Congratulations, you’re moving to Dallas!
Located in Northern Texas, the city of Dallas is considered the largest inland metropolitan area in the Southern United States. Dallas is both diverse in its economy and its people and is a great place to live at any age. Whether you’re moving here from another part of Texas or from out-of-state, moving can be overwhelming.
When moving to Dallas and deciding on an area to move to, consider the following things:
- Do you like the neighborhood both day and night? Visit the location at a few different times of the day to get a feel for it.
- If you have children, what kind of public school systems are nearby?
- If you must commute to work, ask neighbors what the local traffic patterns are like.
- What is the neighborhood culture, is it more private or social? Do you have a preference?
- The cost of living is important. Figure out how much it costs to live in the area that you want to move and budget accordingly. Some simple research now can prevent stress later!
After deciding on a neighborhood when moving to Dallas, make sure to find a good moving company. You want to make sure you find one that is Better Business Bureau (BBB) approved and reputable. Here are some general moving tips to help you prepare for a moving company:
- Host a garage sale to clear out unwanted goods
- Dispose of flammable materials like paint & gas cylinders
- Go through your closets and donate the excess to charity
- Separate books by value
- Make sure all electrical goods will work in your new home
- Create a change of address list
- Arrange mail forwarding
- Arrange for your utilities to be terminated
- Locate original boxes for appliances and electronics, if possible
- Have rugs & carpets cleaned
- If you have children, separate cherished toys to travel with you
- Gather all personal documentation such as marriage/birth certificates
- Keep passports separate so they are not packed
- Make sure all pets are vaccinated and have proper documents
- Make a plan to eat fridge & freezer food by the time you move
Packing Materials
You can either purchase packing materials from a store or moving company or collect boxes discarded by your neighbors or local grocery store. Save old newspapers for use in packing, but remember that ink may rub off and stain items.
Here’s a list of packing supplies that will come in handy when moving to Dallas:
- Plastic bags and labels
- Foam peanuts or styrofoam pellets
- Tissue or craft paper for delicate packing jobs.
- Corrugated paper rolls for figurines and fragile items.
- Markers for identifying the contents of a box
- Scissors and/or sharp knife.
Packing Pointers
Before packing, create a game plan to make the experience less stressful.
- Pack one room at a time and label accordingly.
- Begin in advance, just do a chunk at a time.
- Make note of any high-value items and relay this info to the movers.
- Have plenty of packing material on hand. Clothes can double as packing material for dishware!
- Be sure that the bottoms of all boxes are secure and can hold the weight of the contents.
- Use packing tape or gummed tape over masking tape.
- Pack heavier items toward the bottom of the box and lighter items toward the top. Try to keep each box 50lbs or less to make moving easier.
- Closer to moving day, pack an overnight bag containing all the essentials, and a clear plastic bin with any items you’ll need first.
- Place a cotton pad or ball into your powder cosmetics to keep them from breaking.
- Cover the openings of your toiletries with saran wrap, then put the tops back on to prevent leakage.
- Take a photo of how your electronics are connected so you can remember how and where all the wires go.
More Packing Tips & Tricks from LifeStorageBlog
Hopefully, with a bit of planning ahead, moving to Dallas will go smoothly and you will settle into your new home with ease!
We’ve written a blog full of info about Dallas, Texas! You can read it here at this link.
