A Move Gone Right
A move gone right — one of our latest projects helping one of our clients move.
First, kudos to this client of ours for two main reasons: (1) She first called us to declutter and organize her whole house (she knew she was moving in the future), and (2) After we organized her place, she maintained the house and the order within in top shape.
Organizing Before Packing
These two things were of great importance, especially because she was moving. And as counterintuitive as it sounds, organizing the home before packing for moving is crucial. This is because:
- It’s the only way to decide what to keep and what to let go confidently.
- Organizing the home before the move allows packing by category, which leads to a smoother unpacking and new home set-up process.
Organizing the home is critical before packing for moving, especially if the homeowner shows the house while living there.
Living in the House to Sell Complicates Things
Showing the house to sell while living in it is a different animal altogether — from packing itineraries to staging parameters to navigating living in a home while tiptoeing around.
Trying to sell, stage, and show a house while living in it is far more complicated in every aspect. But our client navigated this process like a champ! And what’s more, packing her home for the move was simpler than expected because of the preemptive strategy and planning employed.
Preemptively Planning and Working Together
As mentioned, she had the home meticulously organized by us and then professionally cleaned by a company we recommended months before putting the house on the market.
Some months later, we worked together again when she was ready for a staging and home prep consultation. She followed our advice quickly and thoroughly.
When it was time to pre-pack the home as part of the staging phase (to show the house with fewer contents), she had us help her with that as well.
The final packing took place three days before closing.
The Timing Of It All
One of the critical aspects of planning a smooth move is considering the different levels of packing the person or family will need, according to what the process looks like for them.
Our client already had conducted a preliminary pack to stage the home. The moving company placed her belongings in a local storage facility.
Given the timing of the closing, we needed to pack her last belongings four days before closing to provide time for the movers to pick up the boxes and furniture, plus allow an extra day for the make-ready cleaning.
So, we had two days to finish packing her house, and that was it? No, not so fast.
This client would spend two days in her empty house and two more days in a hotel before finalizing the house sale.
Although she would hit the road immediately after closing, she’d need an extra night in a hotel somewhere along the route. Also, she was going to a rented house for 30 days until her new home was ready (new build).
The Many Packing Levels
So, each one of these details informed and directed our packing efforts. It was more complex than packing everything on sight and go. There were several packing levels to consider:
- Items packed in the preliminary stage — these were taken to a local storage by the moving company.
- Items packed in the last few days and picked up by the moving company to be added to her local storage for the time being (including her car).
- Items the client needed during a month-long stay at a rented house until her new is available. These things would be packed in more accessible bags/boxes and loaded into her van.
- What she needed for the last couple of days in her empty home, the local hotel until the closing, and the hotel on her way to her new state — to be packed using her suitcases and carry-on bags. She was supposed to operate exclusively with the stuff in her suitcases and carry-ons for 6–7 days.
We considered all these things in our master plan. Our client was able to follow the plan, and when everything was said and done, she happily went on her way to her new life adventure.
It’s Complex But Not A Nightmare
I wanted to share this experience and process to illustrate the things I usually discuss in a real-world scenario.
The moving process, in its many dimensions and details, is complicated. But with the right planning and execution, it does not need to be a nightmare.
The next time you plan to move, call an expert in moving management so you can get help navigating this cumbersome process from A to Z.
