Believe it or not, millions of American households move each year. In fact, the average American moves almost 12 times in a lifetime. This is a lot of moving. If you are looking to sell your home and buy a new one, you will be one of these Americans. Let’s take a look at what it takes to move to a new home. Here’s my checklist for moving to a new home.
Checklist for Moving to a New Home in Memphis
There are many, many steps to move from one home to another. While not all-inclusive, we’ve put together a list to help you know what to expect and to properly plan for the move ahead.
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Create a moving budget.
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Call and gather all your important records from doctors, dentists, veterinarians, and schools to have on hand if you are moving out of your local area.
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If you are having a moving company help you move, schedule a review with them to get pricing and information on their policies and procedures.
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Schedule your move around your own family calendar and timeline. Think about work and school schedules as well.
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If you have children, you will need to get the transcripts from their old school and send them on to their new school(s).
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Review any items you want to get rid of and sell them. Post them online or have a garage sale early enough so you aren’t scrambling to host shoppers at your house. If anything doesn’t sell, donate it or toss it to free up space.
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Consider your hanging art and photographs, and fragile items, and how you will transport them.
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Collect or buy enough boxes to match the size of your home. Do you need clothes boxes for hanging items? Do you need a lot of packing paper or bubble wrap for anything delicate to pack?
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Do you need an inventory list to keep your fragile items recorded and organized?
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Plan your moving trip route if you are moving far.
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Contact the utility providers at your new home and have those set up for your arrival. Power, trash, water, TV, and Internet, for sure.
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Think about making arrangements for a baby or pet sitter for the big moving day.
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Change your address for your bills and other mail correspondence like newspapers or magazine subscriptions.
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Make your address changes with the post office from your current house to your new home. This transfer can take time to process, so do this early enough for the post office to catch up with your dates.
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Put together a box or suitcase of supplies and clothes for one or two nights, for each person and pet. This will be a big help when you’ve had a long day and you just want to reach for your sweats and head for your pillow.
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Pack, if you haven’t hired any help with this task, and make sure to label everything for easy placement. You’ll probably want to steadily pack over time while you are listing your home and until moving day.
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Before you move into your new home, clean it well, or think about having a cleaning crew come in and make it sparkle before you arrive.
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Have the carpets cleaned in your new home.
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Make a list of food or snacks for moving day. Or order in when your group is ready for its break. This might be forgotten until the last minute, so have a couple of ideas in mind so you aren’t scrambling on this busy day.
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Moving day will probably be long and tiresome. Hey – it’s moving! You will be hauling boxes, cleaning up after the movers, and coordinating lots of people coming and going. Make sure to take breaks and drink plenty of water.
When you are selling your home and moving to your next great place, you will have many items on your checklist and projects to tackle over time. It’s important to take one task at a time and try not to stress over it. You will have people on your team like your family, movers, and your real estate agent to help coordinate certain items.
Keeping checklists and schedules will be key to keeping it all together and moving smoothly. Remember to work in time to relax, sleep, eat well, and exercise so the moving process continues to be enjoyable.
After Moving to a New Home
That’s quite the checklist for moving to your new home. But, once it’s done and you are in your new home, you can relax a bit. Start to unpack and get a feel for the neighborhood and your new neighbors.
Take some time the first day you are in your new home to unwind a little. Set up the TV in the living room and the coffee maker in the kitchen. Make the beds that might have been missed. Locate the dishes and utensils, and pots and pans, and put those away at the beginning of your unpacking so they’re ready to be used easily without shuffling through boxes stacked around you.
Having these few essentials set up will allow you to slowly unpack and move in over the next days and weeks. Moving, packing, and setting up in a new home can take a large amount of time, but it’s certainly worth all the work and trouble to be located and settled in your fantastic new home!
Your Friendly Memphis Area Real Estate Agent
Look to a highly-regarded and well-informed local real estate agent when you want to sell your house or buy a new home. One that will guide you and advise you during your home selling and buying process will give you the trust and know-how you’re looking for. When you are getting ready to sell your new home, knowing your packing and moving plan before your home sells will make the moving process easier and more fun! Check out my other helpful articles about buying or selling your home here in Memphis.
Click here to learn more about me and how I can help you with your house sale, new home purchase, or buying parcels of land. My skills and education are focused on what you need for a great real estate selling and buying experience. And, this is a great article talking about the benefit of hiring a real estate agent, here, in the Memphis area. I know how important buying your new house is; contact me at (901) 828-8919 or drop me a quick note angie@angiekelley.com and we can discuss your options. I look forward to speaking with you today!
Angie Kelley, Crye-Leike Realtors
(901) 828-8919 or (901) 756-8900
