I’ve put together a few tips that will make your next big move to a new home run a little more smoothly and might help you stay excited and not get overwhelmed with the chaos that goes along with moving.
First of all, make a list! Write everything down that needs to be done. Check everything off as it gets done. This is the best way to ensure that nothing is missed and you aren’t scrambling the week before the move.
If you are hiring a mover, it’s best to shop around. You would be surprised the difference in prices and services that are offered between companies. I would suggest to call at least 3 companies and get quotes sent to you so that you can make the best informed decision possible.
Here are a couple moving companies that are in the Kelowna area to get you started:
Oh and speaking from experience its probably a good idea to line up some childcare or pet care for the day of the move. Kids don’t care that you’re carrying a couch when they’re looking for their favorite toy or a snack and that front door is ALWAYS open for the little fur babies to escape.
Set a daily box quota. Don’t end up with a crazy day with non-stop packing by ensuring that you do a little bit every day leading up to the big move. Start with closets and cupboards that you rarely access to make sure you don’t end up searching for something you need that’s already packing. This goes for cleaning too. Once you have a room or closet empty be sure to clean it so that you don’t have to clean the whole house from top to bottom at once. That’s a daunting job so anything that’s already been cleaned after everything is moved out is going to be appreciated. Don’t forget you’re likely going to have the new house cleaned also… so much cleaning.
Stay green by looking up companies that will rent reusable boxes so that you don’t have to purchase costly cardboard boxes that will just be thrown out or a pain to get rid of responsibly. This way you don’t even have to deal with all that annoying packing tape and flimsy cardboard, not to mention the reusable boxes likely have handles that make carrying easier. If you’re looking for a provider of this service around Kelowna there is a company called Frogbox located in West Kelowna. Here is a link to their website:
If cardboard is your preference, here are a few locations around Kelowna that you can pick up boxes and moving supplies:
Make sure that you have made arrangements for utilities at your new home. It’s going to be a bit difficult to unpack in the dark. Along with this you might want to consider talking to Canada Post and getting your mail forwarded. Its fairly inexpensive to get it done for a year, and that will give you a lot of time to change your address with those senders that you may have overlooked.
It’s a smart idea to make sure that you pack a box of everything that you may need on moving day and keep track where it is. Include things like bed linens, tools, scissors and toilet paper. This way you wont be tearing through dozens of boxes trying to find things while moving.
When packing heavy items like books, it’s a good idea to use small boxes so that they don’t end up weighing a ton. On the flip side, make moving heavier items easier by packing them in your suitcases so that there are handles and wheels to help move the weight. All those friends that you bribed with pizza and beer will thank you for this one.
You can also save some money on packing supplies if you pack breakables with soft items that need to be packed anyways, for example, pack your dishes along with dish towels or t-shirts.
If you really want to stay organized you can develop a numbering system to your rooms and boxes and keep a list of what went in to each box. This might help you determine which boxes to unpack first and which can be left for another day. Whether you go this far or not, it is very important to label your boxes well, this will save a lot of time and confusion later. Label them on the side so that you can read what is in each box even when they are stacked. LABEL, LABEL, LABEL!
If your moving company doesn’t supply them, or you don’t want to pay $7 to $15 per wardrobe box, slide a garbage bag up over your hanging clothes while they are still hanging and tie the top of the bag near the hanger. This is a perfect way to protect your clothes while keeping them together on the hanger so that you don’t have to deal with the dreaded task of rehanging everything in your new home. As for the rest of your clothes, rolling them instead of folding them will save a ton of box space.
Last but not least, take pictures! Take pictures of all your valuables and expensive items if you have movers incase anything is to happen to them during the move. Also, take pictures of your old and new house while they are empty. Especially if you are moving into a rental, you want to make sure that you have documentation of what the place looked like before you moved in so that you can be sure to get that security deposit back and not get dinged for damage you didn’t do. And if you own your new home, it might just be a nice reference of how much more amazing the place is now that you have your touch added to it.
Nobody likes moving. I’ve always wondered how movers can handle doing it on the daily!?! But hopefully this little bit of information can help make everything a bit more organized and enjoyable.
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