Moving Made Easy - Prime Moving Season is Upon Us

We are coming up for prime moving season for many people. This is the busiest season for Military moves and for families with children. Most people want to put as little stress on the family as possible, so when school is out, moving season is in full swing. Here are a few helpful tips to make your move an easy one. Start early - Don't leave organizing your move until the last minute. The more time you give yourself to clean, organize, and prepare the easier moving day will be. Purge - Be tough on yourself and ask the hard questions, like when was the last time I used, wore, read, or needed that. Go through clothes, books, kitchenware (this is your chance to pitch all the old plastic containers), old electronics that haven't made it to the recycle store, random wires, old toys, papers, and more. Taking trips to the dump and donation center can lighten your load significantly during a move, and make unpacking in your new destination a breeze. Go pro - If it fits your budget and you are moving a distance, you may want to look into certified professional relocation companies. They will take control of packing, moving and unpacking your boxes, and if anything is broken there is a claims process. They label each of your items and give you a very complete checklist of everything in the house. Contact insurance - Let your insurance company know about your move. Take pictures - If you go pro, make sure to take pictures of things like TV's while they are on to show working order. Also photograph anything breakable to show condition, and if you have any existing scratches on furniture, take pictures of those too. You don't want a tiny nick to turn into a huge scratch without proof of prior condition. Zip lock bags are your friend - If you need to take anything apart from an inexpensive shelving units to office desks, make sure you have a zip lock, sharpie, and packing tape handy to place all the small parts in the bag, label it, and tape it prominently to the large item. Inventory your valuables - Make sure to have a complete inventory of all your valuables and check it after your move. Change your address - File a change of address notification through the post office and make a list of all your important mail such as credit card companies, banks, loans, bills etc. If you pay money to a person, place, or establishment, make sure they have your new address. Contact all your local utilities - The last thing you want to do is to keep paying water, electric, phone and cable bills for a home where you no longer live. Make sure to contact all your utility companies to inform them of your date of disconnect. Double-check where and when you have to return any equipment such as cable boxes, modems and the like. Register children at new schools - If you are changing neighborhoods, make sure you find out all the school district information and start new registration early. Hire a cleaning crew - This can take away a lot of the stress of a move. Rather than trying to deal with the entire move out clean on your home, there are many affordable options to get professionals in after the move and take care of the final clean. These simple tips and reminders will help make your move as painless as possible so you can enjoy your summer in your brand new home.