Moving into a new place is an exciting accomplishment, and ordinarily, you’ll have plenty of time to prepare for it. However, sometimes, life’s circumstances interfere, and you end up executing a speedy move. If you get a job you applied for in another city, and they only give you a week to relocate, this can make the joy of your success turn stressful. You wonder how you’re going to pack all your belongings and have them ready to go in time for departure.
Fortunately, you have options on how to make your relocation efforts smoother. You deserve to enjoy your success without any added hassle. Check out these five tips for moving when you don’t have much time on your hands.
1. Decide What to Keep
You likely won’t be taking everything with you, which means you need to decide what to pack or throw away. Sentiment can get in the way of decision-making, but remember the less you take with you, the less unpacking you’ll do. Start separating your belongings by stacking what you plan to take in one corner and putting throw-away items in another corner. Between these two piles, create another for indefinite belongings — things you’re not sure if you want to take or toss.
You can decide on these indefinites later. Separating them spares time you’d spend deliberating on whether to keep them.
If you want to donate some of your belongings, make another pile separate from those three. You can donate big-ticket objects like furniture by calling a local charity and arranging a pickup.
2. Handle the Necessary Paperwork
It’s easy to forget about these details in the rush of changing locations, but you don’t want to neglect paperwork. At the first opportunity, fill out a change-of-address form at your post office. You’ll need to include your old and new addresses and the date you want them to begin forwarding your mail. You’ll also need to contact your utility companies about transferring your electricity, water and other services.
You don’t need the complications of your mail going to the wrong place after a move. Similarly, you don’t want one of those pieces of mail to be an electric bill for a place you don’t live in anymore.
3. Ask for Help
Having multiple hands on deck is the best way to achieve anything quickly. If you have friends or family members available to help, enlist their services. You’ll see how you can expedite the process when you have a group of people working on it. They can also advise you on what to give away or keep for your new residence. It’s easy to lose your organization skills during a fast move, but having someone by your side ensures you won’t forget anything important.
4. Pack a Bag of Essentials
You get to your new home and spend all day unpacking. After reaching a stopping point, you realize you have to dig through a ton more boxes to find your pajamas and toothbrush. Sound annoying? Prevent this from happening by preparing a box or small bag of your nightly essentials. Whatever you include is unique to your needs, but items like toothpaste, toilet paper and a change of clothes are must-haves.
If you pack these items in a box, make sure to label it so you don’t have to hunt down your toiletries.
5. Gather Adequate Supplies
You don’t want to begin packing, realize you’re six boxes short and have to hurry to buy more. Errands like this eat into the time you have for moving and stretch the process out. Before you make that first trip to the supply store, estimate how many packing supplies you think your move will require. Record this information somewhere you won’t forget it, like in a notepad or on your phone.
Once you get to the store, load up on the supplies. It’s OK to get slightly more than you need to avoid running out.
Ready, Set, Pack!
Now that you know some quick packing tips, you can wipe away the sweat and begin moving without panic. A low-stress move will leave you more time to enjoy the fruits of your labor when you arrive in your new home.
If you simply have too much stuff for your new space, you can always consider storing your items with MakeSpace.
AUTHOR: KACEY BRADLEY
Kacey Bradley is the blogger behind The Drifter Collective, an eclectic lifestyle blog that expresses various forms of style through the influence of culture and the world around us. Along with writing for her blog, she has written for sites like U.S. News, SUCCESS, Guides for Brides, Hotel Online and more!
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