What to do 6-8 Weeks Before You Move

Whether you just learned you would be relocated with your job or you’ve decided that a change is in order, moving can be both thrilling and extremely stressful. While most everyone is blessed with enough common sense to know not to pack their delicate china in the same box as parts from their home gym, knowing what to do and when to do it is not always blindingly obvious.

Probably the most difficult two tasks to complete six to eight weeks before you move are deciding whether to hire packers and movers or do it yourself and what to take with you versus what to leave behind.

 

Deciding Whether to Do It Yourself

The answer to the first question is directly related to the scope of the move you are about to undertake. If you are moving across state lines and have a large household to move, then hiring a team of professionals ensures that your items will more than likely arrive in the same condition they left.  Hiring professionals will also leave you with time to deal with all of the remaining arrangements that come with such a large undertaking. If you have not acquired massive amounts of furniture and other heavy items, then doing it yourself saves you money and avoids having yet another set of people to coordinate with.

 

Deciding What to Take With You

When it comes to what to take and not take, that decision is of a much more personal nature. Do you really want to pay to take an item that is on its last legs cross country? Will it take up space that could have been used for something else? Is it something that you prayed would run out of batteries and might be ok to have “lost” while moving? If so, then donating these items to a charity or including them in a yard sale may be the way to go.

 

Getting Prepared for Packing

Once you’ve figured out who is doing the packing and moving and what is going with you, there are a few other key things to decide upon at this stage. If your company is relocating you, find out if they have a specific company that does your packing and moving so that you can contact them to begin the process. You’ll also want to start accumulating packing supplies.

While many people run to their local liquor and grocery stores for boxes, you may also consider purchasing some sturdier boxes through a moving or packaging company for irreplaceable delicate items. Packing tape can be used to reinforce the bottoms of boxes.  Newspaper, bubble wrap, and extra towels and linens can be used as padding. Having a permanent marker and some labels will allow smear proof directions for your contents.

 

Planning for the Move

Six to eight weeks before the moving day is also a great time to start booking flights or car and hotel rentals.  It is also a good time to start checking with the Chamber of Commerce in your new locale so you can start gathering pertinent information about the schools and other areas of interest.

With a little quality time spent planning at this stage; your move will be a pleasant experience instead of one fraught with unneeded stress.