Move in Tips
It is finally here…move in day. The truck is packed to the gills and you arrived at your new home. Everyone is excited to move into the new place but you have one last hurdle to jump over: moving in all that stuff off the truck. If you have movers they probably have a system of how they take things off the truck, but you need to have a system of your own. A checklist will make this easy on YOU. Here are 11 tips to a stress-free move in day.
- Just like moving out day, if you have kids and/or pets, have plans for them to be elsewhere if possible on the day you move in. You don’t have enough eyes to watch them and the movers at the same time.
- Have a friend or spouse help you watch the movers as they bring things off the truck. They can also help answer questions such as, where do you want this?
- Label the rooms before the movers show up so they don’t have to ask where the living room is or where is Joey’s bedroom?
- Give the movers a tour of the new house so they know where each room is before they bring in the first box. It helps them to know if there are stairs or any other restrictions such as narrow hallways or other entrances to bring the items inside.
- Check off inventory as it comes in so you know you got everything. Moving companies normally use an inventory sheet to write everything that was packed and labeled by number. Make sure there is only one entrance they go through so you don’t lose track of the items.
- Have movers put together all the beds and unpack the bed sheets as soon as the pieces are in the room. Trust me, you will thank yourself later when you fall into your bed at the end of an exhausting day of moving.
- Find the bath towels and hang them with your bathroom toiletries. You will probably need a warm shower after a long move in day.
- Feed the movers – This will be a long day for everyone. It is best to buy some sandwiches or pizza and keep the movers motivated and continue to do a good job. Plus it’s just bad manners when you are eating in front of them and they are working.
- Unpack the kitchen dishes. If you are a military member, unpacking may be part of the deal. They can’t necessarily put them in the cupboards for you, but they can unpack the boxes and put the items on the countertops. Check with your company on details.
- Know what the movers will take away i.e. boxes. Give them back as many empty boxes as possible so you don’t have to find a place to dump them later. Some companies may come back to pick them up later but don’t count on it.
- Go food shopping for the bare necessities. Sometimes a homemade meal of spaghetti and meatballs is all you need to make it feel like home. Don’t forget to get some trash bags, toilet paper, paper towels, coffee and other quick items you will need your first day in your new home.
