Preparing for a long-distance move requires strategic planning and organization to ensure a smooth transition. Here are seven best practices and life hacks to help you prepare effectively:
1. Create a detailed moving checklist
Careful planning will help you a lot in preparing for your move. Such a list should include everything from packing to settling in your new home.
Life hack: Break the checklist into weekly tasks - it's easier to keep track of the items on the list. Moving apps or task management programs can also help you track progress.
2. Hire professional movers
Find and hire reliable moving companies from Toronto to Calgary. Book your moving date as early as possible, especially if you are moving during peak season.
Life hack: Focus on reviews and testimonials to find good professionals. Plan your way to your new place: If you're traveling by car, plan your route and book accommodation in advance. If you are traveling by plane, book tickets in advance and arrange transportation to and from the airport.
3. Organize your belongings
By getting rid of broken and unwanted items, you'll reduce the amount of stuff you're moving to your new place - saving you time to pack them and your money for transportation.
- Life hack: Apply the KonMari method by sorting things into categories (clothes, books, etc.) and keeping only the things that make you happy. Have a garage sale or use online marketplaces to sell unwanted items.
- Life hack: Save money and space by using towels, blankets and linens to pack fragile items instead of buying bubble wrap.
4. Pack essentials
Pack a box with the essentials you'll need for the first few days in your new home: toiletries, medications, basic kitchen items, important documents, and a change of clothes.
- Life hack: Every member of your family should have such a box - it should contain their favorite things, comfort items and essentials.
- Life hack: Keep snacks, drinks and easily accessible meals in the refrigerator for a moving day to energize everyone without having to unpack kitchen supplies.
5. Box Organization
When organizing things into boxes, try to keep things from the same room together. Label each box clearly, indicating its contents and the room to which it belongs. For glass, dishes, and fragile items, a sticker or special tape labeling them as fragile is a good idea.
Life hack: Use colored labels or stickers for each room to make unloading and unpacking easier. Simplify the job by making a list that correlates box numbers with their contents.
6. Take pictures of appliances
Before you prepare your appliances and electronics for the move, take pictures of the wiring and cable connections. This will make it much easier to connect all the appliances in the new place.
Life hack: Store all cables, remote controls and small electronic parts in labeled ziplock bags. Label them or tape them to the appropriate device.
7. Notify important parties in advance
Give advance notice of your move to all necessary parties. This includes your current and future utility providers, the postal service, banks, insurance companies and any subscriptions.
Life hack: A few weeks before you move, set up mail forwarding with the postal service. Make a list of all the organizations that need your new address and systematically update it.
