The weeks leading up to a big move can be exhausting and leave you feeling overwhelmed. Having a basic checklist to help you stop looking at the big picture and start concentrating on the smaller, much-needed items, is what moving a home is all about. Usually, about four weeks to your deadline is a great time to start taking care of the items that need to be scheduled in advance. Tackling these items now will allow you to be more flexible later for dealing with unexpected matters that might pop up closer to your move time. 

1. Declutter – This is the time where you need to look at everything in your home and begin to declutter it all. One of the biggest things I like to do is to take a trash bag and go room to room to put things in the bag I won’t use. I’ll have a few bags that will be labeled for a consignment store, a garage sale to move with us to the new home, or to just plain throw away. By labeling everything as well it keeps things visible for you to see what is going to what location so you can designate accordingly.  

2. House Availability – Before you move, you want to make sure you have a place to be moving to. If it’s a relocation that you are experiencing, make sure that the company that is moving you sets you up in an apartment or a hotel room so you have a place to go too. If you are moving on your own, house hunt before you put your home on the market. This gives you an idea of how much money you want to spend in your new location and once your other home sells, you’ll know how much money to put down for a down payment. Check out various neighborhoods, schools and ask neighbors what they think of the area before settling on a home. Think about how many bedrooms you want, bathrooms, and an ideal layout of what your home will look like. 

3. Have a Budget– One big goal to set before you move is your budget. To get an accurate idea of how much money you may need for your relocation, find out if your savings will be enough to cover all your moving-related expenses. Create a moving budget. Figure in all the moving company expenses ( their rate, extra service charges, and more ) or if you are using a rental truck, think about gas prices, road tolls, and parking fees you’ll have to encounter when you drive. Don’t forget to factor in the cost of any necessary packing materials ( boxes, newspapers, and sturdy tape ). There may also be some travel expenses if you are flying and post-relocation expenses. Having a fund for any emergency that may come can also make you feel a little bit better about your move and could be necessary should you get a flat tire, miss your flight and have to find another one, or someone gets hurt packing your valuables and you need to visit a local hospital. 

Image:  Ben Harris Atlanta Real Estate

4. Find A Quality Relator: If you are moving and something might have fallen through with the new home, you’ll want to rely on a proper relator to help you through it. Relators are experts in finding you the best homes in a location of your choosing to you want to make sure that they are honest, caring, hard working and will listen to your wish list. If you live in the Atlanta area, one real estate agent to look at is Ben Harris Atlanta Real Estate. Mr. Harris is a top producing agent and specalizies in luxury high rise condominiums as well as homes. He offers VIP treatment and his attention to detail and to recgonize distinct subtleties make his listing stand out in what is a very crowded market today. He works with a variety of clients from first time homebuyers to multi-million dollar homeowners. Looking for something small? Ben can help at 101 midtown condominiums for sale or any other homes in the market! 

I’m sure there are many other big goals for you to set before your big move and whatever they are, have a calendar nearby that you can constantly check to make sure you are on track with everything. Staying organized and on top of these small tasks will pay off in the long run. I think these four goals to accomplish before your move will be key to making the actual move itself as less stressful as possible, especially if you hire professionals to help you. They take all the stress out of packing and moving for you!