4 Weeks Before Your Move
- Book your move online or by calling the moving company directly to reserve a slot before someone else does.
- Notify the utility services that you are currently enrolled with, as well as your future location.
- Electric, water, gas, telephone, cell phone, cable/satellite TV, internet, sewer, and trash.
- Make travel arrangements for your pets, whether it’s finding them a pet-sitter for the day of your move or to find them a new home.
- Host the garage sale to help with the organization around the house: to help assemble the donation pile.
3 Weeks Before Your Move
- Plan to talk to your moving company to see if they transport plants, as some moving companies have a protocol to disallow certain items in the truck.
- Dispose of any items that are not to be moved to your new house.
- Plan to be busy next week.
2 Weeks Before Your Move
- Notify these professional services prior to your move:
- Accountant
- Attorney
- Doctor
- Dentist
- Financial Planner
- Health Insurance Provider
- Insurance Agent
- Schools
- Notify these accounts and services to adjust new personal information prior to your move:
- Auto Finance Company
- Bank/Credit Union/Finance Companies
- Credit Card Companies
- Exterminator
- Health Club
- Home care service providers (lawn, exterminator, snow removal etc.)
- Laundry service
- Magazines
- Monthly memberships (Nexflix, book of the month, etc.)
- Newsletters
- Newspapers
- Pharmacy
- Store/Gas Charge Accounts
- Notify these government offices prior to your move:
- City/County Tax Assessor
- State Vehicle Registration
- Social Security Administration
- State/Federal Tax Bureau (IRS)
- Veterans Administration
- Confirm travel arrangements for your pets and family members.
- Confirm any parking permits for the moving companies moving container/truck/trailer/POD.
- Plan to use up any frozen foods that remain.
- Keep all important documents and important belongings in a safe yet easy to access spot.
1 Week Before Your Move
- Review your moving plans with your moving company. Email or call with questions.
- Contact your bank or Credit Card Company if you are planning to pay for your move by debit or credit card.
- Print two copies of your bill of lading (BOL) to keep in your move file.
- Notify friends and family of your new address and phone number
- Pack an essentials box to keep with you during the move.
- Drain gas and oil from lawn equipment, gas grills, heaters, etc.
- Drain water hoses and waterbeds.
- Measure furniture and doorways to determine if larger pieces will fit through the door.
- Empty and defrost refrigerator at least 24 hours before the move.
- Fill any prescriptions you will need during the move.
Moving Day
- Review your moving plans with your moving company. Email or call with questions.
- Be familiar with our packing and loading tips and personally supervise hired labor.
- Place carpet, floor and door frame protectors throughout your home.
- Load goods in a pre-designated order, saving "last load" items for the rear of your shipment.
- Check every room and closet one last time to make sure nothing is left behind.
8 Weeks Before Your Move
- Start planning your venture with a moving company and get an estimate for how much your move will cost.
- This could be a good opportunity to ask the moving company on the phone how to prepare for your move. They will provide you with some guidance – some guidance you can compare with to this list.
- Once you get an estimate on your move, create a budget plan for your moving expenses:
- Plan for box packing
- Wrapping fragile items with bubble wrap.
- Parking reservations for the day of your move
- Create an Excel Spreadsheet to help document receipts and other important information (maybe even an inventory list).
- Plan a visit with your new community, and start building your presence – get to know everyone around the block.
7 Weeks Before Your Move
- Start collecting all your medical, dental and prescription records and place them into an easy accessible spot just in case.
- Ask your current doctors for referrals around your new city/location.
- If you are moving across school zones, arrange to have school records and vaccination shot documentation ready prior to moving.
- Gather and hold onto all copies of legal and financial records.
- Call your insurance company to adjust your new policy.
- Plan to transfer or cancel memberships at any gym, health club, organization or group.
6 Weeks Before Your Move
- Start planning out what items you wish to keep/discard. Separate items into those you will
- Plan to make a trip to Goodwill or plan a Garage Sale
- Take a look at all your fragile items and keep in mind which items need to be thoroughly wrapped/protected.
- Decide if you will need to purchase movers insurance
- Sometimes having delicate items/furniture, it could be wise to have the insurance (it’s mostly common for long distance moves, but not so much for local moves)
- Start using up items that cannot be transported in the truck
- Frozen foods, bleach, cleaning supplies, aerosols, paint, carpet freshener.
- Call your insurance company to adjust your new policy.
- Plan to transfer or cancel memberships at any gym, health club, organization or group.
5 Weeks Before Your Move
- Order Boxes and moving supplies
- Begin packing items you do not use often
- Label your boxes clearly, and keep them organized by room.
- Pinpoint your move date and plan a date to call the postal company to file an address change.
When choosing a moving company you should always make sure you do your research. Some companies, whether it's a moving service or any other professional services, do a lot of back end work to bring their company to the top. As an ex-professional mover I have experience in this field - getting to know how many of these companies operate. Every company has a different moto, a different way of satisfying customers: may it be by having the lowest rate, or by having the most qualitative service. How do you go about finding out which companies have the balance of both?
Yelp is probably the #1 way people find local services. Despite the rigorous algorithm Yelp has created to keep potential fake reviews off their website, they have an overall extensive list of active members that help create a some what accurate review system for local companies. A lot of times the reviews are vague and rate the overall companies service, and many other times members post a very thorough review: giving the names of the workers and supplying individual remarks for each worker versus the entirety of the company. Take a look at San Francisco Movers . A lot of their reviews include the names of the individuals part of the crew. This allows for customers to really choose which worker/foreman they would like to hire. Read through the companies reviews before making your decision. Sometimes someone else already experienced something you're trying to avoid.
Besides Yelp, there are many other review websites that could junction as an ice breaker. Lots of times a fake review will push people away immediately, despite the legitimacy behind the context. It's okay. That's why there are multiple listings websites that help find companies based off location. For example: Moving Order is a company that helps locate movers for you. They also supply people with a verbose list to follow to help prepare for your move.
