Whether you’re moving to a larger home because your family is growing or you’ve just outgrown your current space, the move you have ahead of you can be a challenging one, even though there’s a big payoff at the end. You’ll now have the space to get your fine china out of boxes and onto display, and you may even have the room for that backyard patio you’ve always dreamed of.  Make your move as stress-free as possible by creating a moving list using these helpful tips so that you can focus on the larger picture knowing the small details are taken care of.
How Should I Organize Everything?
A moving list is a must-have for your move. Since you’re moving to a larger home, up your organization game by creating a moving notebook. Shop your local office supply store for a nice zippered three-ring binder, and then load it with tabbed dividers, receipt envelopes, business card holders and zipper pouches. Carry this with you throughout the move, and use it to store and organize everything from estimates and calendars to receipts, notes, photos and contact information. You’ll find that this quickly becomes your move-central, and it make the process go much more smoothly. If you’re moving due to a job relocation, this will also become invaluable to you at tax time when you need to summarize all of your moving expenses.
You may also find yourself using your move notebook once you’ve moved into your new home. Set aside space in it to tuck paint swatches, wallpaper samples and photos of things you see as you shop that will be ideal additions to your new home. Instead of buying things now and adding them to your moving inventory, you’ll have everything ready to start on your interior design after you unpack.
What’s the Best Way to Pack?
When moving to a larger home, plenty of labels should be at the top of your moving list. It may have been easy to move into your cute little two-bedroom house a few years ago, but keeping things organized when the movers get to that five-bedroom beauty is critical. The last thing you want to do when you start to unpack is find that you have to move boxes around from room to room.
Don’t ever assume that the movers will know which is the master bedroom or the guest bath. Use your computer or freehand a rudimentary floorplan for your new home. Give each room a name and a number, and then create a number of labels for each room. Make sure that every box, piece of furniture and other loose objects are clearly labeled, and be sure that each room has a sign or label as well. Depending on how large your new home is, color coding may not be the right choice, as it can be easy to mistake one shade of blue for another in the moving frenzy.
Pack a bag for each of you that holds medicine, toiletries and clothing for at least a few days. If something happens to the movers or you’re just too tired to go all out unpacking once you arrive, you have a cushion of at least a few days to get everything in order.
What If I’m Not Sure Where Things Will Go?
Now that you’re faced with many more choices of rooms to put your existing belongings into, it’s easy to get distracted and waste precious moments. Limit the time you spend fretting over whether that occasional table will look better in the den or the guest bedroom and go with your gut feeling. You have years ahead of you to change your mind and move things around, but you have to get moved first before you can do that.
As you think about where things should go, consider new places for your old things. Instead of forcing that antique dresser into the guest bedroom where it’s not needed, place it in a hallway where it can double as a linen closet to hold sheets, towels and blankets. A small table and armchair placed in a cozy nook or stair landing will immediately create a reading area or place for you to do your monthly budgets. Get creative, and the rest will flow from there.
Where Do I Start Once We’re There?
Though it may sound obvious, start with the most important rooms first. You’ll need a place to sleep and take a shower, so make your bedrooms and bathrooms a priority. As long as you have a telephone and a microwave, you can call for take-out or purchase some frozen dinners to get you through a day or two, so leave the kitchen for the second wave of unpacking. Keep the season in mind as well. If you’re moving during the winter months, you should find your snow blower, shovels and winter outerwear fairly quickly as well.
What If I Don’t Know What I’ll Need?
Planning, planning and more planning is the key to moving. If you’re moving from a small apartment to a large home, you may not have given much thought to the things you’ll need now. Create a checklist before your move of must-have items you’ll need to shop for. This might include a garden hose, rake or tie-out for the dog, or it might be a lock for the gate to keep unwanted visitors out of your new pool. If you’re not sure what you’ll need, talk to friends or co-workers who own larger homes to get the scoop.
When moving to a larger home, your moving list and moving notebook will be essential parts of the puzzle. Stay calm and organized and plan for everything, and you’ll find that moving day is as stress-free as you thought it could be.
2 Point Highlight
Since you’re moving to a larger home, up your organization game by creating a moving notebook.
Stay calm and organized and plan for everything, and you’ll find that moving day is as stress-free as you thought it could be.
