Whether you are moving in state or out of state, into your first home in South Puget Sound or 10th, there is no doubt that it can be an incredibly stressful and intense process. Between planning, packing, moving and unpacking there is a lot you will need to think about. Let us help make this process a little easier for you with 10 tips to make your moving process as stress-free as possible.
- Plan ahead as much as you are able to.
The moving planning process can look different from person to person, depending on what works best for you. For some, writing a master list of everything that needs to be done before the move into their new
home is the way to go. For others, they might want to plan room by room, mapping out the pieces they need to purchase, what they will be bringing with them and what each room in their new home will look like. Alternatively, some find that a packing folder works well – whether this is an online “folder” or a physical folder, this is the perfect place to put all of your moving documents, lists, etc. Keeping everything organized and in one place is a great way to minimize stress and keep your moving process as straightforward as it can be.
If you are able, try to look at your new place ahead of time and gauge what you want done before you move in. This could include any repairs you want made, any necessary cleaning and pre-ordering all of your internet and utility providers. Getting these tasks planned out prior to your move will make the day-of moving process much easier.
Strong, organized planning can truly be the difference between a chaotic and anxiety-inducing move, or a calm and exciting one. Help yourself move into your new South Puget Sound home by planning as much as possible ahead of time to ensure that your move goes smoothly.
2. Only bring with you what is necessary – donate, sell or give away what is not.
If there are things you won’t use or won’t need in your new home, moving is the perfect excuse to sell, give away or donate these items to a local South Puget Sound business. This can be something as big as a piece of furniture that won’t fit into your new place or just getting rid of smaller items like clothes or dishes you don’t need anymore. Downsizing to any degree can go a long way.
Not only does clearing out your unneeded items allow you to make a fresh start and give you the opportunity to pick out personalized and special items for your new home, but it will also make your moving process easier by reducing the number of boxes you need. Additionally, it allows your less-used items to find a new, loving home where they can be better utilized. Either donate these items to organizations locally in South Puget Sound, give them to a friend, or if you need some extra cash, sell them!
The more you donate, sell or give away before moving, the less you will need to pack up, move and unpack in your new home.
Here are some places in South Puget Sound that accept donations:
South Puget Sound Habitat For Humanity is a great place to donate furniture or other bigger items.
Threadcycle Thurston County donates clothes that are still usable, and for clothes that aren’t, they recycle them into something new!
The Furniture Bank of Thurston County is another great place to donate furniture.
Keep in mind that as a result of the pandemic, some secondhand stores in are not accepting donations of certain items, so we recommend calling ahead to ensure your donation will be accepted.
3. Don’t pack your boxes too heavy!
Even though it might seem like you should be trying to fit all of your things into fewer, heavier boxes as opposed to many lighter boxes, it can actually make the moving process easier to lighten the load. This is true even if you have movers.
For example, if you do have movers, they can always pile up more on smaller boxes, but if one box is too heavy they can’t split that up, meaning they may have to have multiple people all moving that one box, actually making it less efficient!
If you are doing the moving on your own you face the same problem. Make it easier and more efficient for you and your movers by packing lighter and smaller boxes.
4. Put thought into it when packing for your new South Puget Sound home.
We could write a whole blog post about this tip, but we will keep it short and to the point today. Packing smart and carefully may take more time and feel tedious in the beginning, but will save you time and sanity when you are unpacking and moving into your new home. Some of our favorite tips for packing well are:
- Keep everything as organized as possible. When you are unpacking, it is so nice not to have to search top to bottom in your boxes until you finally find what you need in the last box. Label, label, label – we can’t stress it enough!
- Have one box/bag/suitcase filled with your essentials – anything you will need for the first few days in your new home. This way, you have everything you absolutely need with you in one location. Keep a few days’ worth of clothes, any cooking supplies, toiletries or other must-haves with you. If your moving truck gets lost or something else happens, you will have the necessities. It’s also nice just to know where those essentials are so you don’t have to go digging through all your boxes to find your toothbrush or jacket the first day at the new place.
- Place plastic wrap around the whole outside of your dresser. This prevents the drawers from coming out and allows you to keep the clothes in. This saves time and space, making your moving process easier!
5. Measure things ahead of time!
A great way to ensure you aren’t bringing furniture and other items that don’t fit to your new home is to measure, measure, measure before you move! It is the worst to not measure anything, go through all the trouble of getting a piece of furniture moved into the new place and then realizing that it doesn’t even end up fitting.
Measure your new home’s doorways, closets, living room and the bedrooms to make sure your furniture works in each space. Measure it all. You will be so grateful you did.
6. Think about your pets!
Make sure you have a plan for your pet during the moving process.
It is so important to make sure you are prepared to keep your pets as comfortable as possible during the moving process, and just like all aspects of moving, the more you plan ahead, the better! First, make sure you know all the pet requirements in your new place, especially if you are renting! Make sure you have enough food, water and medicine for your pets with you so that if something happens to your belongings or if you don’t have a pet store nearby you will have enough for your pet to be comfortable and safe in the meantime.
On moving day, keep a close eye on your pets. Pets can get overwhelmed, and moving is a lot for animals and humans. Being in a new place can be scary, and if they get out into their new neighborhood they could get lost. It is also incredibly important to make sure your new place is pet safe, and that you are prepared for this before moving day if possible.
7. Move on a day that works for you.
Another important aspect of moving to keep in mind is your moving date. Make sure you are moving on a day that works well for you! No holidays, days where you won’t have any help or when you have an especially busy week at work.
Keep in mind the climate here in Washington as well – especially if you are moving to Thurston County from a new city, state or even country with a different climate. It is no fun to move in extreme heat, rain or snow. Even though we can’t always plan around the weather, it is something you should be aware of when picking your moving day.
8. Schedule your movers as early as possible.
If you do decide to use movers for this process, schedule them as early as you can. When you wait, not only can prices go up drastically but movers can also get booked up in Puget Sound. There is no need to add this additional stress, so as soon as you know when and what you will need from movers, go ahead and get that service scheduled.
9. Take your time to unpack your beautiful, new South Puget Sound home.
Now that you have been through the planning, packing and moving process, it is time to unpack and enjoy your new home!
You may feel like you need to rush to get everything unpacked and set up, but take a second to breathe and really take your time to set everything up the way you want it. This will save you time at the end of the day. Map out how you want your new home to look, and be patient about unpacking things and getting it exactly right.
10. Let us help build a beautiful Puget Sound home that fits your specific needs at Rob Rice Homes!
We are South Puget Sound’s largest and most experienced home builder, and have been hard at work creating beautiful homes for you in Thurston County and surrounding areas since 1985.
We’d love to help you find a new Rob Rice home in that fits your specific needs and makes the moving process easier for you. Our new luxury homes in South Puget Sound are in short supply, but our pre-sale list allows interested parties a first-priority chance to know when homes become available. Connect with us to learn more.