Moving to a new home can be incredibly time consuming, and if you are trying to juggle kids, your job and other responsibilities in the midst of your move, it can be hard to come up with the time you need. Luckily, there are a lot of ways to save time during a move. Check out these time-saving tips:
1. Streamline the decluttering process
As you start to pack for your move, declutter your possessions. Donating, selling or throwing out items saves you time and money as you don't have to move as much stuff or pay for it to be moved.
However, if you are not careful, you can waste a lot of time in the decluttering process. If you decide to donate everything you don't want, do not waste time making multiple trips to the charity shops. Instead, make a donation pile, and arrange to have it picked up by a charity organisation the morning of your move.
Similarly, if you opt to sell your possessions, do not sell them individually. Writing ads, fielding calls and meeting with buyers is time consuming. Instead, hold one sale to get rid of everything – although it may net you less money, it wastes less time in most cases.
2. Buy extra packing supplies
Every time you have to run to the shops to get extra supplies for your move, you waste time. So that you are not caught without tape or other packaging materials in the middle of your move, always buy extra.
If you think you need one roll of tape, buy two. It means you are spending a few extra dollars at the shop, but it also means you don't have to waste an hour later running back to the shop to buy more supplies.
3. Colour-code your boxes and pack them in an organised fashion
While you are packing, always keep the idea of unpacking in your head. You don't want to have disorganised boxes containing items from a range of rooms in your home. Rather, you want boxes that are well organised in a manner that makes them fast to unpack once you get to your new home.
For example, pack all of the contents of a kitchen cabinet, an office desk or a living room bookshelf together so when you get to your new home, you can unpack that box quickly and easily as everything goes in one spot.
To make moving the boxes from the removalist truck to your new home fast and easy, colour-code all of the boxes. That way, you, your friends or the removalists can quickly bring boxes to the right room, meaning you don't have to worry about sorting and moving them again later in the process.
4. Use the government's "Change My Address" service
In addition to moving all of your possessions, you also have to do a lot of paperwork. You have to alert your car insurer, your credit card companies and anyone else you do business with about your new address.
With all of those tasks on your to-do list, you don't need to waste time filling out multiple government forms changing your address. Luckily, you don't have to. The government has an easy online form that you can use to change the address on your driver's license, Medicare accounts and other documents.
5. Be ready on moving day
On moving day, it's easy to lose time taking apart furniture that doesn't fit through the door, packing boxes you ignored until the last minute or unplugging TVs or computers. To avoid those time wasters, have everything ready to go before the removalists arrive.
Have absolutely everything you own packed in a box. Keep out a few personal essentials in an overnight bag, and have a small open kitchen box with a couple of foodstuffs and your coffee. These items can go in your car as you move to your new home. Everything else, however, should be in a box that is taped, stacked and ready to be loaded on the truck.
Similarly, your furniture should be assessed in the days leading up to moving day, and if it is too large to fit through the door, it should be disassembled. Hardware should be placed in a small plastic bag and taped to the furniture, helping to save time later when you reassemble it. For more advice, contact a cheap removalist company.
Share