Whether you’re moving down the street or across the country, moving can be an adventure that’s both exciting and nerve-wracking. It’s a fresh start, a new chapter, and a chance to declutter your life (and your home!) Let’s be real, moving can also be a bit chaotic, especially if you don’t have a plan in place. That’s where we come in – we’re here to help you turn your move into a seamless, stress-free experience.
We’ve provided tips before on how to keep your move green. Now, we’ve created the ultimate moving checklist to help you stay in check and calm throughout this rather stressful undertaking. With a little bit of planning and a lot of organization, you’ll be completely ready to conquer the moving process. Here’s how to have a hassle-free move.
Before You Begin
Setting up a moving checklist ahead of time can be extremely beneficial in terms of ensuring that the moving process goes smoothly. It allows you to plan and prepare for the move, making sure that everything is organized and accounted for. Having a moving timeline is crucial because it helps you stay on track and ensures that you don’t forget any important tasks while also providing structure and direction.
Many moving experts recommend developing a moving checklist around 8 weeks (2 months) out from the actual move, so you have plenty of time to complete tasks and avoid any last-minute rush. This may include endeavors such as sorting through your belongings, donating or selling items you no longer need, notifying your utility providers, and choosing/scheduling a moving company. By spreading these tasks out over several weeks, you can avoid feeling overwhelmed and ensure that everything is completed on time.
8 Weeks Before Your Move
Set Your Budget for Moving Expenses
Creating a moving budget is crucial for a successful and stress-free relocation. It allows you to assess your financial situation and determine how much you can afford to spend on moving expenses. By taking the time to create a detailed budget, you can plan for all the costs associated with your move, including packing supplies, hiring movers, transportation, and any unexpected expenses that may arise. This can help you avoid overspending or underestimating the costs, which can cause financial strain and add unnecessary stress to the moving process. If you’re moving for your career, find out if your employer will cover all or part of your moving expenses.
Research Moving Options
Have you decided on a do-it-yourself move? Will you be enlisting the help of friends and family? Or will you need the assistance of a reputable moving company? If you’re choosing to hire movers, now is the time to start researching your options. By doing your research, you can gather information about different moving companies, compare their prices, and evaluate their reputation and customer reviews. This can help you choose a reputable and reliable mover that meets your needs, budget and book the move in advance. Additionally, getting a quote can give you a clear idea of the overall cost of the move and help you avoid any surprises or hidden fees. It’s critical to choose a licensed and insured moving company to ensure that your belongings are protected during the move.
Time to Declutter
By taking the time to go through your belongings and decide what you no longer need or want, you can estimate how many belongings you’ll have to pack and determine where everything will go in your new home. This can help you plan ahead by purchasing the necessary packing supplies, and avoiding any last-minute stressors. In addition to making the packing process easier, decluttering can also help you reduce the cost of your move. When you get rid of items that you no longer need or want, you can sell them, give them away to friends or family, or donate them to a local charity or shelter.
School Enrollment
Whether you have little ones or teenagers, you may need to factor in some time to find a new school or daycare for your children. It’s important to start this process as soon as possible, as there are some schools and daycares in popular areas that may have waiting lists. You’ll likely have enrollment forms to fill out, extracurricular activities to register for, and records to transfer. Get this done early to avoid additional anxiety during the thick of your move.
4 Weeks Before Your Move
Schedule Movers (If Applicable)
Once you have researched and compared different moving companies, it’s important to choose a reliable mover that meets your needs and your budget. When contacting the company, request a written or emailed confirmation of your moving date, costs, and other important details. It’s vital to carefully review the confirmation and make sure that all the details are correct, including the dates and times of your move, the services that are included, and any additional charges or fees. Confirming the arrangements with your mover well in advance of your move date can help ensure that everything goes smoothly on your moving day. It can also give you peace of mind and allow you to focus on other important aspects of your move, such as packing and organizing your belongings.
Book Travel Arrangements
If you’re traveling a long distance for your move, you’ll want to ensure that your rental car, flight, and accommodations are booked around this time period to avoid high last-minute booking costs or the risk of possessions being sold out and baggage fees. If you’re relocating for a company, find out if these expenses will be reimbursed or paid for outright. Driving yourself? If you’re driving your vehicle, ensure it is up-to-date with repairs and maintenance, such as an oil change, tire rotation and routine maintenance. Now is also a great time to plan your travel route ahead of time to avoid any surprises.
