Moving is disruptive whether you’re picking up and going across the globe or just across town. Even if you’ve done the Marie Kondo thing and have already purged your possessions of everything that isn’t useful or doesn’t make you joyful, you’ve doubtless got tons of stuff you’ve got to pack and get settled in at your new location.
There are lots of website articles and blogs out there with useful tips about how to organize and actually put everything in boxes. But beyond that, there’s preparation you can be doing to make the entire process go as smoothly as possible.
Here are four top tips:
#1 Find A Moving Company
As soon as you know that you’re moving, contracting with a mover is absolutely the first thing you should do. Book your date early because whether you’re in Toronto or Tampa, moving companies’ busiest times are weekends, summer and other school vacations, and the first and last days of every month. When the estimator comes to your home to assess how much time the move will take and how much it will cost you, make sure he or she sees everything that will be involved. That way, there won’t be any surprises for you or the moving crew when you suddenly spring an attic full of furniture on them.
#2 Start Packing Right Away
Don’t wait to begin getting boxes, packing paper, tape, and some big fat marking pens and going at it. Packing up every single thing you own is most certainly going to take longer than you think. If you look around online you’ll find all the detailed instructions and clever ideas you need for packing effectively and protecting your most fragile items.
#3 Keep Detailed Notes
Get a notebook or a pad of paper and use it to keep track of every single thing about your move. Don’t bother with a fancy Excel file unless you’re completely obsessive-compulsive. Old school works just fine for this so you can write things down whenever and wherever they occur to you. That means:
- A first page with your new address and the names of the cross-streets for giving directions to movers and service people. Even though a lot of people have GPS devices, you’ll be surprised how many ask for the names of those streets anyway.
- A page for the contact information of your realtor, escrow, mortgage and insurance people, or of your current and future landlords or property rental company. Include contacts for your movers, and when the actual crew gets there, make sure you get the driver’s cell number.
- A page of the contact information for both your old and new power, water, and gas or other utility companies (one page for each), and the dates you want services stopped and started. Each time you have a conversation with these companies, write down the date, the name of the person you spoke to, and a confirmation number for your order. Then if there’s a problem, you’ll have a starting point for getting it resolved.
- A page for the same info on the TV, cable, and internet service providers at your old and new addresses, as well as your account numbers and passwords. If you’ve got a landline phone, use another page for that information, too, and order the line for your new address as soon as you can so everything is up and running when you move in.
- As many pages as you need to do a rough sketch of your new rooms and note their dimensions as well as mark placement of doors and windows in your new home. This will be very helpful as a guide to pre-planning where the movers should place your furniture and will also be a reference as you shop for new furnishings.
#4 Remember That Movers Are Quick
Crews hoist things up and hustle them out the door at one place and into the door at another at breakneck speed and you’re not going to be able to keep an eye on everything they’re doing. So on moving day keep your purse, your keys, your phone, and your notebook either on you or in a closed kitchen drawer so they don’t wind up in a box on the moving truck. (It has happened.) And take the time to mark your packing boxes on all four sides so that when they’re piled up ceiling-high in your new home you can see what you want even if you can’t quite reach it.
