Planning Your Move
Getting You Ready for the Big Day
Planning Your Move Day
How to get organized, plan, and prepare for your household move.
Before you do anything, whether you are moving yourself or hiring professional movers, you must first decide what your move day plans are. Will you be packing up all your belongings yourself? Are you moving to another room in the house? Or perhaps you are moving across town or across the country.
All of these decisions will affect how much work and preparation is involved. It may also help to know what you are moving into. If you are moving to a larger home, for example, this will require more packing supplies and space in your new home than if you were moving into a one-bedroom apartment.
Regardless of what your plans are during your move day, it is important that you are prepared for it. If you are hiring professional movers, they will provide all the necessary supplies and equipment for your move day.
However, if you are moving yourself, it is important to understand what things are involved in the relocation process.
First Step
Are You Going to Move Yourself DIY or Use A Professional Moving Company?
First of all, no matter how far or close your destination might be, always plan on a moving day that occurs on a Friday or a Monday. These are the best two days to schedule your move as they provide the least amount of traffic and interruptions for you both before and after your relocation. In addition, these are usually considered “slow” workdays by professional movers, making it easier for them to dedicate more time to get you set up in your new home.
Moving day is a very hectic and stressful time for most people, especially if they are moving for the first time. However, it is important to keep calm and follow these simple rules:
Planning the Move Day
Planning your move day will help you ensure that everything goes as smoothly as possible when it comes to loading, transporting, and unloading your belongings.
Pack Early – if you are packing yourself, this is an absolute must! Waiting until the day before your move will only cause more stress for you on that busy day. Start by writing down everything you need to pack in one place. Then organize it into multiple groups, such as “bedroom”, “living room” and “bathroom”. It will make packing a lot easier to know what items are going in each box.
Label Everything – this is one of the most important things you can do when preparing for your move. Boxes should be labeled with masking tape and a permanent marker with large, easy-to-read letters. Include arrows on your boxes so movers know in which direction to stack them in the truck.
De-Clutter – We all accumulate things we no longer use, need or want over time. A move is the perfect opportunity to get rid of these items. De-cluttering will also make your packing and unpacking process a lot easier, and it will save you money on moving supplies.
Second Step
Make an “Essentials” Box – This box should include items that you will need immediately after the move, such as toiletries, a change of clothes, towels, bedding, and dishes, tape, measuring tape and things that will be needed right away when you get your new home.
Pack a Cooler – This is especially important if you are moving in the summertime. Pack a cooler with snacks and drinks for you and the movers.
Hire Help – If you are planning on DIY-ing your move, consider hiring some help, such as friends or family, to assist you on moving day. This will take some of the stress off of you and make the process go much smoother.
Prepare Your Home – Before the movers arrive, it is important to prepare your home for their arrival. Clear a path from the front door to where the furniture will be placed in each room. This will make it much easier for the movers to do their job.
In addition, if you have any fragile items, such as lamps or vases, it is important to pack them safely and label them accordingly.
The day before your move, be sure to:
Clean all appliances that you are taking with you, such as the oven, refrigerator, and dishwasher.
Pack a bag with your essentials for the first night in your new home.
Check all rooms to make sure that everything has been packed.
Double-check that you have turned off all utilities at your old home.
Arrange for any pet care that you might need. You may want to consider boarding your pet for a day in and a day out from your move. Moving can stress pets out too.
Moving day is a hectic and stressful time, but if you follow these simple tips, it will help to make the process go as smoothly as possible.
If you have any questions on your move – never hesitate to call our moving specialists at (612) 216-2665 they will be more than happy to assist you or fill out the form for more information.
