Moving house is a cumbersome and delicate task, one that shouldn’t be rushed if you want to move into the new place with a smile on your face and knowing where everything is as soon as you walk through the front door. Alas, sometimes life forces us into unexpected situations, such as the need to move on a moment’s notice for work, or because your landlord needs you to move out quickly. These are just some of the signs that it’s time to move, and there’s no denying that last-minute move can seem like a daunting task.
Whether you are moving to a new town or across town, it’s important that you take a step back, assess your situation, and try to tackle this challenge like a pro. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the best tips you need in your moving plan in order to organize a successful and rewarding last-minute move.
Declutter your living environment
Instinctively, you might feel the need to start packing all of your belongings, not worrying about the things you actually need in your life and the things that you could do without. After all, you can always declutter later on when you’re settled in, right? Wrong, chances are that you won’t declutter in the new place either, and by packing everything that you own, you’ve just made your last-minute move that much more challenging.
So, your first order of business is to declutter your home and separate the essentials from the things you’ve been meaning to get rid of for a long time. Pause for a moment to truly consider whether or not you need to bring a certain item with you, and try not to get sentimental in the process or you will wind back up at square one. Be sure to donate or recycle the things you don’t need or even hire a skip, and aim to lighten the packing load by half.
Check if your friends and family can help you pack
There’s nothing wrong with enlisting help when you truly need it, and this is one of those moments when you could use some friendly assistance quickly. Rather than trying to pack everything on your own and risk missing the deadline or making everything worse, why not give your family members a call and check if they can lend a helping hand? In case they are unavailable, you can always call some of your friends who would gladly exchange a few hours of their day for some fun packing, pizza, and some good company.
Packing with friends and family can be extremely efficient and effective if you take the time to create a packing checklist and a packing schedule before they arrive. Print out the instructions for everyone to follow in order to keep things moving along and avoid having to tell people where every single thing goes or how it should be packed – this is especially important when packing artwork and delicate furniture.
Don’t bother with a moving company for a last-minute move
It might seem counterintuitive at first, but you really don’t want to rely on a moving company when you’re relocating on a moment’s notice, simply because you never know if the workers and drivers can fit you into their busy schedule. Add to that, you will have to explain where everything goes in the new place, and you will have to monitor them when they’re handling delicate items – it’s just better to move on your own in order to save time.
One of the best ways to stay on schedule when you’re organizing the move yourself is to hire a truck that you and your friends can load up quickly, and then you can drive it to the new place following the route you’ve plotted beforehand. This also allows you to save money on workers and drivers, which is a great way to stay on top of your budget when you’re relocating last-minute.
Have an “essentials” bag ready to go
As if moving on a moment’s notice wasn’t stressful and confusing enough, imagine not knowing where you stored your toothbrush, your wallet and your personal documents, and other essential items that can get lost quite easily when you’re moving in a hurry. You don’t want to remember the moving day as the day you lost your passport or your driver’s license just as you were about to back out of the driveway, so make sure to pack an essentials bag the night before with your most important belongings. Keep this bag next to you on the passenger seat as you’re driving to the new place, especially if you’re relocating to a bigger house, and you will know where your essentials are at all times.
It helps to pack in advance
And finally, remember that there’s nothing that can take the edge off quite like packing several days in advance. True, this might not be a possibility in your case, but the point still stands – try to start the packing process as soon as possible in order to make the actual moving day as stress-free and efficient as you can.
Wrapping up
Having to move last-minute is never a pleasant surprise, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t make the most of it by taking charge of the situation. Follow these tips, and you will have no problem organizing a smooth move quickly.
