How to Break Down Your Home Moving Timeline

Having the the right professionals on board to handle a home sale is important, but home buyers and sellers are usually the ones who need to handle the actual move from one home to another. And one way to make a move less stressful is the use of a preplanned moving timeline. Moving timelines help buyers and sellers stay on top of the many necessary details for a successful transition. Plus, it gives everyone a chance to feel accomplished when they meet their milestones. For a better idea of where to begin, here are a few underlying rules to keep in mind when constructing your own timeline.

Common Supplies Needed When Moving House

Homeowners need many supplies during a relocation. Boxes, bubble wrap and tape are some of the most obvious supplies, but there are others. Markers give homeowners the ability to write on their boxes, while multiple dollies are needed to move items from one room to another, or from the house to the truck. 

Many homeowners find it's useful to also buy furniture pads. Furniture pads prevent the furniture from getting scratched and ensure that the furniture will arrive in good condition in its new home. Finally, stretch wrap can be wrapped around the furniture pads to keep them from falling off. 

Eight Weeks Before...

Home buyers and sellers need to purge their homes of everything they don't want to take to their new home after the sale closes. This includes taking an inventory of all items inside the home so homeowners aren't paying movers to pack up three blenders when they only need one. A good rule of thumb is if hasn't been seen or used in over a year, consider donating it or getting rid of it.

Start researching the rates of movers, ordering supplies, and boxing up seasonal or rarely used items. Ask movers to come to the home because over-the-phone quotes are difficult to trust if the movers haven't physically seen the scope of their work.

Four Weeks Before

Now is the time to fill out changes of address for the many organizations and people who may send mail to the old place. (Not all important mail can be forwarded, so this is an important step.) Homeowners should separate any items they don't trust movers to handle (e.g., expensive jewelry, inherited glassware, etc.) Experts recommend taking extra precautions with valuables by transferring them in a safe. Now is also a good time to measure furniture in the home to determine if special techniques need to be used to move certain pieces.

The Final Days

The last few items on the checklist will some of the most important, but homeowners who have laid the groundwork should find the final action items easier to coordinate.

• Box up and label everything but bare necessities
• Ensure all prescriptions are refilled
• Give vehicles a comprehensive tune-up
• Write a manifest for the movers
• Defrost the freezer (if moving it)

Homeowners should also call the movers to make sure everything is on schedule. These tips give owners a head start when it comes to shifting gears from the old house to the new. They put the focus on settling into the new home rather than scrambling around the old one.

There are no guarantees when it comes to moving, but these tips give homeowners a concrete way to stay on track. The idea is to break everything down into reasonable goals that can be pared down over two months until the big day finally arrives. Buying or selling an East Calgary home is stressful enough without not having a plan or timeline for moving.