How to Move Out Fast: 10+ General Tips
- November 20, 2021
- By Cody Battershill
How to Move Out Quickly? Follow These Simple Tips!
Something has happened in your life and you got to move out of your house as fast as possible. It could be that your offer on a property was accepted and you have only 30 days before closing takes place – meaning you could be relocating in a matter of just four weeks! Or, perhaps you're deciding to move on to bigger and better things.
Whichever the case, if you find yourself needing to move out of the house quickly, you'll want to read on for more tips, but you'll also want to take a step back and breathe. It's important to remember that not everything is within your control. For example, there could be unforeseen factors with the sellers or findings from the home inspection that could impact your move-in date, giving you more time to move out.
Either way, investing time into planning on how to move out fast of your house can go a long way in ensuring your relocation goes as smoothly as possible. Here are some tips to help minimize stress and set yourself up for a seamless moving experience. Also see:
#1 - Prepare Your Finances in Advance
To successfully make the transition, start by preparing your financials to avoid unnecessary delays. That includes putting funds aside for:
> Due diligence – cleaning your current property to meet your obligations under whichever contracts you've signed + repairing any damage necessary
> Moving costs – from condo document reviews to legal fees to movers, there are a lot of additional expenses you'll want to prepare for when moving out of your house quickly
> After costs – will your new residence be ready to move into and appropriately furnished upon arrival? Do you need to transfer utility accounts or sign up with your local water/electrical/sewage provider?
Not only do you need to make sure you have the necessary cash available to pay for each of these milestones, but it's also vital that you've already built up a reasonable credit score and have a low debt-to-income ratio.
#2 - Get Mortgage Pre-Approval if Buying
Are you planning on purchasing a home and moving out of your current place as quickly as possible? First, you'll need a good credit history and a debt-to-income ratio that lenders will take a chance on.
While getting your finances evaluated by a lender, it's in your best interests to cut down on extra spending wherever possible. Taking on new debt by purchasing a new car, for example, is a bad idea as it could dramatically affect your debt-to-income ratio.
Another consideration is to get pre-approved for a mortgage to know what price range you can afford. Always keep in mind extra costs associated with owning real estate versus renting such as property taxes and maintenance, and make sure to factor those into your yearly budget.
If you're a first-time buyer, educate yourself and don't make the same mistakes that many in your shoes do!
#3 – Make a Detailed Schedule for the Move
If you're looking to move out of your house fast for any reason, it's time to start preparing for the move as soon as you know. Start scheduling your time as effectively as possible and make calendar notifications in your smartphone for each event so that you don't forget.
For example, are you going to be using movers to help? Paying a reputable moving company to relocate your belongings can save you heaps of time and stress. Also, using the right moving company for the job and booking an adequately sized truck can help speed up the process and reduce headaches.
If hiring movers is not an option for you, then you'll want to spend extra time packing and preparing for a quick move.
How to Move Out Fast - Packing Tips
If you have to move out of your house as quickly as possible, these packing tips should help you do so in the timeliest manner. Packing can take a lot of time, so do your due diligence and do it right the first time.
#4 - Start Packing Well in Advance
Moving out of your parents' or landlords' house with speed means being prepared when it comes to packing. This isn't something you can procrastinate on; packing must be done right and well in advance if you even have the slightest hope of relocating to your new place as fast as possible.
Don't wait until the last moment to get started; you'll regret it!
#5 - Choose the Right Packaging Materials
Start by using suitable storage options for your move. When selecting packing materials, budget is a huge factor. Many moving companies will supply materials and pack your items, but this can come with a high price tag.
Purchasing packing materials on your own can also add up fast as you will need more boxes than you probably estimate — balance buying only what you need with what can be repurposed. Boxes are an affordable option for most of your belongings and can be bought for just a few dollars per unit from moving companies or utility stores.
> Medium-sized boxes from a packing store will ensure uniformity and can help make efficient use of space in your truck.
> Smaller and odd-sized boxes can be collected from around the household and reused for moving. Small boxes are ideal for heavy items like books or breakable glassware.
> Butcher paper is the best affordable wrapping material but can be swapped for newspaper. You will also need sufficient packing tape and a permanent marker for labelling boxes.
#6 - Pack Your Things Efficiently
To help move out as quickly as possible, choose one area of your current home to pack at a time. Visually seeing progress helps keep you motivated and helps with efficiency. Start with all walls and surfaces and clear those first, then move onto the areas that hide the bulk of your belongings such as drawers, cabinets, and closets.
Kitchen items take the most time to pack as they sometimes need individual wrapping for protection. Ensure all lightbulbs from lamps around the house are removed prior to moving and those decor items are carefully wrapped to prevent them from breaking.
