Thinking of moving in six months, here's five things you should know
Moving can be a very exciting yet stressful time, especially if the move catches you by surprise. But for those of us who know when a move is coming we can easily begin to prepare, even 6 months in advance!
If you are planning or even just considering a move in the next 6 months, ensure you check off this list to be the best prepared you can be, and keep things running smoothly with minimal stress:
1. Come up with a budget.
A moving budget will save you from unwanted financial surprises at the end of your move. As you set up your moving budget, don’t forget to factor in things like services (the assistance of professional moving or packing teams), supplies (boxes, packing peanuts, etc.), and incidentals, like insurance and storage fees. Once you have your budget, you can get saving to make sure you’re covered when the time comes.
2. Start decluttering your home.
If you’re moving a bunch of clutter from Point A to Point B, you’re doing it wrong. About six months before your move, start decluttering your home. Go through your closets, drawers, attic, cellar, and guest rooms and sort your belongings item by item. When you find something you haven’t used within a year, toss it in a pile to donate, or get it up on EBay to create some extra money to help with costs.
Don’t forget to also sort through holiday decorations, kid’s clothing and toys, and kitchen essentials. You may want to start afresh with furniture when you move, in which case, think about where you can donate it and start researching what you’d like to buy when the time comes.
3. Start clearing out the freezer.
Moving frozen food is challenging at best, so now is the time to start going through the deep freeze. In fact, it’s great to do this with all of your cupboards. Many of us have a pantry or cupboards full of tinned foods, spices, dried herbs and other bits we haven’t touched in a while.
Think about the best way to use this food – what recipes can you create out of what you have so you don’t have to transport it all? If you’d rather just get rid of it, there will be plenty of places in the local area (such as food banks) where you can donate tins and other food to the less fortunate.
4. Learn about the schools.
If you have school-age kids you’re moving with, take some time now to learn about the schools in the area. If you can, schedule a time to travel out and view the schools and decide which one your kids will attend. Bring them with you to involve them in the process. Make sure you know all about the application process to get them in, any fees if the school costs money, and what journey might be appropriate for the school run in the morning.
5. Create a moving binder.
Create a moving binder to stow all your receipts, quotes, checklists and bills. This helps you stay organised and makes it easy to find the paperwork you need later. You could also keep all the paperwork you know you’re going to need for your mortgage application in here, or collect together appliance instruction manuals to pass on to the new owners. Being organised now can be a massive help later on.