Moving to a new home can be an exciting experience. It marks a new chapter in your life, allowing you to get a fresh start you might need. Whether it is your first time moving out of your parent’s house, changing addresses because of family needs, or relocating because of work, you will find joy when packing your things and redoing life in a new location. According to the National Association of Realtors, 15.6% of young adults aged 25 to 34 left their parents’ homes to start their new lives in 2022. While moving out can be part of a person’s life, they must ensure they have a moving checklist.
Moving out will require proper preparation and planning, especially when there are many items to prioritize. Everyday objects, articles of clothing, appliances, furniture, and personal belongings are all necessary to pack securely and move efficiently. Movers can help, but you must ensure you have everything you own on a checklist. Still, you might struggle to remember what you have, causing problems as you move interstate. Here are some of the most forgotten tasks you might need to prioritize during an interstate move.
1. Preparing to Move Heavy Furniture
Taking inventory of your items often starts with your personal belongings. They are the easiest to pack and move because they are usually lightweight. Clothes, bags, silverware, personal items, bedroom essentials, and other items can all fit in corrugated boxes. Sharp or fragile items can also be handled with bubble wrap or peanut styrofoams. Those items are about 90% of your belongings so that you might focus more on them during packing. As a result, preparing heavy furniture might become one of the most forgotten tasks during the move.
Heavy furniture, like sofas, tables, chairs, and beds, can be challenging to move yourself. As a result, you might have to wait for professional movers to help you get them out of the room. However, those movers might only be coming during moving day, which puts you at risk of forgetting about them or taking up too much time that you end up dealing with them another day. Fortunately, you can prepare to move those heavy furniture pieces in various ways.
Most heavy furniture can get dismantled and reassembled, making it easier for you to move them. Cabinets with drawers, tables, bookshelves, and bed frames can all be deconstructed with the help of tools, allowing you to get them out of rooms with narrow-sized entry points and pack them in separate boxes with the proper labels. Meanwhile, furniture pieces like sofas and chairs might have to be moved in one piece, but their sizes are usually not a problem for movers to carry to the truck. However, there might be fixed items that could challenge everyone involved in the moving process. Pianos, hot tubs, exercise machines, and refrigerators will require heavy machinery to move interstate. Fortunately, forklifts are available to carry those items with ease. Movers can benefit from the extra hand of forklifts and other heavy machinery, making them more efficient for your moving needs.
2. Preparing Artwork for Moving
While most of your items can be disassembled, packed carelessly, and bunched together with other things, you will find that some of your belongings will require special attention. Appliances often need packages but are durable enough to survive a long interstate move in a moving truck. Vases can be packed together. Still, they might receive irreparable damage when put in a moving truck with other items. However, you will find that valuable artwork pieces could give you the most headaches.
One of the most forgotten tasks is that artwork requires strict parameters when being moved. As a result, owners might have to improvise with packing artwork.
The problem with a lack of preparation is that your artwork might be valuable. A simple fingernail scratch, a peeled section, or even a dented wooden frame can exponentially decrease an artwork’s monetary value. Instead of being forgotten, you must dedicate plans and resources to moving those expensive items. If your artwork is on an upper level, you might need scissor lift rentals. The equipment ensures your artwork does not have to pass through a maze in your home that involves going down the stairs and avoiding interaction with other house items. Dedicating a moving truck to fragile items will also be ideal, ensuring that the vehicle goes slower than the trucks that contain your other items. If it fits in your car, you might have to take it there to ensure its safety.
3. Shredding Sensitive Documents
The top priority for most people when moving is getting items from one point to another. It can be time-consuming and laborious, making it challenging to dedicate time elsewhere. However, it opens you up to the risks of forgetting to declutter and clean the home. While waste is essential to eliminate in your previous home, one of the most forgotten tasks people commit is neglecting to throw away sensitive documents.
People accumulate a lot of valuable documents during their lives. Utility bills, credit card bills, airline tickets, medical bills, bank statements, and tax documents are only a few. Unfortunately, they can be collected and stored at home and will stay in one spot until necessary. While moving, it is easy to forget about them. This opens you up to risks of identity theft, especially when sensitive documents contain personal info the next homeowners can use. Destroying those documents, fortunately, is easy. If you have digital copies of the important ones, you can take all of them to a company that provides shredding services. This ensures you can move to your new home without thinking about returning to recover those items.
4. Shipping Some Items Ahead of Time
Moving day can be challenging, especially when you have many items to worry about. There are over 300,000 items in an average American home. If you are moving interstate, you might have to rent several trucks to accommodate your belongings, making it challenging and expensive to fulfill in one day. The stress and fatigue that moving day can cause owners and movers can make them prone to mistakes, making it a more costly endeavor. You can ship items ahead to avoid massive problems on a moving day.
