The Ultimate Moving Checklist!
Ready to learn more about moving? No matter how many times you have moved in life, and how many different local movers you had so far, I can bet you haven’t got these detailed instructions from anyone. Taking into consideration that the average person in the US moves more than 10 times during the lifetime, you can just imagine how many local movers you meet during your life. And you need someone reliable and you can trust when it comes to handly of your belongings. Having a stress-free move is not that hard, but you shouldn’t take it too easy either. Follow the list that is gathered here, and you won’t have any worries along the way. Let’s start!
Make a timeline for a move
Planning your local move properly requires a detailed timeline that will help you keep a track of things you have done and what you need to do in the future. The job is not done when you find local movers, there is much more to be done on your end. That is why you might need a notebook where you will write all the details and tick them off the list once they are done. Working with many professional movers, I have heard a lot of crazy stories where people were so caught up with the chaotic moving process that they forgot what local movers they hired to help them. You don’t want to go through that hell of calling dozens of professional movers to find out who is coming to your home that day. Once you create a realistic timeline, try to stick to it as much as possible.
Set the date for the moving
Before you start calling local movers, you will have to have the approximate date for the move. Professional movers might have different prices on different dates due to availability. That is why you should have the date that you want to get a quote for. Not just that, but once you start calling local movers, you want to learn if they have the availability. And based on your life schedule, you might need to ask to get the day off from work.
Set the budget
The best insight on the price that local movers are offering will be after you call a few moving companies, but before that, you should have a general idea of the amount of money you are ready to spend. When setting the budget, always leave the space for the ‘rainy days’ because local moving might come with many surprises that are not that pleasant. Since local moves are offering hourly rates, you won’t be able to set in stone the price for them. But try to have the budget range. And don’t worry, there are many affordable movers out there.
Find the appropriate local movers
I mentioned the number of times that the average person moves, you might imagine how many local movers are out there. That is why it is not simple to find a company that can meet all of your requirements and needs. First, you should check with the people around you if they have some professional movers to recommend. If that is not the case, you will have to do your online research. Make sure to read a bunch of reviews on Yelp and Google to learn more about the local movers that you would like to call to learn more. After you find a selected few that you would like to reach out to, make sure to prepare the list of questions to ask your professional movers. Always check everything related to the price, services, and insurance. And once you find good local movers, save their contact information, you might need them in the future.
Packing requires planning
Before you start the actual packing, you can consider hiring local movers to help you with this. If that fits your moving budget, you will save a lot of time and effort. If you don’t feel comfortable having professional movers packing your items, you will have to create a plan for it. Don’t think that you will be able to pack your entire home in a day, because there are many belongings that you have forgotten. There is a simple rule – you need to be packed a day before your local movers arrive. Make sure to pack at least something each day. And take your time, if you are rushing the packing process you might damage or break some items. You might not know, but you can hire local movers to pack up your too fragile items – such as dishes. And the rest can be done by you.
Declutter
Now that you have to go through all of your belongings – it is the perfect chance to get rid of all of those items that you don’t need or want. It will be easier for your local movers to relocate you, so you might even save some money on the move. And you don’t want to bring the energy that you don’t want in your new home. How to get rid of the items? Donate, sell or throw away. Many organizations will be happy to take the items you don’t need. Have some fun by organizing a garage sale or sell the items online. And if you want to throw the furniture away, check if your local movers can do that for you.
Get quality packing materials
When your local movers are helping you with packing, they will offer you to use their boxes, and those are usually quality. If you are packing on your own, make sure to find the best packing material you can, at least for the fragile items. This way, your items will be safe and sound during the whole process, and the boxes will keep them until the end.
How to pack?
A few simple rules provided by professional movers are here. The heavier the item the smaller the box should be. This way you will avoid overpacking and local movers will carry those with ease. Don’t leave any empty spaces, fill the boxes with packing paper. Clothes can be packed in suitcases and bins. And local movers usually bring wardrobe boxes for the hanging clothes.
