Damage control – What to do if the moving day is here and you’re not yet ready

So, you’re moving in Coconut Creek. You’ve found a great new studio and you couldn’t be happier to move. It’s a start of a new chapter in your life.

But somehow time got past you. You’ve been feeling a bit lazy and didn’t want to do the work. The procrastinating got out of hand and suddenly you’ve found yourself within 24 hours of the D-day unprepared, with nothing done.

Studio movers are arriving and if you don’t do something quickly, they’ll have nothing to move.

Here are a few tips for quick damage control.

1. Get help!

You may have thought that studio moving isn’t that big of a deal and that you’ll be able to handle everything by yourself. But those days are long gone.

There is no way for you to handle this amount of work alone. Get some help!

Call friends, family, relatives and neighbors. The more people you can get on board, the better.

Don’t forget to thank them later. Throw a killer housewarming party. Cook them a nice meal. Buy each one, a bottle of great wine. Also, be prepared to help them in any future local moving endeavors they might have.

2. Plan first, shop later!

Of course you’ll need to buy everything you need – boxes, plastic bags, cleaning products, labels, bubble wrap and tape.

But resist the urge to start with the shopping first. Without basic planning you won’t know how much stuff you’ll need.

You’ll either end up with too few or too many boxes. Obviously, if you buy too few, at some point you’ll have to go out and buy some more and lose valuable time. If you get too many, you’ll just have more stuff to deal with.

Instead, take an hour to do a basic inventory. Estimate how much stuff you have and how you’ll pack it. Once you have your list, go and buy what you need.

Please, resist the urge to stroll around the shop. If you’ve planned everything, you know what you need, so don’t lose any more time browsing. If you think that you won’t be able to handle it by yourself, give the list to a loyal friend and let them take care of it.

3. Don’t worry about being neat!

Time is of the essence and wasting it on carefully stacking things that aren’t valuable is foolish. Anything that is breakable, wrap in bubble wrap and be mindful of how you place it in the boxes. All other stuff doesn’t need to be handled professionally. Dump it in bags and boxes as quickly as possible and don’t think too much about it.

4. Use it as an opportunity to declutter your life!

This isn’t a time for reflection and sentimentality. Anything that you’re not using regularly has to go. Be honest, when was the last time you’ve managed to squeeze yourself into that size S T-shirt? When was the last time you’ve used that old, rugged backpack. Lose them!

Have a large trash bag with you at all times and throw away anything that you no longer find useful.

Look at it as a metaphor. You are moving into a new life in Coconut Creek. Leaving the old mess behind you is a great way to start!

5. Be honest with your local movers!

Once the studio moving service arrives, tell them honestly, the situation. Don’t embellish and don’t exaggerate. The more precise time frame you can give them, the better.

Orange Movers are a professional studio moving team who know how to handle all kinds of situations. We’ve been through it all. Let us know what’s up and we will help you get the job done or at least give you advice on how to be quicker and more efficient.

6. Prioritize!

Figure out a system that works for you.

First pack the stuff that has to be loaded onto the truck before everything else. Ask your local movers how do they usually load the moving truck and act accordingly.

If there are multiple items of the same priority, divide your helpers into different working stations. Don’t let every work on packing the same thing.

7. Clean up after everything is done!

When you’ve finally packed your stuff and the truck is loaded, it’s time to clean up!

Take out the trash, vacuum, dust and wash the floors. It doesn’t have to shine and sparkle, but do leave everything clean for the new tenant to move in.

Leaving everything to be done in the last minute isn’t ideal, but it’s not the end of the world. As long as you don’t mess around even further, you’ll get the job done.

Be prepared to work your butt off for the next 24 hours and in the end you’ll make it.

After everything is done, remember the people who have come to your aid and treat them to a nice meal or buy them a token of gratitude.