7 Tips to Make Your Move as Painless as Possible

*Collaborative Post

So, you are moving to a new home? Relocating is exciting and stressful, whether traveling across town or the globe. However, there are ways to make the process smoother and more enjoyable for everyone involved.

Here are seven tips to make your move as painless as possible.

1.   Do Your Research

Knowledge is power, and the more research you do surrounding your move, the easier time you will have before and after you arrive at your new home.

Read reviews on local real estate agents, look up neighborhood safety scores and schools in the area and plan out your commute to work and other essential locations.

Taking the time to enter your prospective neighborhood into a search engine can give you much good information. It’s also good to hop onto local social media pages to see what’s happening and what the community members say about it.

Once you find a home in an area you like, ensure you compile a list of the repairs and changes you want to make. Depending on how soon you want to renovate, the project’s cost could help you decide whether the house, condo or apartment is right for you.

2.   Find a Good Real Estate Agent

An excellent real estate agent can make or break your move. They are someone who knows market trends in the area you want to purchase, focuses on your wants and needs and is willing to move fast and wisely to secure your dream home. Besides, having a Buyer’s Advocate alongside can provide additional insights and guidance.

Every agent wants you to think they are your best choice, but reading reviews can help determine whether they would be your best fit. If you have friends or future co-workers in the area, ask them if they moved recently and who they used.

It provides another opportunity for you to reach out to local social media groups for advice and to get to know some of your neighbors.

3.   Tell People Early

Once you know you are moving out of town, giving your family, friends, children’s school, and workplace advanced notice is best. While every situation is different, telling people early can make the transition much smoother.

It gives everyone affected time to prepare for such a large transition. If you have a good relationship with your employer, you can offer to help them decide on your replacement. Teachers can give your children a proper send-off and roommates or landlords time to find a new tenant.

4.   Have Multiple Viewing Options

If you are selling a home as part of your move, try to allow for multiple open houses. Arranged by your real estate agent, it will enable potential buyers to see what they are getting and ask questions.

You do not need to be at the open house but must make arrangements for you and your family to be gone for a few hours.

Many homebuyers only want to see a home in person once they view it online. You or your agent can list the house on websites like Realtor and Zillow. You can get buyers interested in your property by posting photos and virtual tours around your home.

You can utilize the same tools when looking for a new home.

5.   Pack Your Items By Room

Whether you pack up or hire a moving company, packing your items by room will make unpacking easy.

A common strategy is to place items of the same materials together to avoid breaking them. However, unpacking those boxes can get exhausting. Instead, pack up each room by putting heavy non-fragile items at the bottom of the box and delicate items at the top. Give glass or ceramic items plenty of padding with foam or bubble wrap.

Clearly label each box and container with which room they go in so anyone helping you will know. Ultimately, each box will be where it should be, making it easy to unload the items.

6.   Travel with Precious Items

If most of your items are getting shipped or traveling on a moving truck, bringing your most precious things in the car or on the flight with you is always a good idea.

You probably don’t want anything happening to include jewelry, favorite clothing items and family mementos. Things happen, and unless you are with the items, you will not know that they remain safe across your travels.

You can’t take it all unless you drive the van, and even so, things can go missing on long-haul moves. Keeping the things closest to your heart in your suitcases will help you feel better throughout the moving process.

7.   Get Settled Before You Bring Your Kids/Pets

This tip is only sometimes feasible, but entrusting your children or pets with someone while you move your belongings can make the process much easier for everyone.

Unpacking the basics with just the other adults can make organizing your new home your focus instead of worrying about what little hands or paws are getting into. The first days in a new home can be a hard adjustment for kids and pets – albeit in different ways.

For kids, having their room set up when they arrive can help the new house, condo or apartment feel like home. It also gives them a space to decompress from the stress.

Animals will often get nervous or hide in a new home. When you do not have as much clutter in the house from moving boxes, you can better track where and how they are doing. This also allows you to double-check that there is nothing dangerous they can get into.

Making Your Move Painless

Moving to a new home comes with stress, but with these tips you can make the process as smooth as possible.

*This is a collaborative post. For further information please refer to my disclosure page.