The last sections of your home to pack when moving out of your house as fast as possible will be clothing followed by cleaning supplies, tools and then toiletries last of all, some of which should be packed up in your "first-week" bag.
#7 - Pack a "First-Week" Bag
Items you need to keep out until the last minute are often the items you'll need access to as soon as you move. So, create a "first-week" bag to prevent yourself from rummaging through boxes and/or packages on the other end of the move.
The types of to have in your first-week box include:
- Shower curtain and hooks
- Toilet paper and trash bags
- Paper towels and wet wipes
- Bedding sheets and pillowcases
- Toiletries including toothbrushes, floss and toothpaste
- Basic cooking utensils and table setting
- Bath towel and kitchen rag
- Scissors or box cutter for opening boxes
- Daily medications and supplements
#8 - Label Boxes Accordingly
You must organize your belongings not by where they are in your current home, but where you would like them to be in your new residence. Make sure to mark the top and all four sides of the box so that it is still legible when stacked. This will make your unpacking process much easier when quickly moving in and out of a home or condo.
For most boxes, a simple room label will suffice. For rooms that have an excessive number of boxes, consider sub-category labels such as "kitchen – baking."
Labelling with colour-coding can additionally help plan ahead for the unloading process. If you have multiple bedrooms or spare rooms, for example, it's easier to direct movers to place all "blue" boxes in the "blue" room instead of having to move boxes from the basement up to the top floor later on.
#9 - Good Communication & Logistics
It is easy to get caught up in the stress involved with moving out of your home quickly and forget about other logistics involved with relocating.
Remember to update your address and set up mail forwarding to avoid missing any critical communications. You'll also need to set up the utilities for your new location so that your heat, water and electricity are flowing upon arrival.
Some landlords may require you to set up homeowners insurance before moving in. Find out what you need from your new landlord (if you haven't bought a property, that is).
How to Move Out Fast on Moving Day
Moving day has arrived and you want to out of your current house as fast as possible. Here are a few tips that should help make things go fast. Also see:
#10 - Make a Checklist of Items & Tasks
Once the day arrives to move, have a checklist of what you'll need at each location. This includes items and tasks you'll need to have and perform during all three stages of the move: at your current residence, in-between, and the final destination.
Items and tasks on your checklist should include:
- Credit cards and cash
- All items in your "first-week" bag
- Identification and driver's license
- Booking confirmation for truck rental (if applicable)
- Your new house keys and drop off for old ones
- Straps, dollies and moving blankets
- Proper moving gloves and clothing
- Confirmed utility service changes with providers
#11 - Load Up In a Coordinated Fashion
When packing the truck (if you don't have movers), make sure to place heavy and oversized items in the back while securing them with straps and wrapping them with moving blankets as you go. Soft blankets are crucial to preventing furniture and electronics from getting scratched.
Place long items like mattresses and couches on their end vertically to maximize horizontal space while stacking lighter items on top of all other furniture and boxes. Delicate items such as HDTVs and boxes labelled as "fragile" should be stored with extra care.
Make sure you keep roughly the same height of stacking throughout the vehicle to prevent the falling and/or shifting of items during your transit. Once the moving truck is full, you can opt to put smaller and lighter items in the "cracks" and use moving straps to hold everything securely in place.
#12 - Move Items to the Right Room
When unloading furniture and boxes into your new home, place them in the room they belong to minimize the amount of lifting you'll have to do later on.
Packages should be stacked in corners and against walls out of the way of any furniture and appliances. Your goal should be to keep box storage to as small of a footprint as possible without blocking walkways or impeding furniture set-up.
As soon as you muster the energy, unroll rugs and place furniture in approximate positions you want to define the space. For example, mattresses can go directly on beds, and large appliances should be immediately hooked up in their proper places.
#13 - Unpack at Your Leisure
You've made it. You successfully moved out of your old house as fast as possible and successfully moved all of your belongings to your new place.
It may have been a long day, but you might as well dedicate the rest of your time setting up as much of your new house as possible. It makes for less work the next day, and you'll start to feel settled in quicker.
Now in your home, unpacking does not need to be as rushed as it may have been on the other end of the move. To avoid living out of half-unpacked boxes, however, there are a few tips you can follow to get your things unpacked as quickly as possible in the most efficient manner:
- Unpack boxes with items that belong in hidden storage compartments first: kitchen items, bedding, books and clothing.
- Break down boxes as you go. Flattened boxes take up much less physical and visual space, minimizing clutter.
- Finish putting all furniture and appliances into place, just the way you want them to be.
- Place décor and hang pictures you make your new residence feel like home.
- Boxes without a defined place should be marked for storage or donation.
Overall, these tips on how to move out fast should help the next time you feel the time is down to the wire – we hope they help if you ever find yourself in such a precarious situation!
