6 Tips for Moving Out

Selling to Sundae eases the moving process, but it’s important to remember your house should be empty before the final walkthrough. Follow these tips for a smooth sailing move.

Congratulations! You’ve made the decision to sell your home with Sundae. Now it’s time to move out so you can get your fair cash offer. In many ways, selling with Sundae lightens your load when it comes to the moving process. There’s no deep cleaning required, and if you need to leave behind furniture or other items you can’t get rid of, Sundae will dispose of them at no cost to you! Plus, you may be eligible for a $10,000 cash advance after your home’s inspection will help take care of moving costs.

However, it’s imperative that you remove all of your important belongings in time for the final walkthrough (step 5 of the closing process). Any hiccups can slow down that process, meaning you’ll have to wait longer to get your cash. But don’t worry! We’ve compiled six helpful tips for moving out so you’ll be ready to hand over the keys.

1. Get an early start

Moving can be a hassle if you don’t plan ahead. As soon as you decide to sell your home, start organizing, decluttering, and finding everything you need to pack and move. You can frequently find free cardboard boxes at grocery or retail stores. Don’t forget to add packing tape and bubble wrap to your list.

In the weeks leading up to your move, set aside some time daily to sort your belongings. Start with items you won’t need right away, like seasonal items and clothing, and leave kitchen items and other necessities until your final packing days.

Related: How to Get Your House Ready to Sell

2. Hire movers (or ask for help from friends and family)

Whether you hire a traditional moving service, use an on-demand moving platform like Lugg or Dolly, or rent a truck to move items yourself, make a logistics plan for moving day in advance. Schedule your move for at least two days before your final walkthrough, if possible. That way, you can return for miscellaneous items that didn’t make it in the first few trips.

With Sundae’s cash advance, you’ll be able to hire a moving concierge to handle the stressful parts, like finding the best deal on a mover, getting supplies for your new home, and more.

Moving can be frustrating, but you don’t have to do it alone. Ask your friends and family to pitch in by helping you pack or taking some boxes in their vehicles. Just remember to thank them with a cold beer or a slice of pizza at the end of the day.

Related: How to Say Goodbye to Friends and Neighbors

3. Don’t forget the paperwork

It’s best to take care of things like address changes, new insurance policies, and switching utilities in advance of your move. Create a checklist so you don’t forget any of the necessary steps, and take care of a few items each day so you’re not overwhelmed.

4. Prepare the house ahead of time

Have everything ready to go ahead of time, so you’re not scrambling to pack things up last-minute. Stack boxes and clear a path for furniture. If you have access to your new home ahead of moving day, you may want to move as many boxes as you can by yourself and leave the rest of the work to the movers. This can help you save time and money on moving day.

5. Declutter and prioritize what to keep

Moving is the perfect time to evaluate your belongings. Consider using Marie Kondo’s method to set aside items that no longer spark joy. A good rule of thumb for most items is that if you haven’t used it in six months, it’s probably time to let it go. The less you have to bring with you on moving day, the easier the process will be.

You might also want to host a garage sale or post items on an online platform such as LetGo or Facebook Marketplace, so you can make some extra cash from the things you no longer need.

Remember: when you sell with Sundae, you have the option to leave behind belongings that you no longer want. We’ll dispose of these items at no cost to you after your final walkthrough. If it’s still there when you hand over the keys, we’ll assume you don’t want it. So make sure you haven’t left anything valuable or important behind. Stop at your old house the day before your scheduled walkthrough to check for items you may have missed.

6. Pack and move

The final step, of course, is finishing the packing and going through with the move. If you’ve created a checklist and pre-sorted your items, this process should be a breeze. But here are some rules of thumb to ensure a smooth packing process:

• Label first-off items: load items on the truck last that you’ll need first in your new home.
• Create a simple category system: label boxes with numbers or letters corresponding to rooms.
• Separate out items you don’t want to pack: these might be good items to keep in your car.
• Take extra care with fragile items: overwrap and secure breakable items, and label their packaging with bright colors so that they are easy to recognize.
• Use clothing as padding: rather than having multiple wardrobe boxes, use various articles of clothing to help secure other items. This will help you save money on packing materials.

The bottom line

Sundae can close in as little as 10 days, but your timeline for moving will impact how quickly you can sell your house. To ensure the transition into your new home goes smoothly, plan ahead, allow enough time, and ask for help when you need it.