7 Tips on Preparing for a Short Notice Move for Beginners

If you are about to move somewhere on a short notice, certain decisions can hinder your progress. Here are tips on preparing for a short notice move.

Keyword(s): short notice move

You've been scouring the market for your new home and you've finally found the perfect place. Congrats!

Applications are submitted and the wheels are in motion but the end of the month is coming up quick and you're looking at a pretty tight moving timeline.

The panic starts to set in as you realize just how much you have to do. Is there time to pack, transfer your utility services, and resolve all the odds and ends before your potential move-in date?

Lucky for you, there's nothing to fear. Your top tips and tricks for a short notice move are right here! Follow along to discover exactly how to manage your move in record time.

1. Get Yourself Organized

Create a checklist of the tasks you need to do and get a handle on when you can complete them. If you don't have your exact move in date or confirmed details just yet, you can make a plan for what items to tackle when you do.

Are you going to need a storage unit for extra items? What services will you need to transfer and what utilities might be your responsibility?

Items like storage unit rentals don't need to wait until you've locked in your date. Go ahead and tackle these tasks now so you don't have to sort them out when you've got bigger fish to fry.

Gain some ground on the 'now' list so that when those papers go through you can confidently tackle the 'then' list!

2. Start Decluttering

One of the advantages to packing up your life is the ability to notice how many things you aren't using anymore. If you've started opening your cupboards and saying 'Oh, I forgot I had this' it's a pretty clear indication that it doesn't need to come with you.

Start going through these items now to reduce the packing process.

Many of these long forgotten things won't need to follow you to your new home, so take advantage of the 'spring cleaning' opportunity and donate or disregard the extras. If you are moving into a space with less storage or merging your belongings with a partner, this simple step might even save you on storage rentals.

If you take the time to sort through areas before the move, you'll have less to pack, haul, and of course, find homes for on the other end.

3. Pre-Pack

Don't wait for the final paperwork to arrive before assembling a box.

Chances are there are many items that you'll want to take that don't make it into the list of everyday essentials. Start tackling rooms that you don't need to be fully set up while you wait for your new home.

Pack away anything that you don't need access too before the move ahead of time. This will eliminate the last second panic to get everything into boxes and make the moving process far more enjoyable.

You may even find it beneficial to designated a specific area of your space to already packed boxes so you can move them out of the way and forget about them until it's time to go.

4. Reserve Your Moving Gear

Unless you plan on moving everything in your car, we suggest booking your moving vehicle or a helpful company ahead of time. Think ahead and start comparing your moving service options.

If you're lucky enough to find a same-day moving company, count your blessings. Services like movers book up quickly, especially for those key end of the month times. As soon as you have confirmation on your date, don't delay securing your services.

Don't forget your supplies!

If you aren't using a full moving service, you can start to think about elements like boxes and wrap ahead of time. Be sure you have enough materials to support your moving day and avoid accidental moving casualties to your valuables. Poorly packed boxes or items that get thrown in last second could face a sad moving-day death if you aren't prepared.

5. Develop a Packing Plan

There's nothing worse then waking up on moving day and realizing you have 3 rooms to stuff into boxes before 10 am.

Save yourself the stress and create a plan for what you want packed and when. If you work best with timelines, set some goals for which rooms you would like to see fully boxed on what dates.

Approach your packing on a room by room basis instead of piling odds and ends from every space into one miscellaneous box. This will make for an easier packing and unpacking experience.

Identify what items you are going to need last at your current residence and first on the other end. You can plan to keep these essentials aside and even designate a 'must go first' box for the big day.

6. Call in the Troops

When you start into the daily countdown, it's time to call for help. Your friends and family know the excitement and work that goes into a move like this. Chances are, they will be more than happy to be a part of your moving day experience.

The more the merrier when it comes to packing up spaces in a hurry. Seeing as you have already taken the time to declutter, the process will be as simple as wrap and box.

Having friends and family around will ease the stress of this time-crunch and make for a more fun and productive day. As a bonus, your loved ones likely won't be expecting much in return except a pizza and beer to end the day.

7. Label, Label, Label

Want a seamless unpacking experience? Label your boxes with exactly what is in them AND where you would like them to go at your new digs.

This way, your moving team can take them right to that room on arrival and you can eliminate the 'oh my gosh, where did that go?' panic.

If you've got helpers to unpack, these easy labels will make it simple for them to grab a box and get to work rather than waiting for your direction or feeling uncertain.

You won't be finding bathroom items in your kitchen drawers with this foolproof method.