Moving Checklist
When you are preparing for your move, it is important to consider all the factors that contribute to your move day and how each component can drastically change your plans.
When you are preparing for your move, it is important to consider all the factors that contribute to your move day and how each component can drastically change your plans. Moving is a very dynamic activity and plans can change at the drop of a hat, especially when you are working with so many different parties such as banks, contractors, realtors, title companies, buyers, sellers, landlords, movers, cleaners, and so many others! Even if you have the most well-thought out and thorough plan formulated, you must be able to make a split-second decision if any of the parties you are working with fail to do their job or if something does not end up the way you thought it would.
After working with thousands of people and being exposed to so many different plans with so many different people, we have concluded that you must plan for your move in a thorough and thoughtful method. We do not suggest that you stress about your move months in advance, but it is wise to be mindful of all the different scenarios that may occur and how you will need to decide when the cards may not be in your favor. It is best to think through all the possible scenarios you may encounter to ensure you are at the least, slightly prepared to make the correct decision that will turn an unfortunate situation into a blessing in disguise.
Below we have broken down a chronological methodology you can use as a guide when creating your moving agenda that will optimize your time as you are preparing for your upcoming move. This will assist you as you are going through the steps of the moving process to minimize any forgetfulness and errors to ensure your transition from one home to another is as smooth as possible.
- Begin to do research as to what method you will choose to move and what work you will do yourself or what you will hire professionals to do. It is important to consider all your options and familiarize yourself with them and the budget with which you are working within. Also, we suggest that you ask your employer if they offer any relocation expense reimbursement options to help alleviate the expensive burden of the moving process. If so, then you might have just earned yourself a free move, if not, the worst thing your employer can say is “no” and you continue to formulate your moving plans. If you are at a loss or need assistance figuring out what your moving options may be, visit our page that outlines “Your Moving Options”
- Conduct a thorough walkthrough of your current home to determine which items will be moving to your new home and which ones you will donate or discard. This can help cut your moving costs tremendously since there will be less work to complete.
- Research your new community and schooling options if you have school-aged children
- Find a roommate! Finding a roommate can be difficult and stressful but by adding yourself to a local community Facebook page for your new town can be helpful and insightful.
- Inform your family and friends of your move
- Provide your landlord with your 60-day notice of vacancy so you do not find yourself paying for an additional month for a vacant apartment you are no longer a resident of
- If you live in an apartment and you need to reserve the elevator for moving purposes it is best to do this when you submit your notice of vacancy to ensure your movers can use the elevator and there is not a conflict the day of the move with other tenants
- If there is an elevator, we recommend you ask your landlord if there are any restrictions when moving. Some apartments are sticklers and only let you use the elevator for a certain time, or the elevator may not function like other elevators and if you put items in front of the elevator door the elevator may shut down leading to costly repair bills.
- Create a list of questions you want to ask your movers. You want to be sure you are vetting moving companies consistently and accurately to ensure you make the right decision. Too many times we have received a call from people who decided to move with another moving company informing us they should have moved with Midwest Moving Company due to the lack of accountability they experienced with their movers in which some moving companies are notorious for, especially large franchise moving companies.
- Start gathering estimates from your selected, pre-vetted moving companies
- If you are moving yourself and need assistance from friends or family, it would be wise to schedule your move with them so they can accommodate to your move and to rent your truck if you need one. Do not wait until a second longer to rent a truck if you are moving yourself; once you know your move date and if you are moving yourself, get your rental truck booked immediately!
- Reserve a storage unit if you are do not have a destination address yet
- Begin to compile important documents and records such as medical files, school records for your children, veterinarian documents, legal and financial records, etc.
- Schedule a transfer of records for your children’s school and your pet’s veterinarian
- Identify and complete any home repairs and maintenance to make your home look presentable to sell and move out of
- If you are packing your own belongings, begin to buy the packing materials such as tape, boxes, bubble wrap, paper wrapping, markers to label boxes, etc.
- Make note of all tax-deductible moving expenses. This information can easily get lost, so it is important to create a folder and a list to track all receipts and expenditures while you are spending money on your move
- Schedule your movers
- Schedule your utility disconnection at your current home and schedule the new connection at your new home
- Return rented equipment such as WI-FI routers and modems
- Make travel arrangements for the day of your move. If you are shipping your vehicle, book your plane flight and reserve your rental car
- Begin to consume/donate all perishable items and others that cannot be shipped. Check out our “Prohibited Items” page to view a comprehensive list of items that you cannot ship with a moving company
- Contact your gym and notify them of your subscription cancellation or transfer to an affiliated gym
- Notify your auto, homeowners, and renters’ insurance of your move to ensure you are covered and you are paying an accurate premium. Your insurance premiums may decrease when moving to a new state, so it is best to inquire about this early, so you have time to find a new insurance carrier if needed
- Begin packing items you seldomly use to begin decluttering areas. Once you begin to declutter and minimize the amount of stuff in each room the moving process will seem less overwhelming
- Begin donating unwanted items to local charities
- Separate items you do not want movers/other people to touch such as important documents, prescriptions, and fragile items you prefer to handle yourself. Place them in a box that is labeled “DO NOT MOVE”
- If you are disassembling/taking down TVs and other wall decorations, it is best to create a “parts box”. The parts box is crucial to every move as it prevents the misplacement of remotes, wires, screws, assembly parts, and essential components tools you may need every day or when you get to your destination address. To learn more about a “parts box” visit our blog post about a parts box here!
