7 tips to make moving easier
When moving to a new home, there are quite a few pitfalls to avoid. The following text will show you how to perfectly organize your move. It summarizes seven simple points to help you make your move as efficient as possible.
1. Mobilize sufficient help in good time!
Moving to a new home usually means a lot of work. Understandably, the necessary tasks often exceed the capabilities of one person. Therefore, it's especially important to enlist helpers for the move. Contact these people well in advance, ideally as soon as you know for sure that you'll be moving. This is important because it allows you to ensure early on that enough people will be helping. Another advantage of early planning is, of course, flexibility. If one or more people cancel beforehand, there's usually still enough time to find replacements.
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2. Different items—different transport containers!
A complete household naturally includes many different items. The range extends from small accessories and textiles to truly bulky furniture. Of course, all these items must be transported safely to the new home. It's advisable to ensure that the different materials are packed appropriately. For books, for example, the familiar moving boxes are still probably the best option. However, be sure that they aren't too heavy. This will not only make carrying the boxes easier but also prevent them from bursting under the weight and, in the worst-case scenario, even tearing. Tip: Reinforce the moving boxes with tape for even more stability!
For other items, such as textiles (clothing, bedding, etc.), the aforementioned moving boxes are usually not the best choice, as they don't offer enough space. Large, sturdy bags, which can be bought at discount stores or supermarkets, are much more suitable in this case. Your laundry basket can also be filled with textiles during the move. This way, you kill two birds with one stone. Firstly, there's no empty space, which always results in a loss of efficiency; secondly, you save the likely limited capacity of packing materials for other items.
Naturally, all containers, whether boxes or others, should be labeled so that they end up back in the correct room later.
It goes without saying that you should finish packing well in advance. Ideally, most of your belongings should be packed away a few days before the moving date. This way, you can be sure that you won't have to hastily pack your belongings at the last minute and lose track of everything when unpacking.
3. A good opportunity to get rid of excess baggage!
As you pack your household items for the upcoming move, you'll likely come across things that have almost been forgotten over time. Some of these items are there for good reason; for example, personal tastes may have changed, or they may simply have lost their importance. Often, items accumulate in duplicate or even multiple copies. Of course, not all of these items need to be taken along on the move, saving considerable weight and effort. Therefore, when relocating, you should always decide beforehand what you want to take with you and what you want to leave behind. Items that are still in good working order can be sold for a small fee (for example, at a flea market or on eBay) or even given away. This way, you're sure to make someone else happy. Furthermore, this can potentially minimize the size of the bulky waste pile—where everything that's truly unusable ends up.
The possibilities for getting rid of this accumulated ballast are therefore:
- flea market
- eBay
- to give away
- Bulky waste (if there is absolutely no other way)
4. Conduct skillfully!
If, as described in the first paragraph, you have managed to mobilize enough people to help, it is advisable to assign these helpers different tasks right from the start. For example, one person should remain on the moving truck to pack the household goods as efficiently as possible, meaning without any gaps. It is then advisable to transport the furniture in the first trip. Once it has arrived at its destination, it can easily be reassembled by two people. Someone should also be tasked with getting refreshments during the lunch break. Finally, the former apartment or house must, of course, be swept clean. It is best if you take on this task yourself.
If you pay attention to this important point, the risk of the move being chaotic is significantly reduced.
5. In the case of rental properties, the previous landlord must be taken into account.
As briefly mentioned earlier, the previous living space must be handed over in a broom-clean condition. But that's not all! You are also generally responsible for repairing any wear and tear or defects. The crucial document in this case is the move-in inspection report, which should be completed upon moving in. In plain terms, this means you must return the premises to the condition you found them in. Once you are certain this is the case, the handover to the previous landlord can take place. At this time, you must, of course, return all keys. If you settle all of this with your previous landlord, you are usually also entitled to a refund of any security deposit.
6. Don't forget to change your address!
Finally, you must of course notify us of your change of address. This is very important so that your mail continues to arrive in your mailbox as usual. A special service offered by Deutsche Post, the so-called "address change notification," has proven useful in this case. forwarding requestAlthough this involves costs, it is also significantly easier than informing all necessary contacts of the new address individually.
7. A final check never hurts!
This point is particularly important! Before moving day begins, you should make sure you are well prepared. But what exactly do you need to pay attention to? The following list is a kind of checklist to help you assess your own readiness:
- Have I organized enough help?
- Is everything securely stowed and labeled?
- What is the status of the relationship with the previous landlord?
- What happens to the discarded items?
The conclusion is:
For a move that doesn't descend into chaos, good organization is essential. To ensure everything runs smoothly, helping hands are paramount. These helpers should be scheduled for the move itself. However, you can also take the right precautions beforehand. For example, it's crucial to pack and label everything securely. This is also a good opportunity to get rid of accumulated clutter. Before you begin, you should double-check that you've thought of everything. This naturally includes communicating with your previous landlord. Once you've moved into your new home, you should also take care of changing your address.
