Moving and Staying Sane
Movers – as soon as you have a firm sale call the moving company or truck rental and book it. Maybe even call them when you are in negotiations before you accept an offer and ask them what days they are available. You can then co-ordinate your closing date with their schedule.
Bridge financing – To avoid moving day being more chaotic than normal consider bridge financing. This way you can move a couple of days or even a week prior into your new home. This will give you lots of time to clean and get your old home ready for the new buyers. Talk to your banker and ask what it would cost to do this. It is not as expensive as you might think and it is well worth it.
Packing – You can pick up free boxes from the LCBO but they will be all different sizes and shapes and some of them have had the tops removed. This will work but when packing a truck it is always easier to have the boxes the same size and definitely with lids on them. Moving companies sell boxes – they are not cheap but you can ask for used ones. A brand new 2 cubic foot box will cost approximately $2.50, used $2.00. Moving companies also sell clean paper for about $1.00 per pound. This makes unpacking dishes easy as you can just unwrap and put in the cupboards. Big plastic garbage bags work well for bedding, towels, etc. Most moving companies will “loan” you wardrobe boxes for moving day. Just let them know in advance approximately how many you will need. For a 3 bedroom house, at least 5 will be needed. You can even put your shoes in the bottom of them. Very convenient.
What to do with all the junk – having a garage sale and/or hiring a dumpster will make your move easier. If you had staged your home and decluttered for your showings, this should be a bit easier. A dumpster costs about $200 and they will put it in your driveway for a couple of days/weeks. Just fill it up and call them when you want them to pick it up. They will then weigh the contents and send you a final bill.
Clear directions – Make sure you mark your boxes clearly – not only what the contents are, eg., dishes; books, bedding, etc., but also the location of where the box will go, eg. kitchen, basement, garage, etc,. This will make it easier at the other end when the movers are taking the boxes off the truck. It is also suggested to have someone at the door directing where each box or piece of furniture will go. It’s time consuming and frustrating for the movers if they take a couch into the living room when you really want it in the den.
Kids/Pets – If you have kids or pets, maybe make plans for them to be at the dog sitters or friend/relatives for the day. It’s a busy day and as much as we love them, they will probably be happier someone else for the day.
Change of address – as long as you have a credit card you can do this online http://www.canadapost.ca/cpo/mc/personal/tools/ecoa/pcoa.jsf
It is going to be a hectic day so just go with the flow. Being prepared and well organized will help. Ordering pizza and having cold beer in the fridge is a nice reward once everything is off the truck. Don’t forget the movers, offer them pizza and beer and don’t forget to tip them. They have worked hard and deserve it.