Moving Day!

So you have bought your first house, or maybe it
is your second or third. Either way today is the day
and it is exciting. You are starting a new adventure, and putting down new roots, in your newly chosen abode. You have been planning where you are going to want to put your furniture and pictures in your head, and maybe the new paint colors you are wanting to try. It is really an adventure with indeterminate possibilities.

However all the excitement can be stressful as well. There is a lot to do and you are wanting everything to run smoothly. Whether you are doing it yourself, with a moving company or friends and family are helping - what are some things you can do to help insure a smooth transition.

I found some great things on the TLC web page - they have 5 Tips for Moving.

5) Draw a Floor Plan - You know what will save you time and eliminate confusion on moving day? Try drawing a floor plan of your new home before you move. Sketch in and number your furnishings the way you want them to be arranged in each room. Then tag the furniture pieces to correspond with the numbers on the floor plan. That way, the movers know where to put each piece of furniture. You don't want to be making decisions about where each piece of furniture goes on the day of the move. It's better to make those decisions ahead of time, so the movers can carry the heavy pieces directly to the rooms in which they'll live.

4)  Be There During the Packing & Picking Up of Your Things - If you've hired movers to pack, pick up and deliver your furniture and boxes, then you need to be on hand when they're doing the packing and picking up. If you can't be there, then you should ask someone to stand in for you -- a relative or friend. The movers will issue you an inventory of all items. Look over the list carefully and make sure the inventory list is correct and legible before you sign it. If an item is lost or damaged, you don't want to find out later that it's not on their list of inventory.

3) Make it Easy on Your Friends & Family -  If you didn't hire movers and you're having friends and family members help with your move instead, then make it as easy and organized as possible for them. Don't expect them to pack boxes for you. Have all the boxes packed before they arrive, so all they have to do is pick up a box and carry it to the moving van. You can even decide beforehand which friend will be assigned to which furniture and boxes. Be sure to have plenty of beverages and snacks on hand. And send out for food if the moving encroaches on lunch or dinner. They deserve it.

2) Keep Children & Pets out of the Way - No matter who is moving your things -- professional movers or friends -- they don't want a barking dog or a rambunctious kid running around while they're carrying heavy boxes and furniture. It's distracting for the movers and it's unsafe for the children and the pets. So, it might be a good idea to have a friend babysit the children the day of the move. And the same goes for your pet. If you take them out of the equation for the day, you'll be able to focus on getting the move done.

1) Make Sure There is Parking for the Truck - When the moving van or truck arrives at the new place, it will need a place to park and unload. This can become complicated depending on what type of home you're moving into. For example, if you're moving into a house, the truck can simply park out front. But if you're moving into a high rise building, then you may need to set up a place ahead of time for the van or truck. You may also need to reserve an elevator. This should be set up beforehand, so the movers can carry things in as quickly as possible when they arrive.

Other good tips are to make sure that you mark and label everything. In boxes make sure that breakables are properly wrapped and placed in case they get slightly abused during the move. With remembering to take care in closing the boxes as well so that they can not pop open during transport. With labeling things correctly it makes it easier for the movers, or friends and family, and least of all yourself to know what room to place the boxes. There is no point moving boxes more than once to their intended spot.
Take furniture apart that can be taken apart, but take care any screws etc, to put into Ziplock bags (again with labels) to make for a smooth reassembly.

Most important before you even get to move into the house... make sure you get the keys to your new purchase. Take a moment holding those keys - they are now yours, think of all the work it took for you to get those keys & the people that helped you to realize this dream of home ownership!

Congratulations you are HOME!!

 And a Special Shout Out for my Families taking their keys today & having their FIRST MOVING DAY into their NEW HOUSES!