12 Must-Haves You Need To Make Your Next Big Move a Breeze
Your home is your sanctuary. It’s a place you should always be able to find what you need, whether that’s relaxation, inspiration, connection, or productivity. Nothing beats the feeling of coming back to a cozy space after a long day — and that’s one of the reasons moving homes can be so exhausting and overwhelming.
It can take time to make your new house or apartment really feel like home. Even once your essentials are moved in, you still need time to decorate, settle in, and create a space that meets your needs and embodies your personal style. But that’s the fun part — the not-so-fun part is planning all the hassle of actually getting your stuff from one place to the other.
Whether you’re moving down the street or across the country, there’s a lot to consider when planning your next physical move. Will you hire movers or do it yourself? Will you work with the furniture and essentials you already have or invest in new ones? Do you have everything you need in order to move when you want to? Have you created space in your budget to accommodate everything you need?
The concept of moving can be exciting, but it’s important to have a moving plan that feels sustainable and affordable and won’t cause you more stress than necessary. A helpful first step might be making a list of items you want to buy so you can be sure to budget and pack appropriately.
If you need a little help getting started, here are 12 must-haves guaranteed to make your move (and the process of settling in) much smoother.
Get the Moving Logistics Squared Away
One of the first steps of moving is coming up with a plan to make sure that your new home is move-in ready. This includes securing the proper insurance and getting your utilities set up. While the process of setting up your home might seem overwhelming, there are a number of services that can help you so you’re not alone:
1. Protect Yourself and Your Home Right Away With OTTO
Before you even move into your new place, it’s so important to make sure you’re protecting your new home and your assets. Finding affordable, quality insurance should be on the top of your to-do list before you get carried away booking the moving van or looking for home decor.
Securing your insurance using OTTO Quotes as soon as possible is your best bet to cover your home, your car, yourself, and even your pets in case of an emergency or accident. OTTO takes care of the heavy lifting of comparing policies for you, so you can spend more time focusing on the fun stuff.
Planning a move can get expensive quickly, which is why cutting costs where you can is so critical. That’s what makes this the perfect time to see where you can be saving money on your insurance.
2. Reduce Your Utility Bills With the Magic of Power Wizard
Another essential part of any move is making sure that your utility bills are in order before you arrive. One essential utility that homeowners pay for is electricity. Electricity has become even more important in the advent of hybrid work environments, as employees need to utilize electric appliances to get their work done via remote desktops.
However, not all energy plans are made equal. Many energy providers offer plans that seem affordable on the surface when in fact, they’re stuffed with hidden fees. Luckily, Power Wizard can help, thanks to their energy plan comparison services.
Simply sign up for a Power Wizard membership, and they’ll compare energy plans offered in your area and help you find the best deal. Depending on your personal preferences, you can sign up for a Silver DIY membership, and Power Wizard will help you find a plan that you can enroll yourself in. You can also choose to sign up for a Gold VIP membership, and Power Wizard will handle all the steps of getting you set up with your new energy plan, including canceling your old one.
If you’re looking for an effective way to save money on utilities and reduce the hassle of finding the perfect electricity provider to suit your needs, Power Wizard is here to help.
Prepare Yourself for the Physical Demands of Moving
As mentally exhausting as moving can be, it can take an even bigger toll on you physically, even if you’ve hired movers or enlisted loved ones to help you out. Preparing yourself for the physical demands of moving can be as simple as getting proper rest and drinking plenty of water during the days you’re set to move — but there are a few secret ways to make the hassle even more bearable.
3. Stay Hydrated With The IV Doc
First, make sure you’re properly hydrated by booking an IV drip appointment with The IV Doc. The best part is that they come straight to you, so whether you need a pick-me-up before the moving van arrives or during a break from unpacking all your boxes, you don’t have to worry about making a pit stop at a physical location.
The hustle and bustle of moving day can be overwhelming, but it’s so important to make sure you’re fully nourished and hydrated to keep you strong, energized and comfortable.
4. Soothe Aches and Pains With Blue Forest Farms
On top of making sure that you’re getting the right nutrients and staying hydrated during your move, you also want to make sure that you’re taking care of yourself physically. From lifting heavy boxes to squatting on the ground to pack things up, the physical demands of your move will likely take a toll on your muscles and joints.
In order to soothe any physical pain flare-ups that might occur during your move, you might want to try one of the CBD topicals offered by Blue Forest Farms. CBD is a non-psychoactive form of cannabinoid that works with receptors in the body to reduce sensations of pain. As such, CBD creams and other topicals are great to apply to sore spots on the body to help relieve pain and promote recovery so you can get through your move more comfortably.
5. Get the Sole Support You Need From Kizik
Speaking of comfort, moving can be especially draining and frustrating if you have to do it while you’re pregnant. In addition to enlisting as much help as possible and taking frequent breaks, you should make sure you’re wearing extra-comfortable clothing and shoes on moving day.
Investing in a new pair of pregnancy shoes from Kizik can be the ultimate lifesaver if you’re planning on being on your feet a lot. Plus, they’re designed to be hands-free, so you can quickly slip them on and off without having to bend over or exert any unnecessary energy.
6. Prevent Potential Injuries With Incrediwear
On a similar note, be sure you’re doing as much as you can to prevent injury from potential heavy lifting or overexertion. If you’re prone to joint pain, quality elbow sleeves from Incrediwear are a no-brainer.
Even if you don’t have any existing joint issues, you’d be surprised how impacted your joints may feel after hours (or even days) of physical labor.
