Now that you’ve found your perfect house, the fun begins. It’s time to get down to preparing all that great stuff you own for the big move to the new place. How easy or how difficult that will be depends on how much stuff you have accumulated and how well you tackle your preparation for the actual “move.”
I realize that what I’m going to hear is (of course): “The first thing to do is go from supermarket to supermarket to find good packing cartons and then post an ad on the Five Towns Shul site asking anyone with extra packing cartons that they do not need to call you.” Well yeah, that is a great start, but other than creating a roomful of empty packing cartons, what else have you actually achieved towards getting your stuff ready for the move?
Some handy tips to consider in preparing for the move:
Still have clothes three sizes too small hanging in your closet? Are there drawers or cabinets in your present house that are so full of junk, you do not even remember what’s in them? Do you still have boxes of stuff in the garage that you haven’t opened since your last move X years ago? Yup, it’s time to bite the bullet and sit down and go through all of this stuff piece by piece. Why would you want to move stuff you don’t need or want? Go through all your closets and shelves and throw away or donate whatever you can. Not only will this make your job easier in the long run, it will save you money. Less to move means less money to the movers. It also means less to unpack and store in your new closets and shelves.
Unless you’re lucky enough to hire movers who will do the job of packing for you, this is a task you’ll want to start as soon as possible to ensure a smooth moving day. Start packing up those rooms in your house that you use the least: guest rooms, storage rooms, the basement, and closets. Get an entire room packed as much as possible and do not forget to label the boxes accordingly, then move on to the next room. Use plenty of newspapers or bubble wrap for fragile items so they don’t get broken during transit, and clearly label the cartons as “fragile” as well. Each box you pack should also be labeled with its final destination: living room, children’s bedroom, kitchen, etc. Packing cartons without labeling them will create a moving day nightmare that will take months (if not years) to unravel when you try to figure out what is in each box strewn all over your house after the movers leave them.
Make a list of all your utilities and services, such as electric, gas, water, telephone, as well as cable, internet, newspaper, gardener, etc. All these services should be called and cancelled at your old address and new services set up at your new address. While you’re at it, do not forget to forward your mail at the post office.
Moving day can be a complete balagan! Pack a box with your bed linens and all your immediate essentials, and have the movers set up your beds first before anything else is done. When everything is finished being unloaded into the house, and you’re falling off your feet from exhaustion with the endless landscape of cartons and packing crates, you can leave everything for the next day and fall into your bed to get a fresh start the next morning.
Do you have pets? The last thing you want to do when you move is to lose a beloved pet in the process. Be sure to lock up any pets so that they don’t get loose while loading and unloading the moving van. Keep the pets in an empty room that is clearly labeled “Do not enter: pets inside.”
As you start to unpack, try to focus on finishing one room at a time. I always vote for starting with the kitchen first. Somehow, if the kitchen is more or less set up, everything else moves along much faster. As you unpack and need a cup of coffee or have to prepare meals, with the kitchen ready, you can relax and regroup in between unpacking. (By the way, I think this is a Jewish thing, since most authorities giving you tips for preparation opt for setting up a room you can quietly sit in and have a cup of coffee, but I cannot picture myself sitting in a room with a cup of coffee and relaxing if the kitchen is completely disorganized and the kids are yelling that they’re hungry and there’s nothing in the refrigerator, so I changed it).
Talking about the refrigerator, if it’s possible, turn on the refrigerator and go to the supermarket a day or two before the movers actually bring your stuff and put in all your staples. Having a full refrigerator comes in handy as moving day proceeds and everything is slowly unloaded from the moving truck.
Welcome to the neighborhood!
Anessa Cohen lives in Cedarhurst and is a Licensed Real Estate Broker (Anessa V Cohen Realty) with over 20 years of experience offering full service residential, management and commercial real estate services in the 5 Towns of Long Island as well as the tri-state area. She can be reached at 516-569-5007 or Readers are encouraged to send any questions or scenarios by email to anessa@avcrealty.com.
