Pack it Up: A Guide to Preparing for a Move
It’s time to make your move… the kind that involves packing up all your stuff and hauling it from one place to another, kind of move. There are many elements to moving your household, office, or commercial business and it’s no easy task. As professionals in the moving industry with ample experience to back us up, we can say that the most important part of your move is how you prepare for it and when; this can make all the difference in your experience (as well as calling us for some help!).
Make a process
Planning and preparing strategically for your move involves creating a process you can follow. The nature of moving is work, hard work, but don’t spend too much of your time working on a plan and let us help you lay one out! Work smarter, not harder… right? Here is a simple breakdown for how you can start preparing for a move of any size, anywhere, at any time.
The process should start at least 6-8 weeks prior to your move day. It’s crucial to decide first on when your moving day will be according to need and opportunity between your job, residence/commercial space availability, and any other factors you need to consider. Nailing down a moving day and working back from there to build your timeline is generally a smart way to go. When should you start packing? A good window of time would be about 3 weeks prior to your moving date.
Decide what you are taking with you: 6-8 weeks out
You probably already have some things in mind that need to be offhanded before you move. Deciding first what you will take with you will also clearly define what you won’t be taking with you, making the next step much easier, helping you to work smarter, not harder! It will also keep your moving process organized. Besides, having fewer things to move will be far easier to manage. There is no point in moving things you don’t need or could be donated or just need a toss in the can.
If you don’t know where to start, pick a room and go room-by-room. As you decide what you’re keeping, you can start making piles of what you aren’t keeping to later decide what you’ll do with it.
Donate or sell items you’re not taking: 5 weeks out
There are several options you could choose to undertake when dealing with things you don’t want to keep.
Sell your goods - Selling your extra stuff can help contribute to your moving and housing costs. It can take some time too, so deciding what to keep and what to declutter early on is crucial to allowing time to list and sell items. Have a yard sale, post to Facebook Marketplace, Mercari, Poshmark, Ebay, or local consignment/resell shops.
Donate - If you don’t have desire or need to sell, or simply want to give, many thrift and charities are always taking donations! Do be considerate and donate things that still have some life and value left in them. There are several great area charities and organizations that aid those in need with items you donate, such as:
Real life Thrift Store (Post Falls)
Idaho Youth Ranch Thrift Store (CDA and Post Falls)
Women’s Shelter Thrift Store (CDA)
UGM Thrift Store (Spokane and coming soon...CDA)
St. Vincent De Paul (CDA and Post Falls)
Goodwill (CDA and Post Falls)
If you ask for a receipt, which some organizations offer, your donation could be counted for a tax write off when you file taxes.
Pick an option (or service!) for moving the goods: 4 weeks out
Hire a moving company: Decide whether you will be moving yourself, if you will need additional manpower and vehicles, or if you will be choosing a moving company. As a full-service moving company, we can lift the load (quite literally) off of your shoulders. You can give us a call and we can help you determine what your moving needs are and how we can meet them within your budget.
Move yourself: Taking the wheel of moving yourself takes some extra thought and preparation, especially if you need to recruit the help of friends, family, or a rental company for trucks and equipment. Resources such as storage units or Pods could be helpful as well (Contact us to discuss your storage needs and use our secure storage service in CDA) if you need to store your things while you make renovations or you’re moving in a jiff.
Start the packing process 2-3 weeks out
Packing intentionally and strategically is best allotted 2-3 weeks. If you’re hiring movers, the better prepared you are, the more time and money you will save in the process.
We’ve got some great packing tips coming your way, stay tuned!
Wrap up and clean up: 1 week out
There always seem to be little things left behind, odd things sneaking home with you, or a drawer forgotten. Once you have the bulk of your place packed up, make a sweep through for the last tidbits.
This is also a good time to give attention to detail and assess what your cleaning needs will be. Will you be cleaning yourself or hiring a company to take on the task?
Preparing for a move is a big task, but it doesn’t have to be! Let us help you in your process or take on your moving needs for you; whatever the case, we hope this guideline will help you ACE your next move!