Moving
This past month has been a bit crazy and led me to write on a very different topic – Moving.
Whether it is your home or your office, moving is stressful, frantic and a major event. While I hope to never move my home or my office again, I do have some tips that might help you. There’s lots of advice on transferring phones and internet service, measuring spaces and determining where things will go in the new space. Here are some other ideas that hopefully will help you have a smooth move.
Planning is the key. The more time you have to prepare the better. If you have time you should first go through each area and discard those things you really don’t need. Gather them up and donate them to charity. Some charities will pick things up right at your door! Actually this is a good idea anytime. I suggest at least once per year, walk around your home or office. Open drawers and closets. Go through your things and anything you don’t use or that doesn’t work, get rid of.
Get boxes in advance and pack. If you are working with a moving company they may be willing to provide you with boxes and even some packing supplies if you ask. Whether you get them from the mover, buy them or get them from the local liquor store, the more you can pack yourself the better. This is not only because it will save you money on packing fees, but also because you can put things together in a logical group. It’s much easier when all the contents of your drawer are in one box. Furthermore, when you label boxes, you can label them the way you want.
Speaking of labeling, if boxes will be going to a different room than they came from, make sure you agree on how they will be labeled. Having a box labeled office may not help if there are two offices in the new location.
Don’t believe the person who gives the estimate regarding the aspects of the move. They may be great at figuring out boxes and packing but when it comes to moving, they aren’t fully aware. We were told that the files in the file cabinets didn’t need to be removed, the file cabinets could be moved as is. Therefore I left them. The packers and movers said, no way, too heavy since it involved stairs. If I had known I would have packed them “logically”.
Do you have a cabinet where things are arranged and fit perfectly? Take a picture. Once everything is removed it will take you a long time (maybe never) to remember how everything was organized. A picture makes it so much easier. Similarly, If you have pictures arranged on a wall and want to put them back similarly, take a picture.
If you move boxes or other items yourself and you can’t immediately put things where they will reside, make a list of what you put where. This may save you frantic searching.
Tape cords to the items they belong to or label every cord with what it is for. When you move in setup a box or area for “unidentified” cords and parts. Put everything that doesn’t immediately belong to something in one spot. Then when you find a piece of equipment that is missing a part or cord you have only one place to look. Similarly with shelves. If shelves get separated from their homes, put them all in one place. This saves that moment of – I know I saw that shelf somewhere.
Moving your home? Make sure you know where a set of linens and blankets is for each bed. Perhaps pack them in a suitcase. It’s also a good idea to keep a pot or two handy. Paper plates and plastic silver are okay for eating, but they don’t work well for cooking and take out can get old (and expensive) fast.
Give yourself time to unpack at the other end. If you are moving your office, let customers know that you will be “less available” for a day or two. A note in your signature for a few weeks can be very helpful. If you have someone who can cover for you for a few days, even better. Home or office, don’t plan anything major for a few days. You’ll want the time.
As you unpack figure out a way to get rid of boxes and wrapping materials quickly. The removal of these items will give you a feeling of accomplishment, make it easier to see what remains to be done and give you more room to work.
When all is said and done, take time to enjoy your new home or office.
Caren Schwartz
Editor’s note: I too moved my office on March 1, and am still trying to ‘unbox' and get everything into its’ proper location. Of course at the same time I was moving my office I was also trying to recover from a small house fire which forced me to ‘move out’ for 2 weeks before being allowed to return. Moving is a ‘stress, and one that will consume you if you let it', Caren has given great advice in this article, I only wish I had been able to read it 60-days ago as I got ready to relocate.
Murph