Alright, I’m not really moving that far. I’m not even leaving the house, but my daughter and I are switching rooms so she doesn’t have to share the “Brady Bunch”, or Jack and Jill bathroom, with my son anymore. While I’m not moving far, moving my home office to another room does require some planning on my part. My office has our network hub as well as a lot of stuff that’s accumulated in the 5 years I’ve occupied this room.
Shred it
Despite trying to go as paperless as possible, in real estate we move a lot of paper. Even from a home standpoint, many of us tend to hold onto documents for longer than is probably necessary. From a tax standpoint, there are records that you should keep. The general guidelines haven’t changed much over time, so I’ll reference the article here at The Motley Fool on what should keep and for how long. As you can see from the picture, I’ve been doing some shredding with a newer cross-cut shredder. It’s been getting quite the workout.
While I’m just moving my office, if you’re selling your home you’ll need to plan a bit more. With a good plan your home sale and move can go very smoothly. Here are some highlights:
- Declutter, declutter, declutter - If you’re not using it, pack it or throw it away. If you’re serious about moving you’re going to need to pack anyway, so start early. Even those clothes you’re not wearing.
- Put whatever you may need where you can get it to it, but not on the counter. You probably don’t use the flour every day all day, and that canister set just clutters the kitchen counter.
- If you can put some things in storage, do it. Your real estate agent or their recommended home stager will help guide you. Shred and/or recycle those papers and magazines you don’t need anymore.
- Remove things from walls that you want to take with you. Patch and paint any walls that just don’t look nice anymore.
- If you have that offer in hand and you’re waiting for your closing date, you’ll need to arrange for utility shutoff or transfer. Start that process a week or so before, to make sure there’s no delays. Just remember to wait for shutoff until after the final walk through and settlement.
- With the right marketing plan, you should get lots of showings so have plan for getting out of the house before buyers are scheduled to arrive.
There’s plenty of other things to worry about beyond the above and while you typically hear the horror stories about moving, they don’t have to be. Many more actually go smoothly. With a little planning ahead, yours can too.
Thinking about moving and have some questions? Feel free to contact me at 610-220-7645 or email me at John[at]JohnLauber.com for help with YOUR moving plan.
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Article by John Lauber
My name is John Lauber and I'm a Realtor in Chester County, PA. I love living and working in this area as there is so much to do here. If you have any questions feel free to contact me. I'm happy to help.
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