, milk delivery, cancelling the phone services, paying the electricity bills, and more.Get all this done at least a few days before shifting day. Also ensure that you keep the grocery shopping at a bare minimum, to avoid wastage of edible food before moving.
Get In Touch With Your New Neighbours
Now that you have accomplished all the difficult tasks, it’s time to take a breather! Visit the new locality and introduce yourself to your new neighbours. Have a chat with them and ask them about things you should know about the locality.While a lot of people miss this step, it’s basic etiquetteto share a future rapportwith your neighbours and build new friendships.
While you may have gotten in touch with the society officeearlier to alert them about the move and submit the required documents, it’s advisable to contact them againat this point to hash out your parking space.It is quite an important step that can be done earlier to avoid potential problems later.
Move and Unpack Hassle-free
It’s finally moving day!You wake up early to fix some coffee and breakfast, the weather’s beautiful, and you’re ready to move. There’s no stuff lying around the house, the packers arrive, load everything, and you’re ready to go. At this point, before you lock the main door – you should switch off the main powerand check all the rooms to see if anything is left behind.
After moving, you should ideally take the rest of the day off and start unpacking only the next day. Get started with the kitchen first,and get it done as fast as you can. Then, you can give yourself a deadline of around 15 days to unpack the rest of the stuff, which allows you to procrastinate all you want. The idea is to make unpacking an easy-going process so that you can have fun along the way.Ensure to send the crates for recycling or back to the movers, after you are done with the unpacking.
At Ashwin Sheth Group, we hope that theJayorMaithiliinside you stumbles across this guide, which helps you to shift easily into your new home. After all, you’re beginning a fresh chapter in your life, and we hope that moving to a new home turns out to be a fun adventure for you!
