Monthly Archives: April 2024

Florida Moving Guide

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Getting ready for an upcoming Florida move? The reality is, no matter how many times you’ve relocated, each time can still feel difficult and will certainly present its own set of challenges. Whether you already live in Florida and are moving within the state or you’re setting forth to venture to the Sunshine State, this move can present exciting changes in your future—but the real trouble is getting there.

With so many tasks to complete before moving day, you might feel daunted about everything lying ahead, but luckily, we have the solutions to your problems. Through our ten streamlined steps, you can trust that your upcoming relocation can feel simple and manageable; all it takes is the proper know-how. Keep reading to discover how your Florida relocation can be a breeze! 

  • Make a Plan

Before anything else, it’s crucial to create a plan for your upcoming relocation. Planning allows you to feel prepared for what’s ahead and to stay organized in the face of the many tasks you will need to accomplish prior to moving day. These plans can come in a variety of forms—the beauty is that you can choose the formats best suited to your preferences and needs.

Creating a to-do list, a calendar, or a spreadsheet can effectively sort the tasks to get done and prioritize them in chronological order so you finish everything on time. In addition to these lists of tasks, you should also create a budget to properly assess your finances and anticipate the costs of various aspects of your move. This can allow you to be prepared for how much you will need to spend during your relocation.

  • Declutter Your Home

Prior to your upcoming Florida move, it’s crucial to declutter your home and reduce the amount of items you’re holding onto. Over time, we all accumulate clutter in our homes as closets and drawers get filled with random items that we end up forgetting. But getting ready for a move is the perfect opportunity to declutter your space, as you’re already sorting through your belongings when you pack them.

Decluttering can allow you to save time and energy on packing as you eliminate items that you don’t want or need to bring to your new home when you relocate. Divide your belongings into categories: donate, sell, trash, and keep. Decide which items no longer are frequently used, and opt out of keeping them. You can even make some extra cash if you accumulate enough sellable items for a yard sale!

  • Gather Packing Supplies

Once you’ve decluttered your home, it’s time to gear up for packing. To complete a secure and thorough job with packing, you will need to gather the right supplies for your belongings. Stock up on sturdy boxes, packing tape, bubble wrap, packing paper, permanent markers, resealable plastic bags, moving blankets, and any other materials you will need to secure and protect your items. Remember, securing your items with high-quality supplies is the most effective way to keep them undamaged during your move.

  • Hire a Moving Company

It’s not a secret that relocating can be stressful. If you want to decrease your stress and take some of the tasks off of your plate, opt to hire a reputable moving company for simplified solutions. By working with professional movers, you’re able to focus on other aspects of your relocation while the experts hone in on the logistical elements of the move. These companies typically offer an array of services for packing, moving, and storage needs, allowing you to access the solutions best suited for your move.

  • Allow Time for Packing

One hard and fast rule for moving is that packing can be completed in a rush. If you want to keep your items safe and pack your boxes in an organized manner, it’s a task that requires a significant amount of time and consideration. Because this is such a time-intensive and laborious process, many people dread this aspect of moving, but with the right approach, packing doesn’t need to feel exhausting.

To avoid any stress involved with packing, be sure to allow yourself plenty of time—more than you even think you’ll need. This will prevent any need to rush through the process and will allow you to complete the task in shorter chunks, which can feel a lot less daunting. Handling the process through this approach can effectively decrease your stress as you pack and grant you ample time to pack in an orderly fashion.

  • Organize and Protect Items

As previously mentioned, allowing plenty of time for packing encourages you to organize your belongings and protect them from damage in transit. Let’s dive into more detail about the importance of these steps. First and foremost, organizing your items will enable you to experience a much more convenient, streamlined process when it’s time to unpack. Your items will be neat, orderly, and grouped together with other items that belong in the same room—all you need to do is take them out of the box in their new home. An important part of your organizational measures should also include labeling or creating an item inventory as you fill your boxes so you can easily find the items you’re looking for when you arrive at your new residence.

Next, be very mindful of the amount of protection you use for your belongings. Especially for fragile items, they will require a sufficient amount of padding to prevent damage in transit. Always make sure to wrap these fragile items carefully in a way that limits movement as much as possible within the boxes. The more your belongings are able to be jostled within their boxes, the higher the likelihood of sustaining damage during the move. 

  • Update Your Address

With moving day quickly approaching, it’s important to update all necessary parties with your new address to avoid any issues with important correspondence. Be sure to provide your new address to the postal service, your insurance provider, your employer, your bank and credit card companies, the IRS, and any other parties who may need to contact you via mail or would need to have your address on file. Handle these changes promptly to avoid any missed communication during the transition.

  • Set Up Utilities

Similar to your change of address, setting up utilities is something that should be handled promptly to avoid any delays in activation at your new home (or deactivation at your old home). If you’re moving locally, you may simply be able to transfer your account to the new address and still use the same providers; however, the chances of this are a lot slimmer if you’re completing a long-distance relocation. Reach out to the service providers in your area and set up activation for your services the day before your moving day so everything is up and running when you arrive.

  • Pack Your Essentials

While getting ready for your move, the very last items that will be packed are your essentials. These are the belongings that you need everyday, which is why they need to wait until the end. Your essential items should ideally go in a bag or box that stays with you, rather than getting loaded onto the moving truck. Include a change of clothes, toiletries, any necessary medications, and even basic kitchen items for when you arrive at your new abode.

  • Double Check and Confirm

To quell any worries and ensure everything is going according to plan, confirm reservations or bookings with any third parties you’re working with for your relocation. Whether it’s moving companies, utility providers, or accommodations as you travel to your new home, be sure to double-check that everyone has the right dates and times for the services they will be providing. This can prevent any communication errors on moving day.

