Moving Tips and Tricks to Simplify life's Stressful Moments

Planning for a move is always a daunting task, whether you are simply a single person moving to a new apartment or a family moving an entire household or across the country. As with anything else, the more time you spend planning and breaking your move into steps and stages, the more seamless and stress-free the actual move will be. While no one likes to start thinking about their move so far in advance, we have compiled a helpful checklist of things to consider at different stages before your move. This way, you will be prepared, organized and ready to make your move when the big day comes.

2 (or more) Months Before Your Move

Research and book your moving service – Especially in the spring and summer, reliable moving companies are often in high demand, so the earlier you can reserve yours the better. If you wait until the last minute, your options may be very limited (or non-existent, depending on how many services work in the area you are moving from). There are many reliable directories online for finding moving companies in your area, so compare and contrast them to find the perfect one for you.

Figure out your budget for relocation – While the moving company is often the biggest part of this cost, people relocating long distances may also be looking at car or truck rentals, temporary hotel or other lodgings, and other costs that can pile up fast. If your employer will be covering your moving costs, this is not as pressing of a need, but anyone funding their own move should make sure to figure out how much you have available well before booking (or worse, finding out you ran out of money without a place to stay as the move is happening).

Handle all notifications – Whether it is letting your landlord or employer know, or talking about a move with your kids and helping them understand this major transition, giving everyone time to process the news can make things much easier. Landlords often require 60 days advance notice or their may penalize you, and children should be given time to adjust to a major life change. The earlier you can give warnings, the better!

1-2 Months Out

Book any required rentals and storage spaces – Much like movers discussed above, truck rentals or storage spaces are critical elements to any move and not something you want to leave to chance, especially during the busy move seasons of spring and summer. Now that you have a budget figured out, this also makes it easier when comparing cost estimates for these rentals, since you know exactly what your cap is on spending for these things.

Order/purchase any moving supplies you need – From boxes and packing containers to packing tape or storage items to protect valuables, buying early lets you get a head start on your packing and break it up into a gradual process. Anyone who has tried to cram their entire move into the day before the end of a lease knows that slowly packing up your home is much less stressful and easier for organization – and also the best way to ensure that anything fragile or valuable is protected during the move itself.

Begin to donate, sell, or dispose of anything you won’t take with you – From selling items at garage sales to help cover moving costs, to donating excess furniture or kitchenware to your local thrift store or charity, there are a number of different outlets for getting rid of your excess goods. Anything that you don’t absolutely need for your new home should be added to this list – remember, the more you can get rid of ahead of time, the less you will have to move, store, or find space for at your new location.

1-3 weeks before

Handle mail forwarding, any personal info updating, and random logistics – From making sure your mail will find you in your new home, to being sure that all of your accounts and utilities will be ready to transfer or initiate as soon as you move in, the few weeks before the move should be used to set these things up. Utilities need to be cancelled at your existing property and/or set up at the new one, personal accounts need your new address, and anyone who needs to know your new address should know ahead of time. You will be busy setting up your new home and won’t want to do these things at the same time.

Begin cleaning your property – While some of the final clean up needs to wait until all of your belongings have been removed, getting a head start on cleaning rooms you rarely use (or combining your belongings to free up spaces to clean) can make your list of cleaning on the hectic moving day much less daunting. Believe us, you will have plenty of other things to worry about that day, so handling as much cleaning as possible ahead of time will make life easier.

Finish any errands you have been putting off – Quite simply, the more you can do while you are still somewhat settled, the less you will have to worry about during the transition itself.

The Move Itself (Day Before and Day Of)

Make sure everything you will need personally is accessible – From laptops to clothing, important paperwork to toiletries, make sure that you have packed your personal belongings so you don’t need to wade through all of your belongings in your new home. Having a week’s worth of clothing and toiletries will give you time to unpack and get settled in your new home, so we recommend packing this in an accessible spot.

Do a final sweep and make sure your landlord knows what the plan is – Once the move itself is in progress and your property is empty, make sure to do a final cleaning and check of the property so you don’t get any nasty surprises after the move. Also, make sure to be in contact with your landlord, so you know what is expected of you and can be sure everything is done before leaving for the final time.

Enjoy your new home and unpack! The last part is the most exciting!