Ready Your New House in a Week

You arrive to the airport, ready to fly to a new base, only to find out that you are missing your passport and your family’s.  Luckily, the airline line lets you and your family on your military orders.  You board the plane, sit comfortable and look for your iPod.  Only music can take away the stress of relocating.  Can’t find your IPod? Are you feeling more stress now?  Does this sound like you? Don’t think you are alone.  Many soldiers experience stress during a relocation.  However, there are many things you can do to prepare for that next move.

Before the movers come to pack up your household goods, empty a room, or closet to secure items flying with you.  Also, it is a good idea to put in tin this room items going as unaccompanied bag and on storage.  A storage room within the house can also be used if an empty room is not available.  The idea is to segregate certain items from what the movers will pack as part of household goods.

Before the move, make a list of items that will fly with you and your family.  The first items that must be secured are personal documents.  Military orders, passports, birth and marriages certificates, medical records, and social security cards are the most important documents you must secure.  Place these documents in a small box, label the box listing the contents in it, and place it in the empty room, or closet.  If you plan to fly with other items such as laptops, iPods, portable DVDs, a few movies, and medication, do the same. 

Next, pack your bags.  Make a list of clothing items that you will need.  In that list include uniforms.  You want to pack seasonal clothe items depending on the weather of the new location.  Place the packed bags in the empty room or empty closet.

Now you are ready to prepare your unaccompanied bags.  Remember, the military only allows you to ship a small amount of weight, so pack wisely.  Depending on how many people in your family, pack accordingly.  Among the items that you will need as soon as you arrive to your new home are plates, cups, bowls, spoons, forks, knifes, pots and spans , and other essential cooking items.  You will also need blankets, pillows, and pillow cases. It is also a good idea to pack a small television.  Once you indentify these items, place them in empty boxes and put them in the empty room.

Now that your empty room is organized with the items you will need in your new home, you are ready to bring the movers in and pack your household goods.  Do not let the movers in that empty room.  It is always a good idea to disconnect all computers, televisions, DVD players, and other media before packing.  Remember, while the movers are packing, you are in charge. Tell them how you want your items to be packed.  It is a good idea to start packing from the farthest room and move towards the main entrance.  Once they pack a box, make sure they label the box listing the contents, and write to what room the box belongs to.  Do the same for each box.

Once all your household goods are packed and picked up, the movers can pack and pick up your unaccompanied bags.  As always, make sure the movers label each box listing the content in them.  At this moment, the items for storage are also ready to be packed and picked up.

The house is empty, your bags are packed, and your personal documents are with you; you are ready to relocate.

After arriving to the new house, schedule delivery of your unaccompanied bags.  Since this shipment is only three or four boxes it should be easy to survive until your household goods arrive.

Identify the purpose of each room before the movers come in.  Receiving the movers should be easy now.  At this moment you are ready to work and have your house ready in a week.

Day one: Since all the boxes are labeled, tell the movers to place each box in the proper room.  Let the movers know where you want each piece of furniture assembled.  Open the boxes with bed clothing and make the beds. Store the rest of the bed sets.  Open boxes with clothing and hang them.  Next are the boxes with shoes.  Open them and put shoes in proper places. All your bedrooms are ready.

Day two: Unpack all boxes in the kitchen and place items where they belong.

Day three: Work on your living room; install televisions and other media, including computers.

Day four: Open boxes that belong to the bathrooms, and place each item where they belong.

Day five: Now you can organize your outdoor items.

Day six: Hang and organize all your picture frames.

Day seven: Compile all empty boxes and packaging material and have them ready for pick up.

With help from your family members, relocation should be a lot stressful that what it should be.  Follow these tips for your next move, and you will be ready to integrate to your new community in no time.