Label the boxes
Not only you should label boxes to make things easier for yourself when unpacking, but also add the notes for the local movers. If something fragile is in the box, make sure to note that. Or if some side needs to go up or down – mention that. You will ensure that your local movers will bring all the items in one piece to your new home.
The essential bag
The last tip that local movers shared with us when it comes to packing is the essential bag. Think about it, you will need some items on a moving day and for the first moments in your new home, and all of those items should find their place in your essential bag. Pack the items such as toothbrushes, chargers, linens, and similar. Be ready for any situation, you might be too tired to unpack anything once you get to your new home, so why would you even need to do it!
Find someone who will take care of your loved ones on a moving day
The last thing your professional movers want on a moving day is having to worry about your kids and pets running around. The moving site is not a place for toddlers and pets. Just imagine the scene where local movers are carrying the heavy furniture and your kids are running around their legs. Also, professional movers will ask you if it’s possible to keep all the doors open so they can maneuver easier and efficiently finish your move. Your pets might use the opportunity to go out unsupervised, and you don’t need that stress in your life.
Reserve the elevator/parking spot/anything that might require a reservation
If you are moving from the apartment building, your local movers will always ask you if they will have elevator access and if it requires a reservation. Make sure to check this with your building management. And while you are there, check if you need to provide them with the certificate of insurance so your professional movers can provide you with this document. When using local movers, you are the person responsible to provide the parking spot. Unless you have a driveway where your local movers can park, you will have to apply for the parking permit. You should know that you will have to wait for the permit for a couple of days, so organize it in time. In most cases, if you don’t provide parking and your professional movers get the ticket – you will be responsible to cover the cost.
Disconnecting & connecting back your appliances
Professional movers are not allowed to disconnect and connect back your appliances, so you will have to figure things out before your local movers arrive to help you with moving. Even though the local movers can move the appliances, due to safety reasons they cannot do anything in terms of disconnecting or connecting.
Transfer the utilities
Organize the companies to transfer your utilities before your local movers arrive. If they all come on the same day, you will probably go crazy. Not to mention that it will be complicated for your local movers to do their job having people around the house.
Change the address
You don’t want your packages and mail getting to your old home, so make sure to change your address. Also, let your neighbors know that you are moving, it is a bit rude they find out seeing your local movers. And, let your friends and family know too, you don’t want to miss those home warming gifts.
Take pictures of your electronics before you unplug them
You will probably pack up your electronics before your local movers arrive, and they won’t be able to help you to plug them back into your new home. Take pictures of them because you will make your life so much easier and you will save a lot of time when it comes to plugging them back. And you will be so thankful to yourself!
How much to tip the movers?
The most common question when it comes to moving is whether you should tip the movers and how much to tip the movers. Think about the budget for tipping before the move so you can have enough money in cash, I believe that local movers prefer to get it this way. It is possible to leave a tip on the card, but this way, professional movers are getting the money immediately. And you should determine the exact amount of the tip on a moving day, based on the level of your satisfaction.
Make a layout of your new home
You must be excited that you are starting your new life chapter in your new home! And you should be! It’s a fresh start for you and your family! So, before you get there, make sure to make a layout of the place. Local movers will place the furniture in the appropriate place, so you should know to give them instructions on where to put the items.
Inspect the moving truck
Before your professional movers leave, make sure to check if they have unloaded everything from the moving truck. Most local movers will ask you to sign the document confirming that you have checked the truck. But even if they don’t offer it, feel free to ask them to check the truck. Better safe than sorry.
Set the deadline for unpacking
Last but not least – unpacking. This is a task that local movers won’t be happy to do, and even if they accept, they will unpack your items on a flat surface, so you will have to arrange them. But, you shouldn’t have your hopes high for professional movers accepting to unpack. That is why you should set the deadline. Otherwise, the whole process will take forever. It might be suitable if you have to move again in the future, but don’t…
And if you are looking for a moving company that can offer you exceptional service done by experienced professional movers – you are in the right place! Expert Moving Services is a moving company with tradition and experience, so you will be in safe hands. Give us a call or request the quote over our website to learn more.