Ahwatukee Remodel 🏡 Top 10 Tips for Organizing a Move to a New Home

OMG any remodel is always a project...this one seemed to be a bit more taxing because it's our home, maybe?  You'd think after 300 some odd remodels we'd be numb to this but it's just different and weird when it's the home you are going to live in.  

Whilst the demo, remodel and material management is going on, we were facilitating the rental of our current home, planning the purging, packing and moving of our current home and pulling all the strings that make it come together all at the same time. 

Our top 10 tips for organizing the "big move":

1. Get rid of CRAP!  Be honest with yourself. You don't need 55 shirts and you don't need anything that you haven't used in two years.  PURGE.  It feels good and it's cheaper and easier to move when you purge the crap.

2. Schedule a free pick-up from a local charity.  Our favorite is donating to Sunshine Acres.  If you haven't been to this place, it's totally worth a visit.  It's the most incredible children's home we have ever seen and they will pick up your household donations. 

3. Set aside items that can be sold.  Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, Facebook Buy/Sell/Trade groups and OfferUp are great websites to list items for sale. 

4. Hire pro movers for the big day.  If you have ever moved yourself, you need no further explanation.  They'll even reassemble your furniture.  Sleeping in your bed the first night in your new home is WAY better than not sleeping in your bed. 

5. Create a master moving "to do" list and make sure all family members are on board and know their part.  

6. Schedule your utility disconnect at the old house and reconnect at the new house.  Make sure to include internet and an alarm system if applicable.  Forward the mail as well! 

7. Start packing early!  Pack decorative items, holiday items and dishes, stored items and other things that you won't need for a few weeks.  The earlier you pack the more relieved you will be once moving day gets closer.  It comes quickly and goes so much more smoothly when you are prepared. 

8. Keep an overnight bag with things that you would pack for a vacation.  You may be without all of your stuff for a few days so pack like you are heading on vacation for three or four days.  If you have too much, no big deal.  If you don't have enough, you'll sure wish you planned that better. 

9. Take pictures of the settings and connections of your electronics so you can quickly set them back up at the new house. 

10. Assemble and make up the beds first!  You could get tired quickly because moving is super exhausting so, after the movers have assembled the beds, make sure you have the box with linens handy.  

We move in 9 days.  It's unreal how much the house has come along in the last few weeks.  I'm super excited for the shiplap back splash in the kitchen and the fresh materials and paint. 

I feel good about moving mostly because we landed great tenants for our current home.  We have a few homes that we rent out and I normally am not very emotional but the one we have raised our baby in in the last few years is getting to me a bit.  I feel really good about knowing that the people that will be there will love it like I have. 

Our home was quickly rented and we were able to choose the tenants.  That was pretty cool.  I'm a real estate broker so I was able to set this up and execute it perfectly.  We allowed for 7 days marketing time and held an open house for 4 hours on a Saturday with all showing appointments scheduled during that time.  We had 19 groups through the home and several applications that weekend.  We were able to meet the tenants we chose at the open house and that made us feel much better and more confident about our choice.  The magic was definitely in the marketing.