The Best Everything You Need to Know Relocation List

The prospect of a new house is interesting. Evacuating and moving your things-- not so much.

We asked Sarah Roussos-Karakaian, whose New York business We OrgaNYze focuses on packaging and unpacking for property moves, to help us create the ideal worry-free move.

" The greatest mistake people make when they load, "she states," is not being specific enough."

Taking some time on the front end to organize will ensure a far better unpacking and moving experience. Here's a week-by-week schedule to help you handle your relocation:

8 WEEKS AHEAD
Keep everything related to your move in one place: packing lists, estimates, receipts, mortgage paperwork, and so on
. Go space by space approximating the cubic video footage of your stuff to determine how many boxes you'll require.
Purge what you can. Whatever you take will cost cash to move, so don't cart the exact same unused things from attic to attic; be ruthless and get rid of it. Offer it on eBay or Krrb, or contribute it, and take a tax deduction.
Order new devices. If your brand-new home does not included a refrigerator or stove, or requires an upgrade, order now, so the home appliances are delivered prior to you move in.

6 WEEKS AHEAD
Research study moving business. Get in-person, written estimates, and examine recommendations with the Better Company Bureau.
Retain any specialized movers. Moving delicate or pricey items like art, antiques, or a grand piano? Discover movers who specialize. Pool tables, for example, generally need a professional to take apart and reconstruct.
Evaluation your mover's insurance. Guarantee the liability insurance coverage your prospective movers carry will cover the replacement worth of anything they may damage.
Call utility business. Set up to have utilities shut off at your old house and switched on at your brand-new place. Discover dates for trash and recyclable pickup, along with any restrictions about having packing particles got.
Make travel arrangements. Moving long distance or shipping an automobile? Make travel and vehicle transport arrangements now. Pets? Set up kennel time or ask a good friend to keep your 4-legged buddies out of the moving mayhem.
Some movers provide boxes. Get more boxes than you believe you'll require, particularly easy-to-lift small ones. Do not forget packing tape, colored tape and markers for coding boxes, bubble wrap for mirrors and prints, and packing peanuts.
4 WEEKS AHEAD
Start loading seldom-used products. Box out-of-season clothes and vacation accessories before carrying on to more regularly used products.
Track boxed products. Develop a spreadsheet with color-coded rows for each room and sufficient columns to cover all the boxes per space. As you pack, mark and number each box (e.g., get more info "Cooking area 12") on its 4 vertical sides (the top is hidden when boxes are stacked) with the relevant tape color. As you seal each box, list its contents in your spreadsheet, so you AND the movers will understand what's in each and where it goes.
Get specialized boxes for Televisions and closets. Pull trash bags over hanging clothes in clumps and connect the bags' strings around the bunched hangers to keep contents clean and simple to deal with.
Keep hardware together. Put screws and other hardware from anything you dismantle-- sconces, TV wall mounts, shelves, etc.-- in sealed plastic bags taped to the products themselves. Simply take care not to attach the bags onto a surface that could be damaged by the tape's adhesive.
Change your address. Complete USPS forms to have your mail forwarded to your brand-new address. Give your brand-new address to household members, your banks and charge card publications, business and newspapers, the Department of Motor Automobiles and your employer. There's a comprehensive list of companies and organizations you might desire to notify at Apartmentguide.com.
2 WEEKS AHEAD
Finish packing your house. Label packages you pack last which contain your most-used products-- laptop computers, phones, everyday meals, remote controls, and so on-- with 3 strips of colored tape. Tell movers to keep these boxes quickly accessible in the brand-new location.
Validate your dates. Call utility business to make sure your services are arranged to be connected the right day, and double-check the move time with the movers. If you have actually arranged to have your old house cleaned up, it's smart to check that job, too.
Defrost your refrigerator and drain gas-powered devices. Unplug the refrigerator to offer it time to defrost and drain. Drain gas and oil from mowers and similar devices, and dispose of the fluids correctly.
Produce a "Opening Night Package." Pack a box or overnight bag for each relative with a modification of clothing, medications and toiletries, plus favorite toys for kids and animals. Consist of cleansing products, bathroom tissue, snacks, an utility knife (for unpacking) and a first aid kit.
Pack your valuables. Carry jewelry, medications, easily-damaged items and other valuables with you.
Get cash to tip the movers and purchase pizza for the household. Choose up the keys to your new house.
Moving Day
Get here ahead of the moving truck. Provide yourself lots of time to figure out furnishings plan and where things go.
Direct the operation. Discuss your system to the moving firm's supervisor, and provide him a copy of the spreadsheet before his group begins working.
Take care of your movers. Moving is hard work, so plan to provide water and lunch for the movers. When it comes to tipping: For a half-day job, $10 per mover is the guideline of thumb; for a full-day, $20 each.
Provide your old home a tidy sweep. If you're a property owner, you'll probably need to do this before the closing. Take pictures after you're done-- in case of disputes if you have a security and lease deposit.
Unpack the bed rooms. Arrange the furniture initially to make sure there's a clear course to the bed. Make the beds NOW, so at the end of the day, everybody can just topple in-- tired.
First Week After The Move
Get the family pets. Make sure you have their food, litter and water boxes.
Modification all outside locks. Get a new set of keys to your home and make copies for all household members and a couple of extras.
Unpack the kitchen area. Discover those final-items "3 stripes" boxes and unpack.
Praise yourselves. Sure, there's still plenty to do and you most likely will not get as far as you 'd like in the first week. Says Roussos-Karakaian: "If you're hanging art in the first 7 days, you're a rock star."