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1) If you can afford it (or pay some younger relatives pizza), have someone else clean your place (or at least run a broom/sweeper through it when you take out the last of the stuff.
2) When you get to the new place, set the bed up first and make it before doing anything else.
3) A "transition box" is a good thing to have. Keep it where you can find it. Some potential items:
- TP / hand sanitizer
- Paper Towels
- First Aid Kit (or several band aids, at least)
- Several basic tools (hammer, screw drivers, pliers, box cutter, duct tape)
- Light bulbs
- Flash light
- Pain killers (Advil, whatever)
- Pen/pencil & paper (note pad)
- Map of new area (if needed)
- Paper plates, paper cups, plastic silverware
- bottle opener / can opener
- Jar of tea/instant coffee
- Matches
- Box of snack bars / fruit bars / something to munch
These are the "have to have NOW" things that have stopped several of my moves. Your needs may differ.
Spend $50 on a 2 wheel dolly. It's always worth it as the dolly can do 2-3 times more work than a single person with much less effort. Not only can you use it during moving time but also around the house for various things.
Chilled cases of bottled water for you and movers becasue glasses will be packed and not everyone want to put their head under the faucet or on the hose
Which reminds me unless leaving as a courtesy remember to take your hose and removable yard lights, probably will just leave mine and get a new set
Install track lights and motion lights on new property before move in in case you get stuck still unloading in the dark
I would add to this list: get or make at least two four wheeled "dollies" made in a rectangle with wood and heavy duty caster wheels. some people put old carpeting around each two by two to "pad" the surface. My sons found these amazingly useful when moving me and others. You can also rent them at moving truck rental places, but better to have your own. PS They fit large rubbermaid containers stacked up with ease. Sometimes regular hand trucks are too awkward to use with wider items.
One thing I also try to suggest is driving at night if it's possible. In my experience, driving a truck like that with the trailer attached is easier at night because you have blind spots. At night, you have the headlights of the vehicles behind you to see if there is a vehicle in your blind spot much easier. You should also get better mileage at night due to the cooler temperatures. There is also less traffic at night.
Of course, there are cons to driving at night as well including reduced visibility, less help around if you need it (vehicle breakdown, medical, etc...) and nocturnal animals being out as well as the human type of predators.
I would also suggest staying on the interstates when possible, even if you go a little out of your way. You usually maintain cell phone coverage on the interstates, they're well traveled and services are usually available at decent intervals. A paper map in the vehicle is also a good idea. A GPS will calculate the quickest route but they sometimes take you off the interstate or state highways.
I do not suggest using your phone for GPS. Use the phone as a phone and not as a dedicated GPS, that's what the GPS is for.
Also keep cash in the vehicle for small expenses such as tolls.
Always keep your personal documents with you such as your SS card, birth certificate, etc... In fact, I would make digital scans of all important documents and save them on removable media such as an external hard drive or CD/DVD. In fact, do it for 2 different forms of removable media.
Be careful about transporting food and plants. CA is the only state I know that will ask and check for those items when you're coming from out of state. Also be cognizant if you're traveling through various states of their firearms laws if you're transporting firearms. Certain firearms and/or accessories legal in one state may not be legal in another.
Make sure your cellphone charger works in your rental vehicle; I needed an adaptor for my iPhone 5.
This is important if your rental truck doesn't provide GPS and you have to use your phone.
I agree with the above suggestion about driving at night, and staying on Interstates.
Set the alarm if you pull into a rest stop to rest your eyes for a few minutes; suddenly a few hours vanished, the sun came up, but I was well rested and hungry for breakfast.
If you have a rental truck towing you car, you might wish to avoid having to back up if you aren't used to tow vehicles. So plan your gas and meal stops at more rural truck stops instead of urban jungles.
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