The Greatest Everything You Need to Know Relocation List

The prospect of a brand-new home is amazing. Evacuating and moving your things-- not so much.

We asked Sarah Roussos-Karakaian, whose New york city company We OrgaNYze focuses on packaging and unpacking for property moves, to help us create the perfect worry-free move.

" The most significant error people make when they pack, "she says," is not being particular enough."

Taking time on the front end to arrange will make sure a much better unloading and moving experience. Here's a week-by-week schedule to assist you handle your move:

8 WEEKS AHEAD
Start a folder or binder. Keep everything associated to your relocation in one location: packaging lists, estimates, receipts, mortgage documentation, and so on
. Do a stock. Go space by room estimating the cubic footage of your stuff to determine the number of boxes you'll need. Step big furniture to determine what goes where in the new home.
Purge what you can. Everything you take will cost money to move, so do not haul the exact same unused stuff from attic to attic; be ruthless and eliminate it. Sell it on eBay or Krrb, or donate it, and take a tax reduction.
Order brand-new home appliances. If your new house doesn't come with a fridge or range, or needs an upgrade, order now, so the devices are delivered before you relocate.

6 WEEKS AHEAD
Research moving business. Get in-person, written quotes, and check referrals with the Better Service Bureau.
Moving costly or vulnerable products like art, antiques, or a grand piano? Find movers who specialize.
Evaluation your mover's insurance. Guarantee the liability insurance coverage your prospective movers carry will cover the replacement worth of anything they may damage.
Call utility companies. Set up to have utilities turned off at your old home and switched on at your brand-new location. Discover dates for garbage and recyclable pickup, in addition to any constraints about having packaging debris chose up.
Moving long distance or shipping a car? Arrange kennel time or ask a buddy to keep your 4-legged pals out of the moving mayhem.
Get ready for packing. Some movers offer boxes. Stores like Home Depot, Lowes and Staples offer them. And some merchants or business mailrooms provide away. Get more boxes than you believe you'll need, particularly easy-to-lift little ones. Do not forget packaging tape, colored tape and markers for coding boxes, bubble wrap for mirrors and prints, and packing peanuts.
4 WEEKS AHEAD
Start packing seldom-used products. Box out-of-season clothing and holiday accessories before moving on to more regularly used items.
Track boxed products. Produce a spreadsheet with color-coded rows for each space and sufficient columns to cover all the boxes per space. As you pack, mark and number each box (e.g., "Cooking area 12") on its 4 vertical sides (the top is hidden when boxes are stacked) with the pertinent tape color. As you seal each box, list its contents in your spreadsheet, so you AND the movers will know what remains in each and where it goes.
Usage specialized containers. Get specialized boxes for Wardrobes and tvs. Pull trash bags over hanging clothes in clumps and tie the bags' strings around the bunched wall mounts to keep contents simple and tidy to handle. (Color-code these bundles, too.) Seal liquids in plastic storage tubs with covers.
Keep hardware together. Put screws and other hardware from anything you take apart-- sconces, TELEVISION wall installs, racks, and so on-- in sealed plastic bags taped to the items themselves. Just take care not to affix the bags onto a surface that could be damaged by the tape's adhesive.
Modification your address. Complete USPS forms to have your mail forwarded to your brand-new address. Provide your brand-new address to household members, your banks and charge card magazines, newspapers and business, the Department of Motor Cars and your company. There's a substantial list of companies and services you might want to notify at Apartmentguide.com.
2 WEEKS AHEAD
Finish loading your house. Label packages you pack last which contain your most-used items-- laptops, phones, everyday dishes, remote website controls, and so on-- with 3 strips of colored tape. Tell movers to keep these boxes quickly accessible in the brand-new location.
Validate your dates. Call utility companies to make sure your services are arranged to be linked the appropriate day, and verify the move time with the movers. If you have actually arranged to have your old home cleaned up, it's smart to double check that job, too.
Thaw your fridge and drain gas-powered devices. Disconnect the refrigerator to give it time to drain and defrost. Drain pipes gas and oil from lawn mowers and comparable equipment, and discard the fluids effectively.
Create a "First Night Set." Load a box or over night bag for each relative with a change of clothes, medications and toiletries, plus preferred toys for kids and family pets. Consist of cleansing products, bathroom tissue, treats, an energy knife (for unloading) and a very first help package.
Load your prized possessions. Bring precious jewelry, medications, easily-damaged products and other belongings with you.
Get cash to tip the movers and buy pizza for the household. Choose up the keys to your new house.
Moving Day
Show up ahead of the moving truck. Provide yourself plenty of time to figure out furnishings arrangement and where things go.
Direct the operation. Explain your system to the moving company's supervisor, and give him a copy of the spreadsheet prior to his group begins working.
Look after your movers. Moving is difficult work, so plan to supply water and lunch for the movers. As for tipping: For a half-day task, $10 per mover is the guideline of thumb; for a full-day, $20 each.
Give your old house a clean sweep. If you're a homeowner, you'll most likely have to do this prior to the closing. If you lease and have a security deposit, take images after you're done-- in case of disputes.
Unpack the bed rooms. Arrange the furnishings initially to make sure there's a clear course to the bed. Make the beds NOW, so at the end of the day, everyone can just topple in-- tired.
First Week After The Move
Get the family pets. Make sure you have their food, litter and water boxes.
Modification all outside locks. Get a new set of keys to the house and make copies for all household members and a couple of extras.
Unpack the kitchen area. Discover those final-items "3 stripes" boxes and unpack.
Praise yourselves. Sure, there's still plenty to do and you most likely will not get as far as you 'd like in the very first week. States Roussos-Karakaian: "If you're hanging art in the first 7 days, you're a rock star."