Moving can be a stressful process for everyone involved. You are uprooting yourself to start living in a different location with new neighbors and a new environment.
Not only do you have to worry about adjusting to a new life, but there are also logistical matters to worry about. You have to look for a moving company, pack everything up, and throw away things that you won’t be needing.
On top of that, you want to make sure that the transition is seamless. You don’t want a two-week “transition period” right after you move.
What a pain, right?
We understand the stress of moving, so we’ve come up with a simple checklist for you to follow to make sure that all your bases are covered. It’s even arranged in a nifty little timeline so you know what to do and when to do it!
You read that right. The process for a smooth moving experience starts months before you do any actual moving. Remember, you will be staying in a new place for possibly years, so you can’t short change yourself by planning only days ahead.
Make sure you have at least the following documents ready and updated:
· Motor vehicle registration
· Driver’s license
· Medical records
This is the perfect time to shop around for different moving companies. They all offer different services at various price points, so take your time to know each one of them down to the last detail.
There’s also a benefit to doing it this early: you get to book the schedule in advance. It would be a huge hassle to pack for weeks only to find out that your chosen moving company is unavailable on the day you’re supposed to move.
The earlier you are in the process, the better it is for you to start with the small things. Everybody remembers to clear huge places like the living room and the bedrooms, but many people overlook places like the attic.
By this point, you should already have a fair idea of which things to bring and which ones you don’t really need. Instead of throwing these out, you might find other people who can make good use of your pre-loved items, like old furniture.
You don’t want to worry about recycling when the moving date is so near, so get this done while you’re comfortably more than a month ahead of your actual date.
You can save a lot of time by storing bulky but infrequently used items ahead of time. You don’t have to pack them yet, but putting them all in one place makes it easier for you to come back to them later.
When you make the change, you want all your subscriptions delivered there straight away. Give your favorite magazines or newsletters a heads up that you’ll be moving soon and when, so you don’t have to deal with picking up letters at your old address.
Disconnecting from your utility providers is not an instant process. Since you’re billed monthly, you’ll want to let your electricity and water providers know that you’re moving a month ahead.
You don’t want to be hit with utility bills for your old address when you’ve already moved.
Insurance is essential for any house, and in most cases, is required by law. Talk to your agent and get coverage for your new home beginning on your move date.
On that note, make sure to have them cancel your insurance policy for your old home once you’ve moved out!
This is the right time to start putting things into boxes. Take note of the stuff that you don’t use, but you want to bring anyway. By starting the actual packing process earlier, you make the entire process easier in the long run.
By now, you’ve probably seen a lot of things you know you won’t be needing anymore. A yard sale is the perfect way to get rid of those and make some money in the process.
You probably won’t sell everything in a day, so it’s good to start early.
The most important thing to do at this point is to contact your chosen moving company and let them know your new address, your itinerary, and even some emergency contact numbers. If you have any gas-powered equipment like lawn mowers and snow blowers, you should also drain them out.
Depending on the type of fridge you have, defrosting can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days. Make sure to clear all your frozen goods and thaw your fridge out.
Your fridge is one of the few things you don’t want to leave behind.
You might not need to pull the plug on the A/C unit yet, but you might want to start packing other appliances like your fans, toaster, or favorite coffee maker.
This is where you’ll put stuff that you’ll need right as you move in. Things like your toothbrush, medicine, and some toiletries go here.
Hopefully, you’ve covered all your bases by now. The only thing left to do at this point is to make sure that the moving company carefully loads and unloads your stuff. Since you’ve prepared for months, the experience is hopefully not too much of a hassle.
As you can see, moving is a complicated process, and it’s not just about packing your bags and leaving. There are many things to take care of beforehand, and the sooner you get to them, the easier your transition will be.