One of the most forgotten tasks while moving is that you do not have to dedicate only a day to the entire process. The moment your new home interstate is move-in ready, you can start transferring your belongings. While it is recommended, you do not have to be part of the journey every time. You can consider shipping services for heavy furniture and appliances, coordinating with movers to store them safely in their warehouses before the actual moving day. You might also have friends and relatives in your new home’s location, allowing you to ensure the safety of those items. Giving yourself a head start can help decrease the stress and suffering that moving day can provide.
5. Getting Relocation Insurance
Moving day preparations usually involve packing items and coordinating with movers for logistics, and everything seems done. However, one of the most forgotten tasks for a moving day is that mistakes will happen. There is a possibility that the process becomes flawless, but delays, problems, and damages to your items can occur more often. It is essential to prepare for those scenarios, and one of the best ways you can do it is through relocation insurance.
Relocation insurance ensures you can be compensated for damages to your belongings, especially for expensive investments like artwork and appliances. You can find an affordable insurance broker to help you get the policy, providing peace of mind and convenience during moving days. Relocation insurance varies according to your needs, but it can cost about $4,800 on average.
6. Figuring Out Temporary Storage Solutions Ahead of Time
Planning for temporary storage needs is one of the most forgotten tasks during the moving process. Moving day can quickly become chaotic and messy without a strategic approach to handling belongings, especially during the transition between homes. Often, people underestimate the time it takes to load and unload their possessions, leading to a rushed process that may result in damaged items or disorganization.
Individuals should consider leveraging a local delivery service that offers temporary storage solutions to mitigate these challenges. These services provide a convenient and secure option for storing possessions on a short-term basis, allowing movers to focus on the essential aspects of their relocation without compromising the safety and integrity of their belongings. To ensure a seamless transition, individuals can start by researching local delivery services that offer temporary storage options tailored to their needs. It’s crucial to inquire about the accessibility and security features of the storage facilities, ensuring that possessions remain safe and easily retrievable when needed.
7. Cleaning and Preparing Rugs for the Move
Moving day will be full of activities, and it can be challenging to remember that cleaning dirty items must be part of it. Unfortunately, neglecting this essential step can lead to various consequences. Rugs can accumulate dirt, dust, and allergens over time. During a move, these particles can become trapped in the fibers, potentially causing damage and reducing the overall lifespan of the rug. Additionally, placing dirty rugs in the moving truck can transfer grime to other items, creating an unnecessary mess in the new home. Therefore, cleaning and preparing rugs for moving day is crucial.
When cleaning different types of rugs, a thoughtful approach is essential. Begin by thoroughly vacuuming both sides to remove loose dirt and debris. For a Persian rug, which is often intricately designed and made from delicate materials, it’s advisable to consult a professional rug cleaner who can provide specialized care. For other types of rugs, check the care instructions and, if possible, test a small, inconspicuous area with a mild cleaning solution to ensure it won’t damage the fibers or colors.
8. Inspecting the New Home for Safety
Ensuring the safety and well-being of your family is essential when moving into a new home, making it necessary to have a home inspection. A home inspection thoroughly examines the property, uncovering any hidden issues that may compromise safety. Fire alarm inspections, in particular, are often among the most forgotten tasks by new homeowners. However, these inspections are critical in verifying that the fire alarm system is fully operational and can provide timely alerts in the event of a fire, potentially saving lives and minimizing property damage.
Besides fire alarm inspections, it is essential to ensure that other safety measures are in place in your new home. Inspectors thoroughly check electrical systems, gas lines, and plumbing during the inspection process to identify any potential risks. They also examine the property’s structural integrity, ensuring it can withstand various environmental factors. Before moving day, a home inspection is necessary to provide a safe environment.
9. Marking Boxes for Where They Go in the New Home
People can get organized when packing things up and moving. However, unpacking might get overlooked. One of the most forgotten tasks is marking boxes, which can benefit homeowner’s efficiency when the items arrive at the new home. Marking which boxes are for rooms like the kitchen, bedroom, or living room can speed things up during a move. Even assigning boxes with specific items can make things easier. Fortunately, doing the task is easy. You can write words on boxes using a marker, immediately identifying which is which and helping you place them strategically for efficient unpacking in a custom home.
10. Getting Your New Home Built in Advance
Building your new home in advance is a strategic move that simplifies moving day logistics. A construction estimating service helps you accurately plan the timeline and budget for your new home construction. Having the house built beforehand eliminates the stress of potential delays and last-minute construction hiccups, ensuring that your move-in date aligns seamlessly with your schedule.
Moving interstate can be challenging, and you will find that the most forgotten tasks will be the primary obstacles you have to face. Fortunately, you can prevent issues by listing them down before moving day. Once you have everything set up, you can move to your new home with ease and efficiency.