- Create a high value inventory list. This is very important to inform your movers of prior to your move. Depending on the value of the items, you may want to inquire about purchasing additional coverage through valuation with your moving company. If you are unfamiliar with what valuation is, visit our FAQs page to learn more about valuation.
- Complete a Change of Address with the U.S. Postal Service to inform them of your new address and the date you will no longer be receiving mail at your current address. Be aware that you must file a Change of Address for each individual person who will receive mail at the new address
- Before moving it is always wise to get your car serviced to ensure it is in adequate condition to embark on your journey. This is especially important if you are traveling a far distance or out of state since there are countless things that can go wrong with a car, at the worst time possible.
- Confirm your moving date and time with your moving company. You always want to check in with the moving company to ensure you are in the calendar to ensure there is not an issue the day of your move.
- Map out your journey and reserve hotels along the way. The best method to minimize fatigue while on the road is to have set stops to make. You never want to strain yourself if you are feeling tired and fatigued while on the road. You want to mark on a map rest areas or towns you can stop in along the way to have a designated meeting spot if you are traveling in a party of multiple vehicles.
- Notify banks and credit card companies the change of your address
- Provide the new address and contact information to your friends and families
- Clean as you are packing your belongings. By now you should have a decent number of items packed away and ready to be moved so there should be room in your home to begin cleaning the floor, cabinets, tabletops, and other areas like the crawl space in your home.
- Have your current home’s appliances serviced such as the water heater, air conditioner, HVAC cleaned, and your septic tank cleaned for the new homeowners
- Schedule the cancellation of your current subscription services such as landscapers, window washers, pool maintenance, food delivery, etc.
- Dispose of all flammables, corrosives, explosives such as fireworks, cleaning products, and others that will damage your belongings if you pack them into a box
- Create a layout of your new home where your furniture will go so it is easy for when the movers are placing everything in your home. You do not want to be the person who has four couches in your living room because you told the movers to put all the boxes in the basement and there was no room for the furniture. It is best to avoid this since you paid for the movers so you might as well have them help you as much as possible.
- Secure a parking spot for the moving truck either by placing cones in the parking lot or designating one in your driveway or yard that will allow the best access for the movers without damaging your lawn or driveway
- Schedule painters or begin to plan to paint your new home when you move in. It depends on how much stuff you are moving into your new home but ideally you want to paint after the moving is completed. This will ensure your walls are not dinged or scuffed after you painted them. Midwest Moving Company protects your walls as we enter your new home but in the event someone else is moving something or when the cable guy comes in, they may scuff a wall which may be upsetting since you just painted
- Gather all the warranty information and manuals for the new homeowners. It would be very helpful for the new residents to have access to when appliances were purchased and if they are still under warranty in the event an item malfunctions and they need to get it repaired
- Schedule day care for your pets and young children. Moving when young children or animals are around may be hectic as they may want to get involved or they may get in the way of the movers while they are carrying heavy items which may result in an injury or damage to the furniture or your home
- Clean your home and furniture for a clean move-in to your new home
- Finish the last-minute errands
- Pack suitcases
- Create a box of items that you will need on the first day of your move-in such as toilet paper, paper towels, paper plates, plastic utensils, bathing towels, and other toiletries to help you get through your first night in your new home
- Dispose of the final perishable items you know you will not consume in the next week
- Remove bedding and pack away sheets and pillows
- Have plenty of water available for yourself and the movers
- Take the movers on a tour of the home instructing them of everything that is going and what you want them to do with specific items (couch is going to storage, bed goes to second address, all boxes will go in the basement at the destination address, “be careful with that mirror it is 100 years old”, etc.)
- Take an inventory of everything
- Do a final walk through of the home prior to leaving
- Make sure the movers have the correct destination address and they know and understand the plan for the next step (Ex: take lunch and meet at the destination in one hour)
- Lock everything in the house, turn off all the lights, and shut the garage door
- Verify your utilities and all appliances are working – power, water, gas, HVAC, dryer, washer, stovetop, microwave, etc.
- Perform an initial inspection of the home to ensure there is nothing wrong like dented walls from the old homeowners or builders if it is a new home
- Do through cleaning of the whole home before you start using the sink, stove, bathroom, etc.
- Direct movers where to place items
- Offer the movers drinks or snacks: although the movers will never ask for anything, it helps tremendously to offer them water, sports drinks, and snacks to keep their bodies moving quickly with plenty of energy
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