Ideally, you should prepare for your move in a few weeks or months. This would leave you plenty of time to declutter your home, pack your belongings, and arrange all the details of your move. But what if you’re moving soon and have no time to pack because you’re too busy? Or what if you’re in a hurry because you must go through a last-minute move? In that case, you must figure out how to care for everything quickly. These seven tips will show you how to prepare quickly before moving day.
1. Plan for Your Move
Since people usually book professional movers long in advance, you might have difficulty finding someone available to help you with your last-minute move. Depending on when you’re moving, you might be able to rent a moving truck if you’re lucky. However, portable storage containers could be a much better option for a last-minute move.
Your container will be delivered to your home, and you can place your boxes and furniture inside it as you pack at your own pace. Then, the container will be picked up and delivered to your new home. As you plan moving day, don’t hesitate to ask your friends and family for help.
2. Make a Timeline and a Checklist
Whether you move with movers, a rented truck, or a portable storage container, you should make a timeline and a moving checklist. Whether you have two weeks or just a few days to prepare for your move, your timeline will give you a better idea of what you must do and how much time you have. Your checklist is simply a list of all the tasks you need to complete. Crossing them off as you complete them will help you stay motivated.
3. Take Care of a Few Crucial Tasks
Before you start packing in a hurry, take care of important tasks such as transferring your utilities from your current home to your new one. You want your electricity, internet, and other services turned on when you get there. If you have kids, you might need to enroll them in a new school if you’re moving to a different city. Don’t forget to have their school records transferred. You might also need to transfer your medical and dental records and change your address.
4. Get Rid of Some Stuff
When you have plenty of time to prepare before moving day, you can go through your belongings to get rid of anything you don’t want or don’t need anymore. But when you have to get ready quickly, you might not have enough time to do that. If you have some stuff you don’t want to move, consider selling it or giving it to someone you know. But if you have a lot of stuff you want to get rid of before your move, consider calling a junk removal company. They will take care of it while you pack the things you want to keep.
5. Get Supplies and Set up a Packing Station
Since your time is limited, you might want to purchase boxes instead of asking for free ones until you have enough for your move. You will also need packing paper, tape, scissors, a marker, garbage bags, and some old towels or blankets to wrap your furniture. Set up a packing station on a table with all your packing supplies close at hand.
6. Start Packing and Move Quickly
As you figure out how to prepare quickly before moving day, you have no time to organize your belongings into different categories before packing them. Remember that you’ll have more time to unpack as you settle into your new home. Therefore, pack your stuff quickly and sort it out later. Instead of rolling up your clothes to pack them in boxes, hang them on hangers and protect them with large garbage bags. Even if you’re in a hurry, carefully wrap fragile items so they don’t get damaged. You can protect them with packing paper, towels, or clothing.
7. Prepare a Bag of Essentials
Finally, remember to pack a bag or a box of essentials. It should contain everything you need during your move or the first few days in your new home. Keep your essentials bag with you instead of placing it inside your moving truck or portable storage container.
