I’ve moved — wait for it — 16 times in the last 19 years.
Yup. Six houses and ten apartments / condos / lofts.
From shifting every six months during my university years, to securing my first bachelorette pad, to decamping for my then-boyfriend’s place, to relocating in the Middle East and eventually returning home, to settling back in with my guy, to buying our first place, to selling it, to temporarily living under multiple roofs as a married couple while we waited on our pre-construction unit’s completion, to the split, to finding new digs after my divorce — it’s been a trip.
All this moving has literally made me a neighbourhood genius (Leslieville, Riverdale, Corktown, St Lawrence Market, Canary District, Distillery District, Yonge and Eg, Church/Yonge Corridor, West Rouge, Toronto Waterfront) but we’ll leave that for another blog post 😉
It goes without saying. I’ve mastered the move. Quite frankly while everyone else is stressed and anxious to the nines on moving day, I’m the opposite. I’m the coolest, most chill cat in the world now when the movers show up.
Plus, as a real estate agent for the past several years, I’ve also helped more clients migrate from one home to the next than I care to count.
Want to learn how to make your moving day a little less stressful and a little more fun? Here are my 10 top moving tips:
- Pick a date to move. If it doesn’t need to be the first or last day of the month, then don’t make it. If it has to be, so be it. Make your first call to book a truck or movers. Lock that sh&t in. Make your second call, if you’re moving to a condo, to the building’s property management company or concierge to book the moving elevator.
- On that note, hire a real mover! Communicate to them how much stuff you have and what else you need their help doing — such as assembling or disassembling beds and furniture. That way, they’ll be ready. Oh, and don’t forget to tip them!
- Next. Call your cable and internet company one or two weeks in advance. Have them come in the afternoon too. Because if you request them to come at the crack of dawn, you’re likely to have gotten up good and early for nothing — those buggers are always late! Better yet, book your movers for the morning and your cable guy for the afternoon so you can settle in like a rockstar on the eve of your move.
- Next. Head over to canadapost.ca and have your mail transferred one or two weeks beforehand. They have several options for mail forwarding. Take the year option.
- Next. Book Frogbox instead of traditional boxes — they’re reusable plastic moving boxes delivered to your home, then picked up once you’re done. It’s easy to do, the movers can transport them faster and it means no boxes to break down afterwards. Don’t forget to procure lots of packing paper, either. I usually have them drop off the bins 2 weeks before my move date, and have them pick up 4-7 days after my move date. It means I get unpacked quicker.
- Next. When that Frogbox delivery gets dropped off, get your pack on. Or, in plainer terms, DON’T LEAVE EVERYTHING TO THE LAST MINUTE!! Make a list, check it twice (if Santa Claus can do it, so can you), itemize what needs to be done, put together a moving day kit, don’t mistake your belongings for trash, etc. Then, smoothly execute the gameplan. Mark my words, you’ll thank yourself — and me — later.
- Next. While you’re breaking from the packing, Transfer your utilities online and call your insurance company for home owner’s insurance a few days prior to clearing out. Trust me, this is bound to slip through the cracks once you’re in the thick of things. Better to avoid the hassle early.
- Next. Delay your deliveries! That comfy new couch or king sized bed you purchased, or swanky dining room suite, may look great, but will cause is congestion if they arrive while your movers are at work, and you’re already stressed out to the Nth degree — although the pre-move strategy I recommended should help alleviate that.
- On moving day, prepare for delays. Prepare for the odd thing to break. In other words, take your chill pill. Odds are, if the moving elevator breaks down or the movers hit traffic, its out of your control anyway. Everyone eventually gets moved in. Keep a level mind and be prepared to go with the flow. If you’re headed to a building, buddy up with the concierge. Y’know, in case you need the elevator for longer. In my experience, making friends with them means they may not charge you for the extra time, assuming there was a fee in the first place.
- Perhaps most importantly, buy a case of beer and put it in the fridge the moment you get in the door! You’ve earned it.
Looking for a promo code for Frogbox or a recommendation for a mover? Send me an email: karyn@homesweetkaryn.com
Happy Moving!!