When moving out of your mobile home, you don’t want to forget the details! Let us help you set the tone for a successful move. We’re going to cover some really practical, highly helpful issues like when to stop your insurance, when to get the power turned off, and more.
After we’ve covered the timing of important details for leaving your mobile home, we’ll look at tips to keep moving day stress-free. Then we’ll explore helpful hacks for settling into your new home.
We hope that applying this information will pave the way for you and your family to relax well after you’ve completed the hard work of moving.
Reasons for leaving your mobile home
There are numerous reasons why someone would leave their mobile home. From work changes to retirement, everyone finds himself in a fresh season of life when it comes to moving.
When work takes you places
Sometimes greener pastures are not only on the other side of the fence but across town or the nation! We understand that whatever the reason for moving, the task is never an easy one. But a new job can mean the alleviation of financial stress or the opportunity to chase your dreams. Congratulations.
Caring for loved ones
If you’re moving to care for loved ones, our hearts go out to you. The sacrifice is worth it when it’s all said and done. Sometimes it works best for families to move closer to those in need for optimal care.
School achievements bring a change of scenery
Some people find a move on the horizon because they want to pursue their educational goals and dreams. If a study opportunity has come your way, we congratulate you. We’re sure much hard work has gone into bringing you to this place.
More space for your growing family
Is your family starting to grow out of your home space? An expanding family is a beautiful thing. While moving from a home that holds many happy memories is a challenge, the additional living space will be worth the change.
Your home is at the end of its lifespan
Another reason to move out of your mobile home might be that your home has reached the end of its lifespan. It’s served you well, but it may be that the repairs will cost much more than what the house is worth at this point. All good things come to an end, of course.
There are many more reasons why one would leave their mobile home, but this general overview will suffice for now. Let’s move on to how to time the details for leaving your mobile home.
How to time the details
Here we’ll talk about how to time the details surrounding your move. There’s much to do so it’s easy to feel overwhelmed — that’s why we’ve included a section after this one on how to keep moving day stress-free!
Notifying mobile home park management
Once you know that you’re set on moving out, connect with your mobile home park management. They’ll help you understand any obligations that came with the signing of the lease. Some may ask that you give notice a certain amount of time in advance, and some may have rules for utility disconnections. Do your homework and be in communication.
Calling in the moving company
Once you have a moving date set, call the moving company to schedule a good time. Ask them what they expect of you. Will they be boxing your items? Or will you be boxing your items? Are they insured? Who is responsible for unloading? Will you or someone else be there to welcome them to the new place?
Boxing up your belongings
Now let’s talk about boxing up your belongings. Strategize with a stress-free moving day as the goal. Start a week or so in advance by packing up those items you will not be accessing any time soon. The day before moving day should be focused on packing the rest. Be careful that you don’t leave much packing work for yourself to do on the day-of!
Stopping your insurance
As a homeowner you want perfect timing for the cancellation of your home insurance, right? You don’t want to cancel it too early, but you also don’t want to pay more than you have to. Saving money is important too!
If your home is under contract, don’t rush to cancel your homeowner’s insurance. Homes are at greater risk of damage when they are vacant, so make sure not only that you’re moved out but also that you have a set closing date for your insurance agent to work with. Your insurance company will give you the best advice for canceling your policy in a way that won’t leave your home exposed on your watch.
Your insurance agent will also help you insure your next home!
Shutting off utilities
Utilities are best shut off on closing day or the day after — your potential buyers will want to walk through the mobile home with utilities on so they can see how everything works.
Keep moving day stress-free
Stress-free is the way to be! Who doesn’t agree with that sentiment? Here we have some helpful hacks for keeping your cool and making the move run as smoothly as can be. Moving can be an overwhelming experience, but you don’t have to succumb to accepting stress without a fight!
Are you ready to embrace some winning strategies for a stress-free moving day? Let’s see what ideas are in store for success.
Scheduling every step of the process
First of all, scheduling every step of the process is a big factor to consider. Whether it’s the details that you need to time (listed in the previous section) or the ideas laid out in this section, scheduling is king. As you schedule everything, keep a whiteboard on your fridge with all the details. Sure, you can use a notebook but consider that a notebook could be misplaced in the moving frenzy.
Whatever you do, understand that having it all written out in front of you will give you the power of control and peace of mind, knowing what’s next.
Plan for a pizza dinner
As part of your scheduling, have a pizza order ready to go on an app on your phone. Or task an older child with placing an order at a specific time. Splurge on paying for pizza delivery the evening of your move — trust us, you’ll be glad to have one less thing to worry about. After a busy day of moving, you’ll be pleased to sit back and relax while everyone happily munches on pizza. Don’t forget to treat any family or friends who carved time out of their day to help too!