7. Help Your Furry Friend Settle Into Their New Abode Thanks to ElleVet
Last but certainly not least, there’s another family member you’ll need to take into extra consideration on moving day: your pet! Even if your pet is reasonably calm, the process of moving into an entirely new environment, mixed with the chaos that moving day can bring, can be a lot for them to handle.
If you want to make sure they don’t get too anxious, try pet CBD from ElleVet. It comes in a variety of options to make sure your pet stays calm and comfy throughout the change. After all, it’s their new home, too!
Invest in a Few Things Ahead of Time
If you’re not planning on bringing a lot of essentials with you when you move into your new space, it’s probably a good idea to make space in your budget to buy a few essentials ahead of time, especially things that will help you stay nourished and comfortable as you’re getting fully settled.
8. Order in the Healthy Way With Luna Grill
Having a go-to healthy restaurant can be a lifesaver on those days when you’ve spent hours packing and still haven’t gotten around to setting up your kitchen supplies. A nourishing Mediterranean meal from Luna Grill is the perfect dish to fuel you without making you feel too lethargic.
Choose from salads, wraps, pitas, and even full family meals to make sure everyone gets a dish they’ll love. You can even browse their recipes online once you’re ready to break in your new kitchen.
9. Stay Cool With hOmeLabs
If you’re moving into a place that doesn’t have built-in air conditioning, you will absolutely want to buy a window air conditioner from hOmeLabs — especially if you’re planning on moving during the warmer months.
Getting this set up even before you start unpacking will save you a lot of discomfort and frustration, so put this high on your list of things to secure before move-in day. It also fits easily into any secure window, so you won’t need to worry about hiring someone to install it (or running the risk of putting a ding in your security deposit if you’re renting).
10. Keep Your Energy Up Thanks To Mueller
Anyone who’s moved before knows how tired it can make you. That makes it the perfect excuse to adorn your new kitchen with a brand-new espresso machine from Mueller. It even comes equipped with a frother, grinder, and multiple filters to truly bring the coffee shop experience into your home.
Trust us; you’ll be thankful you’ve invested in this once you’ve hit that mid-afternoon slump and notice you still have a dozen boxes left to unpack.
Get Ready for the Fun Part: Decorating!
Everyone knows that the best part of moving into a new place is when you’re finally done with the unpacking, no longer have to spend your budget on essentials, and can finally start to personalize each room and make your space truly feel like home.
Whether you’re just renting a room or buying an entire home, customizing your space and giving it a fun personality is the key to creating your sanctuary for relaxation, fun, and everything in between.
11. Accessorize Your Home in Style With Z Gallerie
At this point, you’ve probably already secured the essentials — a comfy bed, a quality couch, a kitchen table, a desk, and any other necessary furniture you need to live your day-to-day life. Once those basics are covered, you can move on to the smaller details that will add true character and eccentricity to your space — like designer pillows from Z Gallerie for your couch or bed.
Whether your style is simple and minimalist or bright and eccentric, you’re sure to find fun accent pillows to spruce up your pieces, which can be an extra welcome touch if you’ve kept it simple with a white bedspread or a neutral-colored couch. Pillows are also a fun way to experiment with new styles before making the decision to invest in a bigger, more eye-catching piece, like a colored couch or a patterned bedspread.
Pillows are just one minor detail that can add quite a lot to a room or piece of furniture. Another small detail that can work wonders when it comes to creating a certain vibe in a room is a good set of beautiful new curtains.
Whether you’re looking for blackout curtains to ensure a good night’s sleep or pretty sheer curtains for an element of style and delicacy, curtains have the power to either open up a room or make it extra cozy. And when you experiment with different textures, colors, and patterns, you’re opening your home up to having so much more personality.
12. Design the Room of Your Dreams With Pepper Home
If you’ve been on the hunt for the perfect set of curtains for your family room, kitchen, bedroom or even bathroom, look no further: a set of custom curtains from Pepper Home are all you need to add that extra pop of personality to any room in your new space.
Choose from a variety of colors and patterns for a fun yet classy touch. You can even order your custom fabric swatches before you fully invest so that you can try a few different options in the room of your choice.
Moving Is a Big Task That Requires Small Steps
At the end of the day, it’s important to try to break down your moving process into a series of small steps so you don’t get too overwhelmed by all of the seemingly major things that need to happen before you can say you’re truly settled into your new living space.
The first step is covering all of your basics: taking inventory of what you’re bringing, booking a van or lining up other forms of transportation, and making room in your budget for essentials like insurance, basic appliances and furnishings, and incidentals.
Once you’ve taken care of all that, you can start thinking about the smaller things, like how much time you’re going to spend unpacking each day, how much you want to spend on “fun” investments in the beginning, or what you want to prioritize when it comes to furnishing different rooms.
Just don’t forget that your well-being matters even more than ensuring a smooth move. Prepare yourself mentally and physically for the move by finishing up any outstanding tasks ahead of time, getting plenty of rest, and potentially even taking a day or two off work to get settled in. This is especially important if you’re moving to a different city or state.
Whatever you do, try to focus on the excitement of the move — you’re getting ready to enter a new chapter of your life in a place where amazing memories are waiting to be made. All the time and energy you put into the more “annoying” parts of moving will be so worth it the first time you get a full night’s sleep in your cozy new room, host your first dinner party with loved ones, or bring a new friend into your space.
McClatchy newsroom and editorial staff were not involved in the creation of this content.
