Remember that goofball Charlie Sheen a few years back when he was intent on “Winning”. Charlie obviously wasn’t winning but here are talking about “Moving and Winning”. Not in the actor’s sense. It’s our mission to help you hit the ball out of the park when you relocate.
The Curtain is About to Go Up
Here’s the plan:
• Those who know they’re going to hire a mover a couple of month’s down-the-road, don’t wait until the last minute to set-up an appointment. This is especially important for folks who are going more than across town. Long distance moves need to be inked-in-stone as much in advance as possible.
• Also, weeks in advance, have a yard sale. Get rid of the stuff you no longer need or use. If the junk is broken, pitch it. Things that you can’t unload, donate to charity. Nice write-off on your taxes.
• If you’re going to live hundreds of miles from the old town, while you’re in the new house measure everything – where are the outlets, length and width of the windows, how big are the door portals (will your furniture fit through the openings)? If there are stairs, will the box springs make it up the steps? What are the sizes of all rooms? How big are the holes where you put your fridge, washer, dryer, oven, dishwasher and things like that. If the old stuff doesn’t fit, sell it and upgrade. Usually when you purchase a large appliance in your new city, they deliver free.
• There needs to be some built-in overlapping between when you close on your old home or flat and the date you plan to take-up a new residence. Do this if you want to give the different place a coat of paint or some minor modifications. It’s much easier than having your furniture shadowing your every brush stroke.
• The utilities need to be flicked-off and cranked-up at the new locale. This is another matter where overlapping will serve you well. Notify banks (and snatch anything you may have from your safety deposit box), financial institutions, the post office, etc.
• Leave the old place all spiffy. Don’t want the new inhabitants to think you were a bunch of pigs. This is especially significant if you’re a renter. You could end-up throwing away your security deposit if the apartment isn’t up to par.
• At your new casa, don’t unpack until you’ve totally given the place a thorough scrub-down. Start at the top and leave the floors until you’ve set everything in its place.
There you go. Winning!