Not having to cook dinner for the family is worth the splurge.
Hire a babysitter or pet sitter
If you have lots of little ones on your hands, hiring a babysitter may be a good option. (On the other hand, if you have a way to safely integrate the kids into moving day, that’s great!)
If you have pets that may find moving day activities stressful or may pose a hindrance to productivity, a pet sitter could be an asset too.
Don’t be afraid to put measures in place for a happy moving day for all!
Don’t wait for the last minute
While this advice may seem obvious, most of us do need reminders. Don’t wait until the last minute to schedule your sitter, arrange with the moving company — or anything else that’s going to play a big role in helping you leave your mobile home.
Be kind to yourself
Now don’t forget to be kind to yourself. Give yourself room to breathe before and after the bulk of your work. Are you annoyed with a family member or moving company personnel? Take a moment to breathe before speaking out about your concerns. Remember, moving day is just today! It will be over soon.
Don’t underestimate communication
Here’s a valuable bit of advice — don’t underestimate communication. If you’re sharing moving day with a spouse and/or kids, there’s value in going over the plan together. It will keep everyone on the same page and help prevent tasks from falling through the cracks.
Label your boxes
To help keep your sanity when it comes to settling into your new home, remember to label your boxes when you pack! Labeling your boxes will save you all a load of grief as you try to figure out where boxes go (or where your pans are located).
Keep the most important stuff in a special place
And here’s another helpful hack — keep the most important stuff in a special place. For example, you could keep a backpack in the front seat of your vehicle for each family member. Their respective backpacks will hold their pajamas and clothes for the upcoming night and next day, along with important hygiene items and snacks. This will buy you time not to worry so much about immediately unpacking.
Additionally, keep your family’s important paperwork in a box stowed in your car. Trust us — you’ll be glad you did.
Settling into your new home
But planning for your move doesn’t stop at loading everything up into the moving truck and shutting the door. Oh no, you still have the next phase in the journey of leaving your mobile home — settling into your new home.
Whether you’ve chosen to move into a new (or newer) mobile home or to move into a stick-built home, the following tips will help make the process run smoothly.
Have a plan for unpacking
To make for a smooth landing, you’ll want to have a plan for unpacking. If you followed our advice about labeling boxes (see the previous section on keeping moving day stress-free), you’ll have an easier starting point for your unpacking plans.
If you can position the large furniture pieces in their respective locations first, we recommend starting there.
After that, start planting the boxes in the rooms where they belong — boxes labeled “kitchen” in the kitchen and so on.
You may wish to begin by unpacking the common areas (kitchen and living room) first so you don’t feel so lost when you want to cook or relax that evening or the next day. In the next few days, you can focus on unpacking the rest.
Hopefully, you packed the essential clothes and hygiene items in easy-to-access backpacks so that bedroom unpacking can wait until another day!
Give your children and pets the care they need
Now let’s talk about giving your children and pets the care they need during this whole ordeal. You’ll be pleased to find some helpful tips and tricks to help your children and your pets in settling into a new home. For some, it can be a bit traumatic to be uprooted and transplanted.
Become acquainted with your neighborhood
Another way to settle into your new home is to become acquainted with your neighborhood. Take the family for a walk and familiarize yourselves with the layout and landmarks. Next time you see your neighbors outside, introduce yourself. Community is important.
Accept that change takes time
Understand that change takes time — keep a bright spirit and create opportunities for your family to get to know the area. Maybe it means a Friday night jaunt to the local pizza place. Or perhaps it’s a Saturday afternoon at the hiking trails. Be patient with your kids as they adjust to their new surroundings — and be patient with yourself. It may take a little time to remember how to get to the post office or to discover where your nearest bank branch is located.
Celebrate your new home
As you adjust and readjust, don’t forget to celebrate your new home! Host an open house and invite your friends and neighbors to visit for a while. You can keep it simple with snacks, appetizers, and beverages.
Get ready for a successful move
At the end of the day, it’s up to you to put forth effort for a successful move. Organize. Create the right mindset. See to it that you’ve tied up any loose ends before moving day. And don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.
If something goes wrong, ground yourself in the mindset you’ve chosen to embrace — everything happens for a reason, and crying over spilled milk won’t get you anywhere. Instead, use your “lemons” to make lemonade. If anything, moving can help you and your children learn some valuable life lessons. So don’t neglect to incorporate your kids where you can — sharing your plans and the whys and hows behind your moving schedule and tactics.
If you’re moving out of your mobile home intending to rent it out for some extra income, check out these 5 Things To Do Before Renting Your Double Wide Trailer.
