Start Early
Starting early in the process will lead to a smooth transition and preparing to move is a great time to go through your possessions and dispose of things. The biggest question is deciding if you’re going to pack yourself or hire professionals.
If you’re packing yourself, the following is a list of things you will need:
- Boxes of all sizes
- Newspaper / tissue paper
- Permanent marker
- Bubble wrap
- Plastic wrap
- Packing tape
Packing guidelines:
- Cushion the bottom and sides of boxes first that will have fragile items in them
- Packed items should not exceed 30 pounds
- Pack room by room – it will make unpacking easier
- Begin your packing early in the moving as it will take longer than you think
- Label all boxes by item and where in your new home they should be placed
- Pack heavy items in smaller boxes and lighter items in larger boxes
- Thoroughly wrap your breakables in newspaper, bubble wrap, etc.
- Tape cords underneath all electrical appliances
- Don’t tape furniture, doors and drawers as it can cause damage, so instead use rope, elastic, etc.
- On moving day, fill one box with moving-day essentials like paper plates, a coffee maker and coffee, hand tools and extension cords, a bucket, rags, soaps and paper towels. You may also want to set aside a few days’ worth of clothing, food and other essentials.
Hiring Movers?
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Garage Sales
Many use moving an opportunity to dispose of many items no-longer-wanted items and you can even pocket some money while doing so. Here is some advice for holding a garage sale:
- Plan – Allow plenty of time and choose a date that will not conflict with holidays or other events. More people are likely to show up on weekends. Your sale is likely to attract more customers if you join together with neighbors in a larger effort with more merchandise.
- What to Sell – Household goods, bicycles, children’s toys and clothes, sports equipment and garden tools are popular. Adult clothing has less appeal and should be priced accordingly. All items should be clean, polished and in good repair.
- Displaying Items for Sale – Merchandise your items attractively in neat and clean surroundings. Cluster things in categories. Place more desirable items toward the back so browsers can notice other merchandise on their way to the most popular items. Have a 25-cent miscellaneous table for young shoppers. Clothes should be sized accurately and hung on a temporary rack.
- Logistics – Locate your appliance table near an outlet so customers may try before they buy. Set aside adequate parking and a place to load large items. Have plenty of bags and boxes on hand for packing and newspapers for wrapping glass items.
- Promoting – Place a classified ad in the local papers – include three or four of the more tantalizing items for sale, directions and other pertinent details. Provide directional signs to your property. If your house is listed for sale, have your Realtor hold an open house on the same day to increase traffic for both the house and the sale.
- Price as Deals – Visit other sales to get an idea on how to price things. Remember that garage sale shoppers are looking for deals, so be prepared to bargain and lower your prices. Really valuable items such as antiques should not be sold at a garage sale because they are not likely to bring the desired price from bargain hunters. Nothing is too worthless to be valuable, so have a giveaway box for old magazines and other assorted odds and ends
- Take Cash as Payment – Post a notice that all sales are final and payment must be cash. Keep ample change in a cash box in a protected spot.