Organizing Your Home Before a Move
By Jennifer Snyder
If you are hiring professional movers, you are paying someone to move each and every item you own. A representative from the moving company will come to your home to get an idea of the amount stuff you wish to move. They will base their cost estimate on what they see so before they come, you should purge from you home what you do not want to pay to move.
Many people overlook items that they have hidden away in the attic or storage sheds. Also consider any personal property that serves as decoration in the yard. Don't forget to show you mover any and all storage areas and certainly don't forget to purge them as well.
To help you remove e
xtra items from your home, go through every room and sort items into one of three general categories.
- Throw away – rent a dumpster if necessary
- Donate – give these items away before the movers come to perform their estimate
- Moving to new home – leave these items in their current location so they can be included in the estimate
The early bird gets the worm. An early start to getting the home organized will set the foundation for a stress-free move. If you have lived in your home for many years, chances are good that you have had enough time to tuck things away, never to be used again. If you feel that you will have too much trash for your local garbage service to handle, arrange for a dumpster to be delivered as early in the process as you can. You want the dumpster to be gone by the time you have potential buyers visiting your home.
Give charitably. Many charitable organizations will come to your home to pick up items you wish to donate. If not, schedule a time to have all items prepared for donation and make a trip to the organization of your choice. Keep in mind that many organizations like Goodwill and Salvation Army do not take after-hours drop-offs. Keep track of the aggregate dollar value of the items you are donating as you can receive a tax write-off for them. Be sure to obtain a receipt to take advantage of this deduction.
Don't forget your filing cabinet. If you are like most people, you are probably saving years worth of utility, phone, and household bills. Now is a great time to shred these bills and dispose of them and start fresh in your new location.
Small/Home business owners: If you need to keep any records from previous years for tax purposes, this is a great time to move them to storage boxes for safekeeping. Organize them by year and start fresh in your new location.
Organizing children is elementary. If you have children, the moving process is the perfect time to have them try on all their clothes, evaluate their sports equipment, and determine which toys they have outgrown. Often, children have a considerable amount of possessions that they have outgrown. These can be donated to a less fortunate family. Involving children in the process allows them to feel like they are part of the moving process. If possible, give them the ability to design their new room and help create a more mature room without the "baby" toys.
Prove it. Be sure to keep any receipts and records of repairs that were made to your home while you have owned it. Buyers will almost certainly do their own home inspections when they make an offer. They request clarification on any obvious repairs that were made during your time in the home. For example, if it appears that there was once a leak in the roof, a buyer may want to see proof that it was fixed properly. Otherwise they may try to ask for a monetary concession, or ask that it is repaired prior to closing. Also, don't try to hide anything from your buyers with regards to disclosures and inspections. You never know if your neighbors will tell your buyers about the time they saw you pitching a hole in the roof. Start a file in your new home to keep maintenance records.
Happy moving and have a Neat day!
Jennifer Snyder, CPO
Neat as a Pin Organizing Experts
www.neatasapin.net
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xtra items from your home, go through every room and sort items into one of three general categories.
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