How to organize a last minute move

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In an ideal world, you would have months to prepare for relocation. You’d take your time researching your options, preparing and organizing the move, packing and unpacking and settling in. But we do not live in an ideal world. And that means that sometimes, you have to move on short notice. You may be relocating for a job and starting earlier than you expected. Or your lease may be up and you may need a new place to live urgently. Either way, it’s never easy to organize a last minute move. Luckily for you, residential movers in Oxford MS have plenty of experience even with emergency relocation. These are some of their top tips for making last-minute moving easier!

Why is it so difficult to organize a last minute move?

Organizing a successful move is difficult even when you have all the time in the world for it. Unless you have some serious experience with relocation, you will need to do some research into your options in order to make informed decisions. Or you could just simply hire one Mississippi moving company to do the job for you. And that’s before you even start on the physical work and emotional labor that is moving to a new home. Doing all that on short notice and with virtually no time to prepare is incredibly stressful. And that’s exactly what makes it so difficult to organize a last minute move.

Man is stressed because he is trying to organize a last minute move
Moving last minute can be very stressful

It turns out that human reaction to stress is less fight-or-flight and more fight-flight-freeze; you can probably guess which one is most common in the face of a quickly approaching move. And you can probably also guess that freezing in panic is a waste of time and the opposite of helpful when moving. So let’s find out how you can counteract that.

The best way to organize a last minute move

If you’re ever in a situation where you have to move on short notice, don’t despair! It’s not easy, but it is doable. Many people do it every day, and if they can do it, so do you! A tight schedule doesn’t have to mean that your move will be chaotic if you use the right approach. Or instead of the right approach, hire professionals like one of the movers Hernando MS, and they will know what to do. The point is to not panic and do things in a rush. Even though you need to hurry, you still have sufficient time to think everything through.

Rule number one – forget about all the rules

This is not a standard move where you have time to dedicate to every step. Some steps will obviously require more time, so you need to find the right ones and prioritize them. Some general moving rules that are useful in a standard move, can be totally useless in a rushed relocation. But if you don’t have time, doesn’t have to mean that you should allow the entire process to turn into chaos. For that reason, a relocation to-do list is still very needed. This way, you won’t forget what needs to be done. And even if you forget something, that will be the bare minimum. Fast decision making and packing is still a must though since these steps usually take the most time.

Cubes with letters on a windowsill
Forget about the rules that apply to a normal relocation

If it is a family relocation, get them involved too

In case your whole family is moving, you can ask for help and split up the tasks. After all, the outcome of the move will affect all of you. This can be always done, but it is especially important when you try to organize a last-minute move. More helping hands equal less time needed to finish tasks. But if you are dealing with items that are difficult to move, make sure to hire one of the heavy item movers. If you have young kids, you cannot really count on them to help, but teenagers can for sure help with many things.

Take a deep breath and calm down

The first thing you want to do is stop freaking out. Yes, moving last minute is going to be difficult. Yes, you’re going to have to make it work in less than ideal conditions. And no, there’s no way to completely avoid stress when moving on short notice. But you can do it! So take a few hours to panic and be a bit dramatic if you need to. Then, take a deep breath, calm down and get to work.

Start to organize a last minute move as soon as possible

It goes without saying that there’s no time to waste when you’re moving on short notice. So don’t put anything off and don’t procrastinate! Instead, get started as soon as possible. Even if the only thing you do on the first day is deciding whether to hire movers or rent a moving truck, you’ll have taken a step in the right direction.

Hourglass on a newspaper
Time is of the essence in a rushed move

Make important decisions immediately

When you don’t have much time, indecision is not an option. Get informed of your options when moving as best as you can in the time that you have, of course. But make those important decisions quickly. Do you need to rent living space while you look for a new home to buy? Are you hiring movers or renting a truck? When exactly are you moving? How much of what you own are you moving with you? Figure out the logistics early on to make planning easier!

 Leave the bureaucratic issues for the week after the move

During a normal relocation, these things should be done two weeks before the actual moving day. This is especially important for a long-distance move with one of the long distance movers MS. This includes:

  • Changing the address
  • The utility service providers
  • Finding new healthcare providers

You are obliged by the law to do this, and there will be legal consequences if you don’t. But for you right now, this is not a priority, and it can wait for the week after the move. But don’t procrastinate it either, do it as soon as you can.

Get in touch with movers to organize a last minute move that’s quick, efficient and stress-free

The best way to make last minute moving easier is to get help from someone who knows what they’re doing. So look into movers Oxford MS with experience in emergency moving and willing and able to take jobs on short notice. Of course, hiring professional movers (and not doing so in advance) will put a dent in your budget. But movers will make your last minute relocation faster, safer, more efficient and less stressful. So they’re worth the money in the end.

Man carrying a green sofa
Movers can help make your move more fast and more efficient

Consider hiring other professionals for help too

There are professionals other than Mississippi local movers who can make your relocation easier:

  • professional packers to save time on packing
  • professional cleaners to save time and energy on cleaning
  • babysitters to take care of your children while you prepare for the move
  • realtors to help you sell or buy property

If you can, consider hiring these professionals to make your last minute move run more smoothly.

Packing in a pinch: be quick, organized, and efficient

As the most time-consuming part of the move, packing will be your biggest issue when you’re trying to organize a last minute move. Again, the packing and unpacking services offered by your movers can be a lifesaver. If you opt for packing yourself just remember to be quick, organized, and efficient.

Get rid of stuff to make packing easier

The less stuff you have, the easier it is to pack. So get rid of things! Sell, donate, gift, or throw away anything you don’t need or can replace.

Use what you already have as packing supplies

No time or money to go out looking for packing supplies? Use what you already have lying around the house! Regular boxes, bags and suitcases, clean garbage bags, even Tupperware and furniture drawers can be makeshift packing supplies in a pinch.

Person lying between cardboard boxes
Get creative and use the packing supplies that you already own

Just get packing

This is another one of those moments where you might freeze at the overwhelming amount of work to do. So don’t overthink things. In fact, don’t think at all. Just start packing! You can sort things out later when you have more time.

Even in a rush, don’t forget to label

Because you are trying to organize a last minute move, you are more likely to forget things. Don’t think you will remember the containing of every box. You will end up with a bunch of similar-looking boxes, and you will be stressed. To avoid that, devote a little time to labeling your boxes. You may be won’t have time to do the whole color code labeling system, but simple labels like “kitchen appliances” will for sure make the post-move process much easier. You will thank us and yourself!

Most importantly, organize a last minute move calmly and without panic

We know that saying “don’t panic” is not particularly helpful. But it is genuinely the best advice we can give when you need to organize a last minute move. Staying calm focused and organized is the only way to move on short notice without losing your mind!