 

Your Simplified Florida Move

With these ten simple steps on your side, moving has never been easier! All it takes is some knowledge and planning, and your Florida relocation can feel like a breeze. Ready to take the plunge with movers who you can trust to make your Sunshine State move even sunnier?

Trust Coral Springs Moving & Storage to help you with all of your relocation needs. Our expert services have provided South Florida and beyond with the very best in moving, packing, and storage since 1974. We pride ourselves in our reliable solutions from a team that truly cares. If you’re interested in accessing moving solutions of the highest caliber, request a free quote online today, and discover how Coral Springs can transform your move. 

Decluttering Do’s & Don’ts

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Whether you have a relocation on the horizon or you’re simply ready to tidy and organize your home, decluttering is an excellent step to take to eliminate unnecessary and unwanted items.

By completing a thorough decluttering process, you have the power to put your home in tip-top shape with as little clutter as possible. This reset can also make the packing process infinitely easier if you’re preparing to complete a move, as you’ll only be moving with the items you really want and need. Allow us to walk you through basic dos and don’ts to make the most of your declutter! 

 

Do…

  • Start with Bothersome Areas

If you have an area in your home that causes you the most stress, consider starting your decluttering process with this spot. We all have certain spots that have accumulated clutter or need an organizational makeover, whether it’s a specific room or a storage area such as closets or cabinets. Tackle these bothersome areas first, as you will likely be more motivated to handle this clutter and make progress in these areas. As you work through these high-clutter spaces, you will gain momentum as you eliminate more items, empowering you to handle other parts of your home with more efficiency. 

  • Work in Small Chunks

Decluttering isn’t the sort of task that you should try to speed run in a single day. Instead, work through the process in small chunks so you can sustain momentum and handle the task with minimal stress. To keep the decluttering sessions feeling manageable, either set small goals such as a closet or part of a room or set a timer for around an hour or so. Anything too long can feel draining and stressful, sometimes leading to decision fatigue. Optimal results are achieved in a decluttering process little by little.

  • Sort Your Items into Categories

As you declutter your home, approach the task by sorting your belongings into categories. These categories are typically donate, sell, trash, and keep. Use boxes or bags to effectively sort these items into clear groups that you can easily transport where they need to go. This step allows you to handle your items according to the best approach for their declutter, depending on aspects such as their condition.

  • Donate and Recycle

As previously mentioned, your belongings will go into different categories depending on what you want to do with them following your declutter. For the items you’re not keeping, the ideal solution is to get rid of them in a way that gives them a second life. Donating or recycling these items is the most eco-friendly option, as these solutions eliminate waste as much as possible. Although items in poor condition may not be able to be donated, recycling the materials to the best of your ability is a great way to declutter your items. This way, you can also feel good about getting rid of your items, without the guilt of creating unnecessary waste.

  • Follow the 90/90 Rule

Struggling to decide if you should declutter certain items? One approach to guide your decision-making is the 90/90 rule. This rule states that if you haven’t used an item in the past 90 days and you don’t foresee yourself using it in the next 90 days, then it’s probably time to get rid of it. You can tweak this rule according to your needs; for example, some people change this to 60 days or 120 days. For items that are easier or less expensive to replace, this rule can be incredibly helpful, as infrequent usage is a valid reason to get rid of these items since you could easily get them again if need be.

 

Don’t…

  • Rush Through the Process

Decluttering can be a long and taxing task depending on how much clutter you need to sort through. Although you may be tempted to rush through the job to get it done, the reality is that a thorough declutter can’t be completed hastily. As mentioned before, the task should be done in small chunks so you can take your time to be detailed about the process. Make sure you take your time, allowing you to eliminate as many items as possible.

  • Keep Items for Sentimentality

Understandably, there will be at least a few items that you keep for sentimental reasons. We all have items like this, and it’s fine to keep some of them. However, avoid keeping a large amount of belongings for this reason. Although many items may have memories attached to them, this reason can result in significant clutter remaining in your home. Be as discerning as possible to make sure you keep only the most special items, rather than unnecessary belongings.

  • Tackle It Alone

It can be difficult to declutter on your own. Instead, enlist the help of loved ones to help you get the job done more efficiently. If you live with family or roommates, make sure they assist you through the process of decluttering your items. If you live alone, count on trusted friends and family to assist you whenever possible. Not only does this help you to work through your home more quickly, but it also can be really helpful when you start to lose momentum. Your loved ones will be able to provide a more objective viewpoint about the items you can’t decide on.

  • Do Too Much At Once

Trying to complete hours of decluttering at once will only burn you out and exhaust you. Avoid doing too much at once, and if you feel like you’re losing steam, give yourself a break. This is why it’s important to allow ample time ahead of a move or a goal date so you can break the process down into more manageable segments instead of attempting to power through lengthy sessions.

  • Pressure Yourself

Although you might have big goals for your decluttering, don’t be hard on yourself if you don’t get rid of as much as you were anticipating. You might see others who look like they have pristine, clutter-free homes, but this typically isn’t the reality. Allow yourself to declutter in whatever way works for you, and remember that you don’t need to have the most organized home in the world in order to deem your decluttering as successful.

 

Declutter Like An Expert!

With these dos and don’ts, decluttering can be completed efficiently and effectively. If you’re decluttering ahead for a relocation and want some help with your move, look no further than Coral Springs Moving & Storage, your trusted South Florida Movers.

Coral Springs has been successfully facilitating moves since 1974, providing enhanced convenience and professional solutions for our customers at competitive prices. With our packing, moving, and storage solutions, you can anticipate a relocation completed with ease. Want to learn more? Request a free quote today via our website, or call us at 954-752-7366.