Moving in a Hurry

Last-Minute Moving Guide

No one looks forward to the moving process. It is tedious and time-consuming. In a perfect world, you will have time to get everything organized and prepared to make the process as stress-free as possible. Unfortunately, however, we don’t live in a perfect world. Life is unpredictable and there are times when we have to make big changes in a short time. This can certainly be the case when it comes to moving. If you find yourself in this situation, follow this guide to help you navigate the potentially murky waters of moving in a hurry.

Set Your Priorities

Like any major undertaking or multi-step process, it is critical to prioritize. You want to make sure the most important tasks get taken care of first. It isn’t possible to predict absolutely every potential scenario, but planning and prioritizing can help you at least develop a plan of action that is efficient and effective. Here are some suggestions when prioritizing your last-minute move.

Take Inventory

This may seem obvious, but many people actually forget what they have when it comes time to start moving. Open that junk drawer and peek into the attic to remind yourself of all the stuff you have. Once you know what you have, you can figure out what to move and how to move it.

Ditch the Clutter

Moving provides a great opportunity to ridicule clutter and get rid of things you don’t need. A great way to streamline this process and stay organized is to set up a Trash, Donate, Sell system. Since you’ve already taken inventory, you should have an idea of what you want to keep and what you want to get rid of. For some people, especially those with tendencies toward hoarding, this can be a difficult process. 

A good place to start is to simply ask yourself, “have I used this in the last year?” If the answer is no, you may want to consider getting rid of it. If it is broken or useless, trash may be the best option. If the item still has value, but you just aren’t using it, you can either sell or donate it. This helps you by reducing clutter and helps someone else by giving them something they will use. If it’s particularly valuable, you could even make some money to cut your moving costs.

Staging

Once you’ve decided what you’re going to keep, you will want to set up a staging area. This is useful to help visualize the moving and packing process. If possible, clear out a large room and begin moving similar items into designated areas. To really streamline this process, you can even set up boxes that go with each category and place the items directly into their appropriate boxes. This will keep things organized and save you some time and effort. Doing this will also give you the best idea of what you need for packing supplies, eliminating guesswork and wasted time and money.

Packing

Packing is probably the most tedious task. If you’ve followed these steps, you should already have an idea of what you need. With the trash gone and the items staged and organized, you can make sure you aren’t packing things you don’t need. Separate items that will have to be moved individually i.e. they don’t fit into boxes or bins. Remember to always stack items with the heaviest on the bottom of the stack. Having a variety of boxes and packing materials are a great help and time saver. It is also useful to separate and label fragile items so they can be packed safely. Be sure to label as you go, before you seal up the box. This will save you a lot of trouble while moving and for unpacking in your new location.

Figure out the logistics

Once you are packed up and ready to go, you need to figure out how you’re actually going to move everything. To save time and money, you want to minimize the number of trips you have to take. This is especially true if you are going to need to rent a moving truck. Moving trucks consume a lot of fuel and most truck rental companies also charge by the mile. You may see an ad for a $29 rental, but by the time it’s all said and done that cost can easily multiply.

Hire a professional

The easiest way to handle your move, of course, is to have a professional take care of it for you. A professional moving company like Family Moving and Storage can take care of everything from packing to moving to storage, taking the pressure off of you. Especially if you are needing last-minute moving services, there’s just no easier way to get it done than by hiring pros. When considering the cost, always remember to think about the value of your time and energy. 

Moving is a difficult process that can really take a toll on a person. You may feel like doing it yourself is the best option, only to be left with stress and complications. As the pressure builds, the temptation to take shortcuts often grows with it. These shortcuts can really come back to haunt you. Rushed packing can cause items to get damaged or forgotten. Loading the truck carelessly or hurriedly can lead to items crashing around in the truck if they are not loaded carefully. Most importantly, rushing to move heavy items could result in personal injury.

Last-minute moving doesn’t have to be a nightmare. Get the peace of mind and security you need by hiring Family Moving and Storage to help you in your next move on the Space Coast and Treasure Coast. We even offer Same Day Moving services when available!