6 Weeks | Plan Your Move
- Work-related move? Your move may be tax deductible or employer subsidized.
- Get three estimates. Recommendations always help. Some advice: a mover that charges $30/hour more than the other guys is only $240 more for a full day, but definitely worth the peace of mind.
- Purge! Don’t need it? Sell it, donate it or have a garage sale. Don’t move junk!
- Start getting your boxes and supplies. You can buy, new or used corrugated boxes, plastic moving totes (a few clear totes will come in handy). Remember to buy high quality box tape, color-coded labels, bubble-wrap and plain newsprint. Label all boxes on two sides (not on top) so your boxes can quickly go to the proper room.
- Arrange your address change with the post office, notify relatives, friends, creditors, schools, doctors, dentists, veterinarians, newspapers, magazines, etc.
- Plan on using up your frozen food, book airline flights, car or truck rentals.
5 Weeks | Plan Your Move
- Book your mover! Reserve a storage facility near your new place if you need one.
- Confirm with your insurance broker that your belongings are covered during the move. If additional insurance is necessary ask your insurance broker or the mover.
- Expensive items should be appraised before they’re moved and the mover should be alerted of any expensive items upon booking the move so that special arrangements can be made to ensure proper protection.
- Reserve the elevator if you’re in an apartment building or condominium.
4 Weeks | Plan Your Move
- Begin to pack, room by room. Start with items you can live without for 4 to 5 weeks.
- Pack and label a box of cleaning supplies; you might need these cleaning supplies for your old and new residences. Pack items from your attic, garage and storage areas.
3 Weeks | Plan Your Move
- Confirm address change has been received by the post office. Keep on packing!
- Plants take up a lot of room in a moving truck; they may not fit. Consider options.
- Movers are prohibited from transporting hazardous materials. Make alternate plans.
- Arrange a sitter for children and pets and any additional help on moving day.
2 Weeks | Plan Your Move
- Arrange to have utilities, cable, internet and phone service disconnected and transferred.
- Notify your bank of your new address. Keep on packing!
1 Week | Plan Your Move
- Defrost freezer, clean refrigerator, refill prescriptions, drain fluids from lawnmower.
- Confirm move date/time with your mover. Withdrawal cash for tips, or to pay your bill in full. Take out extra money just in case the movers take longer than expected. There’s nothing like a moving crew that has worked a 10 hour day only to be held up waiting for you to go to the bank to withdrawwl funds that may be capped by your daily limit. Be ready!
- Do not yet pack things that you’ll absolutely need the week before the move.
- Take photo’s of electronic equipment cable hook-ups; it helps when reconnecting.
- Keep on packing! Tape up cords, bundles of shelves, bunches of shovels etc.
Moving Day
- Plan to drink water and eat well. Always keep wallets and jewelry with you!
- Review the moving contract. Load important boxes last onto truck, unload them first.
- Set aside a clearly marked necessities box (food, toothbrushes, dishes etc).
- Exchange cell numbers with your movers and ensure your ringer is on. Designate a person to direct the movers at new and old addresses.
- Lock windows/doors, turn off appliances, leave keys, pack items you left for the last day.
- Remember your pets. Try to be at the new location before the movers arrive. Confirm utilities and services are connected.
- Get the movers to place boxes out of the way; it will take time to unpack them.
- Inform the crew leader of damages. Note: If you didn’t hire the mover to pack and unpack your items into boxes and you find broken things inside a box, it is impossible for the mover to be held responsible for damages unless there is clear evidence that the box was mishandled (dropped). Improper packing tecniques often cause unavoidable damage when items are moved. So make sure you pack correctly (i.e., plates should always be packed on their sides and properly protected with crumpled newsprint and/or bublle wrap – never stack plates. Check that the truck is empty before the truck departs.
- If you agreed to pay with cash, make sure you have the full amount before the movers finish the job. If you are short of cash make sure you allow yourself enough time to go to an ATM or make sure the bank will still be open if you require personal service. Tip the workers, not the owner (general rule of thumb; 10% of the pre tax total is nice tip for a hard days work, especially if great care was exhibited).