March Toward your Move!
Did you know that the most common months for someone to move or downsize falls between April and September? Most people find these months to be the easiest to schedule with moving companies because their peak months are May-August, and the easiest to physically complete the move due to calmer weather. But you can’t just decide to pack up and head out at the start of April! There has to be some thoughtful preparation and planning before downsizing and moving.
Use March as Your Staging Ground
March is the perfect month to start preparing for a move. March is not too hot, not too cold, and it gives you plenty of time to plan ahead. Do you know what needs to be accomplished before a realtor sets foot in your home? What about what needs to be done before the house goes on sale? Now is the time to research the steps required for a move and make a plan of action!
What to do before a realtor gives you an assessment:
Lighten up the home! Take down your curtains, wash and refresh them (replace with a lighter more updated look if necessary) and be sure to wash all of your windows inside and out. This will give your house a fresh, natural look and will be sure to dazzle your agent.
Tidy up outside! Before your realtor sets one foot through your doorway, they will see the outside of your home and will be making judgments based on how it looks. Take the time to make sure your gutters, driveway, side yards, and exteriors are up to snuff. It will be too early in the year to touch up the landscaping, but keep it in the back of your mind for later.
Repaint your walls! Typically a realtor will have a client paint their house in light, neutral colors to allow prospective buyers to imagine how they’d paint the home. If you get a jump start on this by repainting any darkly colored rooms, you will save great amounts of time later.
Clean every inch! You probably already have a spring cleaning session every year, but now’s the time to be even more thorough. You will want to move furniture so you can clean behind and beneath items that haven’t received a deep cleaning treatment in some time. You don't want your agent to be shocked by the dust behind the TV!
Clear that clutter! One tip that every realtor will tell you is to have clean and clutter-free countertops! You want to show prospective buyers all the space they will have in the home. By clearing off the clutter, buyers have an easier time imagining where they will place their items, and they will be more likely to purchase the home. If you do not have room in your house to store the clutter, utilize a storage unit or an on-demand bin storage service until you move to your new home.
After you have prepared your home for your realtor and you have received an assessment, it is time for the heavy lifting. Between the assessment and move date, you will want to donate and remove unwanted items from the home, follow any instructions the realtor gives you, schedule a date with a moving company, and start packing items into boxes.
If you want to use your inventory of packed boxes as a way to keep track of your possessions going forward, especially those that are valuable, try using a free home inventory tool like Fair Split or HomeZada.
Moving can be a lot of work! Luckily for you, you don't have to do it all alone. There are countless companies that can help with downsizing, organizing, and moving. In fact, Discover Organizing Inc. is proud to offer our services for the full moving process. We can connect you to a realtor, help declutter and organize your home before the realtor’s assessment, schedule and manage the moving company for you, and we will help pack your entire home! (Plus we can unpack you once you get to your new space.) Discover Organizing also sells moving supplies like boxes, bubble wrap, and paper. Moving takes time and effort. Use the month of March to plan the steps ahead and if you need help, we’re here for you!