Pack, Pack, Pack
If you haven’t started the packing process already, now is the time to get started. By giving yourself enough time, you can tackle the task of packing up your belongings in a methodical and organized manner. One tip for starting early is to begin with items that are rarely used, such as out-of-season clothing or holiday decorations. You can also make a list of everything that needs to be packed and create a schedule to keep yourself on track. Another helpful tip is to label boxes clearly and color-code them based on the room they belong to and ensure any fragile items are clearly marked. This will make it easier for you and your movers to know where to place each box in your new home. If you are using a moving company, make note of any items that may have a special value that could require additional insurance or care.
Start Your Address Change
It’s important to inform your utility and service providers about your upcoming address change. This is the right time to schedule a stop date for your current address and a start date for your new home. It’s crucial to contact various providers such as water, sewage treatment, internet, phone, cable, medical and dental services, insurance, banks and credit card companies, your children’s schools, subscription providers, home alarm system providers, and other relevant services. For electricity and natural gas this is the perfect time to sign up for CleanSky Energy (if you are not already a customer) or update your address with CleanSky (if you are a current customer). It’s also helpful to fill out the USPS change of address form to notify the post office of your move and get your mail forwarded, if necessary. You’ll also want to inform family and close friends of your new address change.
1 Week Before Your Move
Disassemble Large Furniture
Large furniture items such as beds, dressers, and desks can be heavy and difficult to maneuver through doorways and narrow hallways, making them susceptible to damage. By disassembling these items and removing any detachable parts, such as legs or drawers, you can make them more manageable to transport and less likely to sustain damage during the move. This can also help to optimize the space in your moving truck, making it easier to pack and unpack your goods. It’s important to carefully label and organize any screws, bolts, or other hardware that you remove during the disassembly process, to ensure that you can easily reassemble the furniture in your new home. Gather all the disassembled hardware into ziplocks, label the bags, and tape them to part of the disassembled furniture so you know exactly what goes with each furniture item and can locate it after the move.
Deep Clean Your Home
Before you vacate, it’s recommended to perform a thorough room-to-room cleaning of your living spaces including a deep clean of your fridge. Once you finish cleaning a room, it’s best to close it off to prevent any additional dirt or dust from accumulating. It’s pertinent to also make a note of any necessary repairs that were agreed upon in your lease or contract. Hiring a specialized cleaning service or company for move-out is a great option, if budget allows, as it can save you time and effort during the final week before your move.
Complete Final Errands
Completing essential errands one week prior to your move can create a smooth and worry-free moving experience. Some important tasks to consider include preparing your home for a final walkthrough to check for any forgotten items or damages that may need to be addressed, taking out the trash and recycling and informing your neighbors of your upcoming move. You may want to also exchange contact information with the neighbors or new tenants in case they receive any of your mail or packages after you’ve moved out.
Prepare Your Essentials
For the day of your move, it’s recommended to prepare in advance an “essentials bag” for each family member to ensure that they have everything they need during the transition. Some important items to include in the bag are 2-3 sets of clothing, toiletries such as toothbrush, deodorant, and shampoo, phone and computer chargers, medications, snacks, books, toys, games, and headphones. If you have children, it’s especially important to pack their favorite blanket, stuffed animal, or other comfort items in the bag to avoid any potential meltdowns. Keep these bags separate from the rest of your moving supplies to avoid confusion and ensure that they’re easily accessible during the move.
Moving Day
Keep Water and Food On-Hand
If you’ve gone through the process of moving, you know how tiring the undertaking of moving can be. First, be sure to hydrate plenty with an ample supply of bottled water readily available for your family, your movers and any friends or family members who are helping with the move. Additionally, providing food, such as donuts for breakfast, or pizza for lunch to keep everyone full and happy will make for much happier movers.
Take Inventory
It’s important to create an inventory of all your belongings before they get loaded up. This will enable you to keep track of your items and ensure that everything is accounted for during the moving process. It’s also recommended to check the driver’s inventory sheet to ensure that all of your goods are being transported. If any possessions are missing or damaged, it’s crucial to make a note of this beforehand. Taking photos of fragile items like appliances or lamps can also be a good idea for liability coverage and insurance purposes, providing a visual record of the condition of these items before the move.
Do Your Final Walkthrough
Doing a final walkthrough of your home prior to moving out is one of the most critical steps in the moving process. It also allows you to ensure that everything is in working order and identify any outstanding issues. You can also clean up any lingering messes and address any repairs, avoiding any disputes with future tenants. Best of all, this final walkthrough time allows you to acquire closure by saying goodbye to your old home, and transition smoothly to your new residence.
Drop Off Your Keys
You did it! You’ve made it to the final step in the moving process. Hand over the keys to your landlord or the new owners. Now it’s time to enjoy your new home!
For more helpful tips on moving, visit our other blog posts and to update your new address with CleanSky Energy, contact us at 1-888-733-5557 for Texas Residents and 1-888-344-6205 for non-Texas Residents or visit our website for more information.
