Moving day can be chaotic, and important things can get lost in the shuffle. Preventive measures, like using experienced movers and doing a final walk-through can help. It will save time, money and aggravation if you make sure you have your medications and cellphone chargers before you hand over the keys! There are some common items that get left behind often, so check out these tips before locking up:
Bathroom
Prescription medications are most vital, and often saved for last when packing. Be sure to empty your medicine cabinet and keep your needed medications with you. Grabbing your shampoos, shower gels, and razors will avoid the expense of replacing them.
Kitchen
Most people pack everything except their essential equipment ahead of time in the kitchen, but don’t forget to grab your favorite knives and your best frying pan. Likewise, if you’ve left some things in the refrigerator, give them away or pack them into a cooler for transport. Replacements for all those condiments can really add up, so take them if possible.
Chargers
Among the most forgotten items are chargers for cellphones, laptops and other mobile devices. They are frequently used, but small and unobtrusive, so check out the wall outlets before you walk out the door to be sure you don’t leave yours behind!
Jackets and other clothing
Moving in cooler weather often means leaving coats, jackets, and boots for last when it comes to packing. Unfortunately, it sometimes means forgetting those things altogether in the chaos of the move. Put everything that you need to remember at the last minute in a certain spot, so that you remember to grab your cold-weather gear.
Pets
People sometimes leave behind their pets accidentally (some probably do it on purpose as well.) Laugh if you want to, but you don’t want to search anxiously for your cat for days, and then find him locked inside your old house. Do yourself and your pets a favor by rounding them up the night before the move and crating them.
Money
If you like to stash change and folding money in odd places around your house, check out all your hiding spots before you leave. Stories of people finding hundreds in walls, on tops of refrigerators and in jars stuffed away in little nooks abound.
Do a final walk through of every room before you go, just like you do before you leave a hotel. It’s even better to tag team this operation; a second person might catch something the first one missed. Places to always double check are the basement, outdoor storage areas, the garage, inside cabinets, the refrigerator, washer and dryer, closets and underneath any remaining furniture. Additionally, professional moving services will have a checklist to ensure everything is moved.
Once you have checked to make sure that you aren’t forgetting anything, be certain to leave behind items for the new owners – appliance owner’s manuals, spare keys and garage door openers.
