METCALF MOVING BLOG
5 Tips When Making a Partial Household Move
There are many reasons why you might not need to move your entire home at once. Moving some things to a vacation or retirement home, divorce, relocating a business, or sending an adult child to live independently are good examples.
Moving only part of your home is a bit trickier. First, you must put everything in the correct category in a way that’s easy for the movers to understand.
Here are a few tips to help you ensure that you move the appropriate items and keep the others at home.
1. Make a Moving Inventory
Making a moving inventory is an excellent idea for any residential move. However, it’s imperative if you aren’t moving everything.
Build the list, and then consult the rest of your household about it. If there’s any confusion about which items are going, now’s the best time to discuss it. You want to avoid arguments on your moving day.
Inventory lists are helpful, even if they don’t include everything. For example, you could include a list of furniture that doesn’t involve counting boxes.
2. Organize Boxes
If more than one person is moving simultaneously to different places, the last thing you want is to confuse the boxes. So it’s best to organize them separately.
Choose colored labels for boxes that you pack for a particular move. Then, label all the boxes with these colors.
On the day of the move, you can let the movers know that only boxes with a specific color are going. Then, you can verify during loading that no other cartons go on the truck.
3. Stage Elsewhere
Consider staging items for the move in a different place to avoid confusion. That way, you can ensure everything on the truck is correct.
Reserving a storage unit is an option. You can also use a garage, shed, or other rooms on your property.
If you still want the movers to pick up a few things from your home, you’ll need to distinguish those from the stuff that isn’t going.
4. Label Furniture
When you make your moving inventory, it’s essential to be specific. For example, if you have lots of furniture, you want to be sure that the movers get the right pieces.
Provide descriptions on your inventory so you can’t confuse them with another item in your home.
Add a label to the furniture. Make sure that you prepare the furniture for moving before you put the label on it.
5. Block Off Non-Moving Rooms
Moving day can be confusing, with many people picking up boxes and furniture to take to the truck. To minimize the chance of error, you can block off the rooms with items that aren’t going.
In most cases, you may be able to close the door and put on a note that they should move the contents of that room. Otherwise, consider hanging a cord from the walls to divide the room or block off a hallway. That way, which rooms must go is clear, even if your labeling plan isn’t perfect.
Moving Done Right
Moving half of your home is much better when you don’t have to worry about moving the wrong stuff. Contact us today for more ways to simplify your moving experience.
