Donate items to charity, anything from cars to appliances
to clothes and shoes can be donated to a charitable organization. Start
by going online to see what nonprofits have locations in your area and
find out what their needs are. Choose a charity that needs the types of
things you'd like to give, and then just give.
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Have a yard sale.
Yard sales are generally on Saturdays, and you'll need
to advertise to get a good turnout. So, put up fliers where it seems
logical - your workplace, your church, your community center, the local
library and, of course, don't forget to put up signs around your
neighborhood. There are even Web sites where you can advertise your sale.
read more ?Pack
boxes by the room
Pack similar items together. For example, if you're
packing up the contents of your medicine cabinet, don't add kitchen
utensils to the box. That will confuse matters when you're unpacking the
box. Instead, add more bathroom items to that box.
read more ?Notify
correspondents of your move
It would be really sad if you don't receive all those
lovely holiday and birthday cards because your friends and relatives don't
know what your new address is. Let people know that you're moving and what
your new address will be. It can be as easy as sending out a mass e-mail
with all the pertinent information.
read more ?Collect
boxes
You'll want to start packing up your nonessential items
early, so you need boxes. You can find ways to score free boxes. You may
be able to pick up boxes from a business -- and don't just hit the
standard grocery stores and ABC stores, think outside the box. For
example, if you live in a college town, check out apartment complexes that
are located near campus, they may have a recycled box network so that you
can pick up gently used boxes from someone who has just moved to the area.
read more ?Pack
your plates on edge
Plates are less likely to break if they're standing on
edge inside the box. Put so much stuffing inside the box that the plates
don't have any room to shift around at all. Generally speaking, when
you're packing glass items, you should pack the largest glass items on the
bottom of the box and the smaller, more delicate glass items on the top of
the box.
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Send out an e-mail to friends to see if they have any
recommendations or warnings about moving companies they've used in the
past. If the companies you're interested in offer references, call those
references. Once you narrow down your choices, check with the Better
Business Bureau about any moving companies you're considering.
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For interstate moves, charges are based on the weight
of the items to be moved, the distance to be moved, packing and other
services. Get two or three estimates well in advance of your move. When
you speak with the moving companies, ask whether their estimates are
binding or nonbinding. Do not accept an estimate over the phone.
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Everyone knows it's easier to remember what you need
to do if you sit down and make a list. Your list should be made
several months in advance of your move, and it should include
deadlines for each item. Some items need to be done before others, so
schedule deadlines accordingly and then stick to them.
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If you want help, it's best to schedule your move
for a weekend day, when most people are off work. When your helpers
arrive, have a plan in place for what each person should do -- assign
each friend a particular set of boxes or a specific room to focus on.
Be sure to thank each person individually and even better -- schedule
some sort of formal thank you for everyone, such as a dinner out or a
cookout at your new place the next weekend.
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For a super secure box, you should tape the seam on
the bottom, and you should run a piece of tape perpendicular to that
seam. Pad the bottom of the box with newspaper and stuff the sides
with extra paper to really make the bottom solid. Be sure that you
label the sides of the box, not the top of the box.
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If you want to save boxes and the trouble of moving
items from a drawer to a box, then simply take the drawers out of
chests and desks. As long as the drawers are full and don't contain
anything breakable, you can stretch tape across the top of the drawer
to hold the components in place. Be sure to use masking tape -- it
won't take the paint off of the furniture.
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If you don't know what a wardrobe box is, it's
basically a big box with a rack inside where you can hang your clothes
on hangers. It's an excellent invention for clothes packing because it
saves you so much time. You leave clothes on the hangers and just move
them right from your closet to the rack in the box.
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Don't wait until the week before you move to start
packing your things. If you're like most people, then there are some
items you can pack even a couple of months before a move and not miss
them. For example, pack up out-of-season clothes, holiday wares, your
good china, stemware, and books you've already read and don't plan
opening again in the next two months.
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If you bank with a regional bank and you're moving
to a new locale, then you'll need to set up an account with a new
bank. It's best to set up a new bank account before you close out the
account with your old bank. If you set up a new bank account before
you arrive in your new town, you won't pay fees to use ATM machines
that belong to companies you don't bank with - so you'll save money.
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Make some decisions about where each piece of
furniture should live and tag each piece with the name of the room.
You might even want to make a floor plan of the new house for the
movers, so they'll have an idea of what goes where before they get to
the house. That way, when the movers enter your home, they know
exactly where to go and where to put the heavy stuff.
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This is one of those tasks that can easily fall
through the cracks, and if it does, you may miss some really important
mail -- like bills, bank statements and checks from people who owe you
money. You can pick up a change of address form at the post office,
fill it out and send it via snail mail. Or you can fill out the form
online.
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Make a list of the utility companies you need to
contact and then get out your bills (or look up your account
information online). When you call, they'll probably ask you for an
account number or pin number or something you may not remember
offhand, so you'll want to have that information right in front of you
while you're on the phone. But you might also use this move as an
opportunity to reevaluate your services.
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Moving is the perfect excuse to get rid of unwanted
junk that's collected in your house over the years. The rule of thumb
is: If you haven't used it in about a year and it doesn't have any
sentimental value, get rid of it. It can be hard to let things go,
though, so you may need to go through each closet or storage space
twice.
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As you start looking through your cupboards, you might
notice you've collected some nonperishable food that you'd rather not
pack up and move to the new place. So, sit down and put together some
menus to use up that food before you move. Or, invite some neighbors
over for a pantry-clearing party and send them home with the goods.
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